During the recent State Visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of the Republic of Kenya, the United States and Kenya announced new initiatives and public diplomacy programs aimed at elevating culture as a diplomatic platform. These initiatives are designed to bring people together, preserve cultural heritage, and strengthen the economies of both countries.
The Department’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) will continue its long-term investments across Africa to preserve and protect cultural heritage while boosting tourism. In collaboration with industry leaders such as the Recording Academy, the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, and other private sector and civil society institutions, the United States will launch new programs promoting collaboration, building capacity, and bolstering professional creative industry ecosystems. These initiatives aim to connect industry leaders in music, film, and television and provide essential technical and vocational skills necessary for a sustainable creative infrastructure.
As part of this focus on tourism and cultural heritage, AFCP will support efforts led by the National Museums of Kenya to preserve Takwa's archaeological site—a 15th- and 16th-century Swahili trading town. AFCP projects help preserve various cultural heritages including historic buildings, archaeological sites, ethnographic objects, paintings, manuscripts, indigenous languages, and other traditional cultural expressions. Since 2001, AFCP has invested $18.2 million in preserving cultural heritage in over 45 African countries.
Starting this summer, efforts to bolster Kenya’s growing creative economy will commence. The ACTV program will bring television professionals from Kenya and across Africa to Los Angeles for a four-week residency at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Here they will be mentored by American television writers, producers, and industry experts focusing on professional development in fields such as art direction, cinematography, editing, and line producing.
Additionally, mid-level music industry professionals from Kenya will participate in the inaugural American Music Mentorship Program (AMMP), a partnership between the Department of State and the Recording Academy. AMMP connects international mid-career music industry professionals with mentors selected by the Recording Academy. This initiative was first announced by Secretary Blinken during the launch of the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative in September 2023.
Under the Community College Initiative Program (CCI), Kenyan students will receive tailored academic programs at U.S. community colleges to build their technical skills in film and television production while enhancing leadership capabilities for workforce entry upon returning to Kenya.
Lastly, through the American Film Showcase (AFS) program’s Film and TV Leadership Initiative, Kenyan filmmakers will travel to workshops in cities such as Atlanta; Los Angeles; Washington D.C.; culminating at the Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia. Leading U.S. film professionals will also conduct reciprocal workshops in Kenya.
For more information contact eca-press@state.gov.
