Community Building

Musicians wield powerful tools for strengthening diplomatic relations: their instruments.

When I received the news that, through an exchange program, I could spend four months at Zumix (a creative youth development program in Boston, Massachusetts, USA), I checked their website. I read the phrase “Powered by Youth” and thought, “Sure, it sounds good, but it’s probably just a catchy motto.”

But when I arrived in Boston and attended my first Zumix event, a Sunday evening concert at a local park, I realized those words were true.

El Sistema USA is hosting two regional gatherings this year, bringing together program leaders, teaching artists, and students from across the country for community-building and professional development.

Leeds Beckett University and Musicians Without Borders are collaborating to run a five-day training (June 9–13) for musicians interested in using their skills to support individuals affected by war and armed conflict.

Music has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities, and challenge the systems that shape them—but what does that transformative process actually look like? For the past five years, The Lewis Prize for Music (TLPM) has been addressing this question by supporting organizations that harness music’s power to uplift and empower young people. 

A new partnership between the Saudi Music Commission and the Muse Group will create unprecedented access to international sheet music and method books for Arabic speakers.

An ensemble music camp for young players across Southeast Asia’s Greater Bay Area is drawing the attention of international musicians.

Do you know someone living in the U.S. doing outstanding work in the fields of the arts, culture, education, or social justice?

Sirkhane Social Circus is more than just a place to learn circus skills—it is a sanctuary of joy, healing, and creative expression for children who have endured the trauma of war, displacement, and social instability. Based in Mardin, Turkey, near the Syrian border, Sirkhane provides a safe and nurturing environment where children from diverse backgrounds—Syrian, Turkish, Iraqi, and Kurdish—come together to learn, perform, and play.