Cultural Diplomacy: Influence and Partnerships to Maximize Impact

Alicia B. Adams is the Vice President of International Programming and Dance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She joined the Kennedy Center in 1992, first serving as Special Assistant to the Chairman, James Wolfensohn. She worked with him to articulate, coordinate and oversee implementation of the Center’s programs and policies. For almost two decades, Adams’ role at the Center has been producing and presenting in the international arena.

She most recently curated and produced the Center’s IBERIAN SUITE: global arts remix (2015), WORLD STAGES: International Theater Festival 2014, Nordic Cool 2013, maximumINDIA (2011) and ARABESQUE: Arts of the Arab World (2009) festivals, celebration of the arts and culture of the Nordic region, India and the Arab world respectively.

Adams has worked in the field of arts management in New York City for institutions including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Belafonte Enterprises, Inc., City Center Theater, Harlem School of the Arts and International Production Associates. 

Nick Cull is Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, where he directs a public diplomacy master's program. Originally from the UK he has written widely on the history of the role of media and culture in international relations. He is co-editor of the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy and president of the International Association for Media and History. 

Cecilia Z. Galarreta is a Peruvian career diplomat, with 26 years of services in the diplomatic corp. Ms. Galarreta presently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Peru in Washington D.C. Prior to this, she served in Germany and Guatemala. She also worked for the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she was the Head of the Political Department at the Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT), Temporary Head of Tourism and Health Committees of the ACT, and Director of Coordination with NGOs and Civil Society. 

Donnie Jack took up office as the Scottish Government Counsellor for the Americas in 2014. As a career civil servant, Donnie has worked in various Scottish Government directorates over the years including: fisheries, police, inward investment and enterprise, health and sport. In additional to major policy-making roles, he has also worked at the centre of Government. This has included supporting the Scottish Cabinet and its Sub-Committees as well as two periods in the role of Private Secretary (Chief of Staff) to two Cabinet Ministers.  

Paul Smith has been Director of the British Council in the USA and Cultural Counsellor at the British Embassy Washington DC, since August 2012. He is also a member of the British Council’s Regional Management Team for The Americas.

He joined the British Council in 1983 and has had postings in Kano and Lagos (Nigeria), Burma, Chile, Germany and Bangladesh and then as Director of the British Council in New Zealand, in West India (Mumbai). From 2005-2010 he was Director of the British Council in Egypt and from 2010 – 2012 Director of the British Council in Afghanistan and Cultural Counsellor at the British Embassy in Kabul. In the UK he has held the posts of Director Drama and Dance (1987-1989) and Director Arts (1999-2000). 

Linda Zachrison is the Cultural Counselor of Sweden to the United States. She took up this post in 2015 following her work on the management board of the Kulturhuset theatre, as well as being the Artistic Director of Parkteatern - a three month long outdoor festival which reaches an annual audience of 200.000 people. During her time at Kulturhuset, Linda also developed, launched and managed a venue for international performing arts in Stockholm, under the name Stockholms Stadsteater. Prior to this, Linda served as the Political Advisor of the Minister of Culture and Education in Sweden.