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LEAF Global Arts is on a mission CONNECTING CULTURES and CREATING COMMUNITY through world music, arts education, preservation and experiences.
We believe that by honoring cultural differences and embracing meaningful connections, we can create more equity in our communities. In this path, LEAF Global Arts looks toward the legacy we want to be generating in the communities we serve. Different groups share power, shape the culture and leadership and produce results.
View LEAF’s Annual Gratitude Report 2020 to connect to our work.
The quintessential importance of LEAF is bringing people together...
We see ourselves using music, art and festivals to create welcoming places and spaces of possibility. These open and mindful pathways foster shared experiences powerful enough to transform lives, connect cultures and generate unity.
•Come to LEAF Festival!
October 14-17, 2021
Festival Tickets
WeX (Work Exchange/Vol)
•Weekend Program!
•LEAF Global Experience Downtown AVL on the Block always has something happening!
LEAF Global is a creative immersive experience that weaves together elements of an interactive museum and an arts center. Come as a visitor or rent our facilities for a unique and interactive historic space that connects you to the Block and the world.
Will you join us in cultivating a thriving global community generated by the power of cultural curiosity, connection, and preservation?
LEAF Memberships supports our Cultural Arts Education Programs & work. YOUR giving is meaningful as together we create a better world for all.
Music & art are universal that we can connect to each other from afar! Sign up for LEAF virtual online classes or private in person workshops. This season, we celebrate NOLA culture (see video).
LEAF’s mission comes to life as an agent for positive social impact in many ways and places.
The “ways” include: cultural exchanges, residencies, programs, workshops, mentoring, Easel Rider Mobile Art Lab, Learning Journeys, Signature Events, and immersive experiences. “Places” include: LEAF Global Arts Center in downtown Asheville, in communities across the world, in schools, in community centers, at event locations such as Lake Eden in Black Mountain, and downtown Asheville, and now LEAF is also Virtual.
LEAF global arts education program goals, curriculum, teacher & student evaluations are aligned with the Developmental Assets Profile (DAP), developed by the Search Institute. The Search Institute has identified 40 assets which comprise a set of skills, experiences, relationships, and behaviors that enable young people to develop into successful and contributing adults. Building these assets prepare youth for success in some type of college or education, a career, and citizenship.
LEAF has identified and prioritized 6 assets that exemplify the types of skills our programs help to develop in our youth participants:
LEAF’s Global Arts Education programs align with Common Core State and NC Essential Standards to supplement what teachers are doing in their classrooms.
The UNESCO Culture for Development Indicators Suite identifies several dimensions that address the interrelations between culture and development. LEAF International aligns with 5 indicators that provide a guiding framework for quantifying the contribution of culture in development.
The 5 indicators that guide the design and evaluate global programs:
Within these 5 dimensions, 9 indicators are utilized by LEAF as direct indications of how our programs are enriching individual lives, communities, and preserving forms of cultural expression:
Since 2018, LEAF Community Arts as a team with Buncombe County Schools (BCS) are John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – Partners in Education Program. This national recognition is only the 3rd cohort in NC! The SHARED purpose of LEAF and BCS as Kennedy Center – Partners i
502,000
LEAFers at Events
56
Signature Festivals
101
Countries Represented
16,043
Performers
2
Virtual Events
80,438
Youth Participants
8,831
Youth Performers
621
Arts Education Programs
23,650
Easel Rider Youth
3,250
Youth Participants
10
Countries
4
ONEmic Studios
15
Cultural Exchanges
18
Culture Keepers
Our vision is to create relationships with communities around the world to strengthen cultural & global arts education programs to engage youth in their rich, cultural heritage, while cultivating community and connection. These are our guiding tools:
