STORIES FROM LEAF GLOBAL ARTS

Celebrating 30 years of extraordinary stories & connections across the world.

Mission

LEAF Global Arts is on a mission CONNECTING CULTURES and CREATING COMMUNITY
through world music, arts education, preservation and experiences.
The closest distance between two people is a story, a song, or a dance.

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LEAF Retreat Lineup square

LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR MAY 2025 LEAF GLOBAL ARTS RETREAT

Headliners this spring include Dumpstaphunk, Tyler Ramsey, Toubab Krewe, and many more.
LEAF Camps

Register your kid for Spring Break & Summer Camps

LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts Experience ...

Line up announced for LEAF Global Arts Festival, Oct. 17-20, 2024

Join us at LEAF Global Arts Festival to connect to the world and each other ...
Image of a singer in silhouette.

#SparktheArtsNC Artist Spotlight: Dani Cox

Join us for an evening of music and community conversation with Dani Cox, LEAF’s Spark the Arts Artist in Residence for June.
Black and white head shot of dancer Amanda Hoyte.

#SPARKTHEARTSNC ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: AMANDA HOYTE

Join us for two events with Amanda Hoyte, LEAF’s Spark the Arts Artist in Residence for May.
Head shot of musician Teso Ellis.

#SPARKTHEARTSNC ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: TESO ELLIS

Join us for two events, May 22 and 28, with Teso Ellis, LEAF's Spark the Arts Artist in Residence for May.

 

AN URGENT LETTER FROM THE LEAF BOARD:

For nearly 30 years, LEAF Global Arts has connected people through the power of art, music, and culture. Every shared moment has been made possible because of you – our community.

The LEAF Festival is critical to funding LEAF’s larger work: providing global cultural arts programming for thousands of local youth and preserving cultures and traditions around the world.

This year, we are facing a financial crossroads: between the loss of last fall’s Festival, losing a majority of our arts education funding in 2025, and not fully recovering from COVID, the future is bleak. The upcoming LEAF Festival could be our last if we don’t come together to sustain the heart of LEAF’s mission – but we have seen what this community can do when united for a cause greater than itself.

To open the Festival experience to as many people as possible, and to rally the full spirit of LEAF, we are offering a limited number of LEAF LOVE Tickets at a significant discount.

These special tickets, offered at 30% off (our highest discount, even more so than our Early Bird pricing) are our way of ensuring everyone has a place in this story. Full-priced tickets also remain available for those with the means to give a little more to help support LEAF’s vital work.

Your presence, your voice, and your support matter more than ever right now. Join us in making this LEAF Festival one that the world will never forget and ensuring the music continues for generations to come. 

Mayani is a Maasai boy from longido Arusha. He went to boarding school at 6 years old and lost his Maasai language and tradition. Since joining the LEAF program, he has learned to sing Maasai songs, practiced the ‘jump’ tradition and wear Maasai shukas (traditional clothing). Mayani is extremely happy and is currently teaching other youth the culture.