using entertainers to push cultural understanding

 I am old enough to remember during the cold war when the US and the USSR sent entertainers to each other to help increase understanding between countries as a way of softening the hatred of each other. Yes, propaganda, but in a good way.

Article about sending Porgie and Bess to Europe and the story is in Maya Angelou's book LINK

however, sending artists and entertainers as a way of promoting cultural understanding is not new:

while reading up on the Manga version of Isabella Bird's travels in Japan, they discuss Japanese street artists and mention a famous Japanese juggler who toured Europe and the USA.

Japan was closed to much of the world until the US forced them to open ports to western interests in 1853

if you scroll down the blogpost on Matthew Wittman's blog, he discusses  the American circus performers who went to Japan (1864) and how the Japanese decided to send their own jugglers to the world to improve cultural understanding (1867).

and he includes and Edison film from 1904

Youtube has this video showing traditonal Japanese juggling.

this is being posted under my "Factoid of the day" topic, since it is something I know nothing about but am trying to increase my own knowledge.