Who benefits from cultural diplomacy?

The intention of American Voices theater projects is to work with already established theater groups; thus in Herat, Simorgh is usually the recipient of any country bringing in cultural diplomacy workers. Norway, for example, paid the recipients skewing their expectations. I was supposed to work with the National Theater in the afternoons but they wanted to be paid. I liked the idea of spreading the opportunity and proposed working at an orphanage which is how I came to spend my afternoons with these girls. Whatever these girls may have lacked in acting ability, they more than made up for in imagination.

The interior of the orphanage was heated by diesel, seriously toxic fumes adding to the long ledger of things these intrepid girls have to survive so the following day with great weather I proposed we gather outside. Since they'd be expected to participate in the weekend's performance, in addition to theater games and improv, we worked on the traditional stick dance (and also because they loved doing it-PE there was not). I beat the cheap plastic drum while the girls worked up a frenzy of dance moves and stick pounding. When I returned the following day, I was informed there would be no dancing outside and no dancing of older girls inside or outside. (We would be able to teach the four-year olds the stick dance, Inside. The appalled (!?) neighbors had complained.