In late November 2025, Caitlyn Kamminga, Associate Professor of Music, APA was invited to attend the inaugural ArtsSummit in Columbia as a part of an elite group of teaching artists from around the world. The week-long summit brought together Global Leaders Institute Fellows from around the world, and select members of Comfama cultural, arts and education professionals from Antioquia.

At its heart, the Summit was about connection and renewal: fellows and local leaders came together to reflect on their practices, share diverse perspectives and reengage with the pressing leadership questions shaping the arts today. The programme blended immersive learning, cultural exploration and peer-to-peer exchange creating a space where ideas are tested, bonds are strengthened, and new collaborations emerged.

Throughout the week fellows engaged in cultural and thought-provoking activities designed to connect with local communities. These encounters spotlight the role of the arts as a catalyst for civic imagination, cross-sector innovation, and community transformation. The learning acquired will be directly influential on service-learning courses offered at APA, where Caitlyn Kamminga's students on the teaching artist pathway match art skills with needs in the community and design and deliver meaningful arts based residencies in their own communities.