Unlearning The Spotlight 13: Unlearning Cultural Blind Spots - Avoiding Cultural Appropriation in Performance

When you step onto a stage, whether locally or abroad, you are not just representing yourself - you are entering into someone else’s cultural space. This might be the national culture of a host country, or the corporate culture of a company with its own unique identity, values, and traditions.

Too often, Emcees fall into the trap of borrowing elements that do not belong to them. They use phrases, clothing, or customs that they think will add colour or relatability, without recognising the deeper meaning those elements hold.

What might feel like a harmless nod to diversity or familiarity can quickly cross the line into appropriation or misrepresentation. And when it does, it risks alienating the very people you are there to serve.

The Risks of Borrowing What Is Not Yours

An Emcee opens the event with a phrase in a local language that they have not learned to pronounce correctly. The intent is friendly, but the impact is careless. Or they adopt a piece of clothing or a ritual from a culture that is not their own, treating it like a costume rather than an identity. The same mistake can happen in corporate contexts where an Emcee may try to incorporate a company’s internal language or culture, but without the shared history or meaning behind how it came to be, it can sound forced or seen as trying to be clever.

Audiences notice. Whether it is a global audience or a corporate one, people can sense when cultural symbols are used without authenticity. What was meant as a gesture of connection can easily become the point of disconnection.

The Organiser’s Perspective

From an organiser’s viewpoint, cultural missteps are more than awkward. They can undermine credibility, create offence, and distract from the event’s purpose. A global audience may feel misunderstood or taken advantage of, while a corporate audience may feel misrepresented or like they are being treated with too much familiarity.

Organisers want their guests to be honoured and included. They do not want to spend time after the event explaining why the Emcee’s attempt at humour, language, or corporate reference missed the mark.

A professional Emcee understands that both national culture and corporate culture deserve respect. Instead of borrowing what is not theirs, they engage authentically. That might mean consulting local leaders, asking corporate organisers about traditions that should be acknowledged, or creating space for representatives of those cultures to share in their own voices. Respect is not about imitation. It is about recognition and amplification. It is about lifting people up in their own spaces.

The Power of Respectful Engagement

Real connection grows from humility, curiosity, and empathy. It is about recognising that you are a guest in someone else’s home and acting accordingly. An Emcee should ask, “How can I honour this space?” rather than “What can I do to raise my profile with the audience?”

When this shift takes place, audiences feel it. They sense that their heritage is valued. Corporate audiences understand that their identity is being taken seriously. Both recognise that the Emcee is there to elevate, not to appropriate.

The Mindset Shift

Unlearning cultural appropriation, whether national or corporate, means abandoning the idea that every element is available for performance. Culture is not decoration. It is lived experience, collective history, and shared identity. Treating it respectfully turns an event into more than a programme. It becomes a moment where people feel genuinely seen.

Homework for Emcees

Before your next event, research both the national and corporate culture of your audience. If you are hosting abroad, learn basic context about the host country – speak to a member of the organising committee to connect with someone local and have a brief discussion with them about the expected audience.

If you are hosting within a company, ask about their values, their traditions, or their milestones. Write down three ways you can acknowledge those cultures respectfully without borrowing what does not belong to you.

Cultural respect, whether national or corporate, is not an optional afterthought. It is essential to creating events where people feel valued and included.

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If you want your next event to reflect empathy, inclusivity, and professionalism, I invite you to book a 20-minute video call with me.

We can explore how I can support your goals and ensure your event honours the people at its heart. And if you want to keep learning with me, subscribe to my Unlearning the Spotlight blog on my website. At the end of the series you will receive a free PDF mini-book with all 17 chapters.