GCDN Annual Convening – Lugano 2022: Full Schedule

18:00 CEST

Welcome aperitivo and registrations

Sunday May 29, 2022 18:00 - 20:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Social events, Aperitivo & Dinner

09:00 CEST

Refreshments and late registrations

Monday May 30, 2022 09:00 - 10:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Registration

10:00 CEST

Welcome from the City of Lugano, LAC, and GCDN

Official welcome and opening remarks from representatives of the City of Lugano, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, and GCDN

Speakers

Adrian Ellis

Chair, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

I am a Director of AEA Consulting and chair of the Global Cultural Districts Network. I have worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world... Read More →

Michel Gagnon

General director, Lugano arte e cultura

Born in Canada in 1956, Michel Gagnon has been Place des Arts Programming Director since 2000, where he was responsible for developing the overall programming, he also supervised the artistic direction of shows produced by Place des Arts, and he developed many cultural activities... Read More →

Michele Foletti

Mayor, City of Lugano

Roberto Badaracco

Vice-Mayor, City of Lugano

Luigi Di Corato

Director of Cultural Affairs - City of Lugano, Città di Lugano

Luigi Maria Di Corato graduated with honours in art history from the University of Siena. He continued his education with a master's degree in Business Administration at the MIP Politecnico di Milano and a postgraduate course in Management and Economics of Culture at the SDA Bocconi... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 10:00 - 10:30 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

10:30 CEST

Morning session: that was then, this is now…

We are emerging from a period framed by trauma, infused by calls for greater social justice, informed by heightened awareness of the climate crisis, inconvenienced by discontinuous globalization, and impacted by the precariousness of our collective health and wellbeing. For many cultural leaders, the future has never seemed so unforeseeable, and yet alongside radical change, we find innovation and the potential to enable widespread access, equity, and understanding.

Reflecting on their own experiences, cultural leaders will share lessons learned from the challenges and opportunities presented in recent years to open a dialogue about the appropriate responsibilities of cultural institutions and leaders to their staff, communities, and the world.

Moderators

Andy Schulz

Vice President for the Arts, University of Arizona

Andrew (Andy) Schulz joined the University of Arizona as Dean of the College of Fine Arts in July 2018. In January 2019, he was named the inaugural Vice President for the Arts and charged with carrying out a bold vision to elevate the arts at the University of Arizona.As Vice President... Read More →

Speakers

Rachel Moore

President & CEO, The Music Center

Rachel S. Moore is president and CEO of The Music Center, Los Angeles’ premier performing arts center. In that capacity, she leads the $70 million company that manages The Music Center campus and operates and programs Grand Park on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. In total... Read More →

Sarah Dance

Chair, Creative Estuary

Sarah Dance is a strategic consultant for the culture and creative industries, with over 25 years’ experience in the creative sector. She has led a wide range of cultural organisations and set up her own consultancy in 2002. Her work covers business and capital development, creative... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

11:30 CEST

Morning coffee break & breakout

Mid-morning coffee break with some time set aside for attendees to make their way to the room where the break out session they've chosen to attend is being held

Monday May 30, 2022 11:30 - 12:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Coffee break

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: Networks for arts, culture, health and wellbeing

The relationship between health and mental well-being and the arts has risen to become a topic of high interest, both in scientific and artistic circles. The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on our healthcare systems and our psyche, highlighting the need for an enhanced understanding of the complex relationship between them, as well as new and improved processes to promote them. This session will look at practical ways in which the arts and culture play a role – drawing on the development of international networks whose mission is to progress and promote awareness, research, and activities aimed at improving health outcomes and achieving an effective integration between the world of arts and culture and that of health and wellbeing.

Moderators

Elly Andriopoulou

Managing Director, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Elly Andriopoulou is the Chairwoman and Managing Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), appointed in June 2020. Before joining the SNFCC, Elly held leadership positions in banking, strategy consulting, and most recently, philanthropy.More specifically... Read More →

Speakers

Rarita Zbranca

Programme Director, Cluj Cultural Centre

My cultural work over the past 25 years has included arts management, curating, research and policymaking. Currently I am a Programme Director of the Cluj Cultural Centre, a membership organisation dedicated to culture as sustainable development based in Cluj, Romania. I am also a... Read More →

Patrizia Nalbach

Artist - Museum's Cultural Mediator - Music Therapist, LAC

Patrizia Nalbach is a Swiss-Italian soloist singer of classical, jazz and improvised music as well as the founder, director and performer of several projects and cultural concert-shows.Patrizia, born in Turin, has lived in several different cities in her life (Zurich, New York and... Read More →

Pier Luigi Sacco

Professore Ordinario, Università degli Studi 'Gabriele d'Annunzio' di Chieti

I am Professor of Economic Policy at University of Chieti-Pescara, Senior Advisor to the OECD, Paris, Research Affiliate at metaLAB (at) Harvard and ISPC-CNR Naples. I have been the Special Advisor to the EU Commissioner on Education and Culture, Visiting Professor and Scholar at... Read More →

Rosie Dow

Programme Manager (Arts and Health), Nesta

Rosie leads ‘HARP’, a large Arts and Health innovation and research programme with a focus on how the arts can play a more prominent role in the health and wellbeing of people in Wales. The programme is a partnership between Nesta, Arts Council of Wales and Cardiff University... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: new global geographies of cultural flagships

Ever since the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, major cultural institutions have become an important driver in the globalisation of cities and anchors in cultural districts around the world.

An ongoing research project spearheaded by Martin Müller and David Gogishvili from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, aims to trace the spread of these capital projects, also known as cultural flagships, around the world from the 1990s to today – asking questions like: where are these institutions being opened? What type dominates – museums, theatres, others? How expensive are they? Who are the (st)architects behind their design? And what does the future hold for this paradigm?

Based on interim findings from the research, this breakout session will explore the past, present, and future trends in global cultural investment. We will also unearth curious trivia to spring on an unsuspecting neighbour during the gala dinner, such as: Which is the city with the highest number of new cultural flagships opened between 1990 and today?

Moderators

Daniel Payne

Managing Principal, AEA Consulting

Daniel has a background that merges architecture, design, and business. Since joining AEA, Daniel has applied his skills to strategic and business planning for more than 100 clients, including:Developing financial models and business plans for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural... Read More →

Speakers

Martin Müller

Professor, University of Lausanne

Martin Müller is a professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is interested in how rich cities attempt to become sexy cities. In other words: How do cities seek to convert economic capital into cultural capital by investing... Read More →

David Gogishvili

Senior Researcher, Institute of geography and sustainability – University of Lausanne

David Gogishvili is a senior researcher in the Department of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is interested in the role that large-scale urban development projects, such as mega-events and cultural flagship institutions, play in cities across... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 3

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: Rethinking our cities... and new tools for action

The last two years have seen unprecedented changes in our experience of our cities and our understanding of our communities. Global outrage following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in the US has brought urgent issues of cultural and racial equity to the fore. The longer-term impacts of Covid 19 and growing pressure for bold action on climate change are challenging previously unquestionable concepts such as “downtown”, and patterns of behaviour and productivity across society, and driving new interest in mor localised lives centred around resurgent town centres and neighbourhoods.

What is the role of cultural districts and organisations in these big transitions? How do urban and cultural leaders rethink their models and approaches, and how can we build the capacity to keep rethinking, given endpoints can be far from clear? What unexpected opportunities have emerged?
In this session, we’ll gather a diverse set of urban practitioners to understand what practical approaches they are using to build resilience and innovation into their own work, and that of their organisations and networks, to support evolution.

Moderators

Tim Jones

Culture Mile Manager, City of London Corporation

Tim Jones manages Culture Mile, a cultural district in the heart of London, on behalf of the City of London Corporation and in partnership with the Barbican Centre, the Museum of London, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the London Symphony Orchestra.Tim is a senior director... Read More →

Speakers

Rozina Spinnoy

Founder / Director, BIDs Belgium

Rozina Spinnoy is a Design Strategist and Social Entrepreneur. Founder/Director of the NGO BIDs Belgium, which is a Community Partner of the New European Bauhaus. Also running the SME’s Belgium Design Council and Design2Style, based in Brussels and working internationally. Wearing... Read More →

Ramon Marrades

Director, Urban Economist, Placemaking Europe

Ramon Marrades is an urban economist, writer, and activist with a passion for people and places. He is currently Director at Placemaking Europe, founder at Vigla –an applied research start-up focused on designing urban futures–, and strategy advisor to a number of cities and large-scale... Read More →

Regina Myer

President, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

Regina Myer is President of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP), a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination.Until 2016, Regina served... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 2

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: What's next for public art?

New technologies, environmental concerns, shifts in cultural consumption, and of course a global pandemic – like many others, the public arts sector must deal with substantial disrupting factors that are forcing its actors to reinvent practices and business models. In this session, a panel of practitioners discuss these changes and their implications for the future of public art, using practical examples to illustrate global trends.

Moderators

Michael Woodsmall

michael@why-site.com, WHY

Speakers

Eloi Beauchamp

CEO, Iregular

Eloi Beauchamp has a very positive view on life and overflows with energy.He has a bachelor in biology, a masters in ecology and a degree in teaching.He thought he would become a teacher. He became an entrepreneur.In 1999 he founded l’ÉLOI, an integrated agency and production house.22... Read More →

Jason Bruges

Founder, Jason Bruges Studio

Jason Bruges is a genre-bending artist and designer, based in London. He is internationally renowned as a pioneer of the hybrid space between art, architecture, and technology. His artworks are site-specific, ‘sculptural barometers’ that tap into the emotional tapestry of a... Read More →

Josée Guérette

Development & Touring Manager - Interactive Installations, Quartier des Spectacles

I’m an art lover who studied theatre and art history before specializing in arts management. I’m adept at solving puzzles with a few small pieces that don’t quite seem to fit. That’s what makes me such an effective strategic planner for tour schedules. I’m always looking... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 4

Convening session, Breakout session

13:00 CEST

Lunch

Hosted by LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura
Catering by Luini6
Event sponsor: Ticinowine
With special thanks to Claus and Bente Christiansen

Monday May 30, 2022 13:00 - 14:30 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Lunch

14:30 CEST

Climate crisis & cultural districts – the European context

The impact and urgency of the climate crisis is incontestable. Even those in geographies historically less challenged like Europe and the UK are beginning to face unprecedented weather patterns and loss of biodiversity. The social repercussions of the climate crisis are also increasingly presenting us with the need to reassess moral imperatives on our daily lives and engrained processes.

Cultural districts, with their strong community connections and focus on stories of place and people, have a potentially significant role to play in climate justice and in the shift towards more environmentally responsible futures. Using Exhibition Road in London and MuseumsQuartierWien in Vienna as case studies, this session will explore what those responsibilities and accommodations are, and how they should be met.

Moderators

Christos Carras

Executive Director, Onassis Cultural Centre

Christos Carras was born in London (UK) in 1962. He read philosophy at Cambridge University and then at the Sorbonne where he earned his PhD. From 2000 onwards, he has been working in the cultural sector, initially as the Project Manager of the EU funded MediMuses network. In 2006... Read More →

Speakers

Bettina Leidl

Director, MuseumsQuartier Errichtungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft mbH

Anne-Marie Melster

Co-Founder & Executive Director, ARTPORT_making waves

Anne-Marie Melster is an art curator, writer and advisor focusing on social and environmental issues. As the co-founder and executive director of ARTPORT_making waves she creates interdisciplinary projects which search for environmental and social solutions. She is the pioneering... Read More →

Paul Toyne

Sustainability Leader, Grimshaw

Dr Paul Toyne has a diverse background, having worked all over the world as an environmental campaigner, conservationist and sustainable built environment specialist. Within the fields of property and construction, he has held Group Sustainability and Environment Director roles at... Read More →

Monday May 30, 2022 14:30 - 16:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

16:00 CEST

Group picture

Monday May 30, 2022 16:00 - 16:15 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Social events, Picture

16:15 CEST

Lake cruise

Monday May 30, 2022 16:15 - 18:00 CEST
Lake Lugano

Social events, Tour

20:00 CEST

Dinner

Monday May 30, 2022 20:00 - 23:30 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Social events, Aperitivo & Dinner

09:00 CEST

Refreshments and late registrations

Tuesday May 31, 2022 09:00 - 10:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Registration

09:45 CEST

New members meet up

Part of what GCDN hopes to deliver for members is a genuine peer-to-peer network where everyone may feel comfortable sharing successes, learnings, and honest feedback on opportunities and challenges.

Several new members have joined the network over the past convening-less three years. Although we’ve all worked to create and sustain platforms for members to engage, no online substitute compares to the convening in terms of opportunity for meeting new colleagues and exploring potential new partnerships.

This is why we made sure to include a session on the program primarily aimed at representatives from our new members who will be in Lugano – to give them the opportunity to one another, as well as other guests and attendees from within and without the network.

This will be a facilitated lightning-round discussion, starting with the prompt: “what’s keeping you up at night"

Tuesday May 31, 2022 09:45 - 10:30 CEST
LAC: Sala 2

Convening session, Plenary

10:30 CEST

Morning keynote: leading in a changed world – emerging cultural districts and a way forward

Charlotte Ashamu, Creative Economy Specialist at Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH), shares insights surfacing through The Director's Network – a cohort of cultural leaders and creative entrepreneurs responsible for the growth of cultural institutions across sub-Saharan Africa – which she leads for IPCH. Often in early stages, these developments provide examples of new operating structures, financial models, and integrated accountability measures that address complex social and civic challenges.

After, Charlotte will be joined by GCDN Chair Adrian Ellis for a conversation about the implications and possibilities of these innovations for cultural districts worldwide – as they grapple with significant changes in how we consume culture and experience public spaces as a result of lasting societal, economic, environmental, and political flux.

Speakers

Adrian Ellis

Chair, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Charlotte Ashamu

Creative Economy Specialist, Yale University Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Charlotte Ashamu is an expert in international economic development with a 20-year career advancing the creative and cultural industries. She currently serves as a Creative Economy Specialist at Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, where she leads... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

11:30 CEST

Morning coffee break & breakout

Mid-morning coffee break with some time set aside for attendees to make their way to the room where the break out session they've chosen to attend is being held

Tuesday May 31, 2022 11:30 - 12:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Coffee break

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: Building for the future

The longer-term effects of Covid 19 and growing pressures of climate change, combined with evolutions in urban life patterns, are changing the way we live, work, socialise, travel, and experience our cities. To ensure that it continues to generate value and contribute to the quality and texture of urban life going forward, the cultural infrastructure sector must take this fast-evolving context into account – and all its stakeholders, from engineers to designers to placemakers, must adapt accordingly. But what does that entail in practice? In this session, experts in urban design, architecture and placemaking share how their work and practices have evolved over the last few years, and discuss what it means today to build cultural infrastructure for the future.

Moderators

Sharon Ament

Director, Museum of London

Sharon Ament is Director of the Museum of London, a cultural ambassador for the Mayor of London and member of the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board; on the London Area Council of Arts Council England, Chair of the London Screen Archives and Co-Chair of the Women Leaders in Museums... Read More →

Speakers

Andrew Best

Partner, Buro Happold

Andrew is a Partner based in Buro Happold’s Berlin office. His work is spread across a diverse range of geographic locations, with a particular focus on cultural buildings, large international projects and buildings with geometrically complex structures.Andrew leads Buro Happold’s... Read More →

Kulapat Yantrasast

Creative Director, WHY

Hello I am an architect and thinker in the realm of Architecture, Urban Design and Sustainability . WHY studios are in New York City and Los Angeles with projects all over the globe. We partner with public and private sector clients to engage communities , ask questions in order to... Read More →

Kate Meyrick

Director, Urbis

Kate is a passionate urbanist and place maker with more than 25 years of international experience working throughout Australia, as well as Asia, Europe and the United States. She is globally respected for her expertise in visioning and positioning city scale precincts, working sensitively... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 2

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: Cultural districts and the technologies of the future

The pandemic and its impact on the work, leisure and travel patterns accelerated a trend toward both hyperlocal and digital distribution of artistic content. What does this mean for concentrations of cultural activity that are often located in urban centers. What does it mean for a cultural district to have a meaningful digital presence? Is digital cultural consumption a threat to the very idea of what happens to downtown or could it be, on the contrary, a beneficial shift? Conceived in partnership with ARTTECH Foundation, this session aims to look at how cultural districts could harness the technologies of the future to create new models, experiences, and opportunities.

Moderators

Nathalie Pichard

Executive Director, ArtTech Foundation

With her company Concilio, which she founded in 2017, Nathalie Pichard manages projects with and for her clients that draw on her practical experience in management, organization and innovation in the cultural and university domains.She has gained a great deal of experience in these... Read More →

Gregorio Lucena Scarpella

Director, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Greg is the Director of the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN), a dynamic membership organization of 50 international cultural districts with a mission to improve the quality of urban life through the arts, culture and creative industries.As Director of GCDN, Greg is responsible... Read More →

Speakers

Codin Popescu

Co-founder & CEO, Artivive

Julie Corver

Co-fondatrice, ARTPOINT

Anna Pfeiffer

Conception and Content / Project Management, iart

An MA in Applied Cultural Studies from University of Lüneburg, furnished Anna with an interdisciplinary background of cultural management, art history and practical exhibition work. After a stint as a curator and educator, mainly at Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, she joined iart in 2004... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: From A to District – Phasing in a Creative District in Benin City

The Creative District in Benin City is a new district of some 30 acres adjacent, conceived as an intimate campus within the ancient Bini Kingdom walls with platforms for display, interaction, and commerce. Its constellation of facilities will showcase digital, performance and visual art inspired by the rich local history and projecting its living culture into the future. The Creative District will be anchored by the planned Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), a new museum designed by Sir David Adjaye and intended to be a cultural and civic focal point, celebrating both traditional and contemporary cultural life of the region.

Now in the very early stages of its development, the Creative District will take time to reach its full potential – perhaps only realized around 2026 when the museum is completed and open. Meanwhile, it will still need to serve essential strategic roles for Benin City, and do it in financially sustainable, if not profitable ways. An effective phased development strategy will be essential to achieving these goals, a fact shared by many other cultural districts. Drawing on the experience of GCDN members in attendance, this session will explore possible phasing strategies and how they might be informed by global practice.

Moderators

Sherif El-Itriby

Principal, AEA Consulting

With two decades of consulting and project management experience in the international cultural and business sectors, Sherif supports AEA’s global growth with a focus on our work in Europe, the UK and the Middle East. He joined AEA in 2019 from Cultural Innovations, where he served... Read More →

Speakers

Phillip Ihenacho

Founder and Principal, Amaya Capital

Mr. Ihenacho is a founder and partner of Amaya Capital, a principal investment company that is an active investor in infrastructure businesses in Africa. Amaya is the founding investor of Azura Power, an Africa-focused power generation business that is the largest private sector financed... Read More →

Ore Disu

Director, The Pavilion, Edo Museum of West African Art

Ore Disu is the Director of the EMOWAA Pavilion, the research and collections facility of the Edo Museum of West African Art. Ore brings over 10 years of experience in cultural programming, research and stakeholder management to bear in the design and execution of early-stage programmes... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 3

Convening session, Breakout session

12:00 CEST

Breakout session: Redefining safety and accessibility for public spaces

Safety, accessibility and equity are important elements of how public spaces are designed, perceived, and programmed. While managers of great public spaces invest a great deal of resources, thought, and care into making people feel safe and welcome, history has unfortunately shown us that securing high profile sites and large-scale events from harm is challenging. This reality is further complicated as users of public spaces are often a broad constituency, including many historically underrepresented communities and cultures. The complexities involved with managing and operating safe public spaces requires cross-sector partners who are committed to promoting public safety while preserving human dignity.

Cultural districts have a natural, mission-driven advantage to employ artists, culture bearers and designers to shape the physical spaces, program offerings, and policies. This panel will look at principles for how inclusive public space organized around arts and culture can look and feel, will consider whose safety is prioritized in these spaces, and will offer some best practices and lessons learned.

Moderators

Stephanie Fortunato

Director, Special Projects, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Stephanie Fortunato joined GCDN as Director, Special Projects in 2022. In this role, she focuses on supporting the activities, management, and development of the network – and oversees the delivery of special research and membership projects.Stephanie has been active in the network... Read More →

Speakers

Ilana Altman

Co-Executive Director, The Bentway Conservancy

Ilana Altman is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. In her role as Co-Executive Director she works with the community and creative partners to implement innovative and engaging programming and open up new avenues for collaborative design and... Read More →

Luisa Bravo

Founder and President, City Space Architecture

Luisa Bravo is a global academic scholar and educator, cultural entrepreneur and public space activist. She has more than 15-years experience in the professional field as urban planner and designer with a specific focus on public space. Her expertise is grounded in extensive academic... Read More →

Elettra Bordonaro

Director, Light Follows Behaviour

Elettra is co-founder and creative director at Light Follows Behaviour, a lighting design studio with the aim to design with people and for people, with the aim to bring lighting to less affluent communities.She has focused her attention on lighting design and associated research... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 12:00 - 13:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 4

Convening session, Breakout session

13:00 CEST

Lunch

Hosted by LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura
Catering by Luini6
Event sponsor: Ticinowine
With special thanks to Claus and Bente Christiansen

Tuesday May 31, 2022 13:00 - 14:30 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Lunch

13:30 CEST

Lunch Presentation: GCDN x Alserkal Global Co-Commission

Tuesday May 31, 2022 13:30 - 13:45 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Social events, Lunch

14:30 CEST

Moral dilemmas and the challenges of cultural leadership today

Leadership always has a moral dimension and effective leadership – individual or collective – involves creating a consensus around the legitimacy of decisions. This has rarely been more difficult in our professional lives than it is now. Dilemmas abound with the respect to the place of social and racial justice in our institutional agendas; our environmental responsibilities; our investment strategies; the restitution of contested museum holdings; the moral standing of our stakeholders – artists, donors, board members…How does one create the consensus required to lead in these circumstances?

Moderators

Andrea Dempster Chung

CoFounder & Managing Director, Kingston Creative

Andrea is an engineer, entrepreneur and executive. She is the Cofounder and Managing Director of Kingston Creative an organisation seeking to transform Downtown and the founder of Bookophilia, a bookstore that promotes Caribbean literature. Andrea has held senior management roles... Read More →

Speakers

Adrian Ellis

Chair, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Linda C. Harrison

Director and CEO, Newark Museum of Art

As the Director and CEO of The Newark Museum of Art, a large, complex, urban museum campus, Linda plays a strategic and unifying role for the organization and the city, she communicates the work and mission of the organization. Linda works with the Board, staff, and community to identify... Read More →

Sumantro Ghose

Artistic Programming Director, The Royal Commission for AlUla

Sumantro Ghose is an Arts Producer, Curator and Cultural Strategist with over 20 years’ experience in museums, festivals, education and cultural diplomacy.He is Artistic Programming Director for the Royal Commission for AlUla, where he is responsible for the creative direction of... Read More →

Tuesday May 31, 2022 14:30 - 16:00 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

16:00 CEST

Closing remarks

Summary of proceedings, closing remarks & announcement of GCDN 2023

Speakers

Gregorio Lucena Scarpella

Director, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Adrian Ellis

Chair, Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Tuesday May 31, 2022 16:00 - 16:30 CEST
LAC: Sala 1

Convening session, Plenary

16:30 CEST

Afternoon break

Short break and travel to hall for closing aperitivo

Tuesday May 31, 2022 16:30 - 17:00 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Registration & breaks, Coffee break

17:00 CEST

Closing aperitivo

We close the convening by inviting GCDN attendees to meet with external actors from the creative and cultural industries of Lugano and the Ticino region. There will be a brief presentation on the challenges for cultural districts identified by the new GCDN members earlier in the day, from the perspective of Lugano – followed by a light aperitivo and social mixer.

Tuesday May 31, 2022 17:00 - 18:30 CEST
LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

Social events, Aperitivo & Dinner

11:00 CEST

MASI Lugano: guided tour with the Director

The Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI Lugano) was born from the merger between the Museo Cantonale d’Arte and Museo d’Arte della Città di Lugano, both of which have been active in the city of Lugano for decades. Through its two locations – at the LAC cultural centre and the historic Palazzo Reali – MASI Lugano offers a rich and culturally diverse programme, with temporary exhibitions and changing presentations of its collection as well as a comprehensive, multilingual educational programme for visitors of all ages. In this optional tour, convening attendees will have the opportunity to discover MASI’s current Sentimento e Osservazione exhibition, through an exclusive tour hosted by the museum’s Director, Dr. Tobia Bezzola.

Wednesday June 1, 2022 11:00 - 12:00 CEST
MASI Lugano

Social events, Tour

11:00 CEST

Individual tours "à la carte": funicular ride up Monte Brè

GCDN Convening attendees can decide between four options for individual tours:

A thrilling ride up Monte Brè:

The Monte Brè Funicular has been part of Lugano’s history since 1908. Renowned as the sunniest mountain in Switzerland, the Brè is characterized by its breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding mountains: an ideal destination for a pleasant escape from the city.

Once you’ve taken the Funicular to the summit of Monte Brè, you can choose between numerous activities. Hiking or mountain biking, walking tours immersed in nature or discovering the characteristic artistic legacy around the small village of Brè, take a rest on the spots for a picnic, or discover the restaurants with typical regional cuisine.

The GCDN nametag gives access to a complimenrary funicular ride up and down Monte Brè. More info and timetable here: https://www.montebre.ch/en/the-funicular/

Wednesday June 1, 2022 11:00 - 16:00 CEST
Monte Brè

Social events, Tour

11:00 CEST

Individual tours "à la carte": funicular ride up Monte San Salvatore

GCDN Convening attendees can decide between four options for individual tours:

“You need to have been up there in person, if you want to get an idea of its greatness and magnificence, and then that moment will become one of the most beautiful and unforgettable experiences in your whole life.”
C. C. Lorenz Hirschfeld.

San Salvatore is one of the best internationally known mountains. After the year 1200 it became famed for the pilgrims who walked to the top to to pay home aged to the Son of God who, according to ancient legend, rested there during his ascent to heaven. But above all, it was the unsurpassable 360° view from the top of Lugano’s mountain, in the past as well as presently, which drew visitors. The view takes in the wonderful Lugano Lake area, the Lombardy plains and the stupendous chain of the Swiss Alps and the Savoy Alps.

The GCDN nametag gives access to a complimenrary funicular ride up and down Monte San Salvatore. More info and timetable here: https://www.montesansalvatore.ch/en/mount-san-salvatore/funicular/

Wednesday June 1, 2022 11:00 - 16:00 CEST
Monte San Salvatore

Social events, Tour

11:00 CEST

Individual tours "à la carte": lake cruise to Gandria

GCDN Convening attendees can decide between four options for individual tours:

Gandria is both a quarter of the city of Lugano in the Swiss canton of Ticino, and a village on the northern shore of Lake Lugano, which forms the core of that quarter. Until 2004, the quarter of Gandria was an independent municipality, joining with Lugano in that year.

Take a lake cruise starting from Lugano all the way to Gandria to enjoy all the scenery and Dolce Vita of the region.

GCDN attendees will all receive a voucher in the convening tote bags. Vouchers are valid for a return fare from Lugano to Gandria on any SNLL connection. More information and timetable: https://www.lakelugano.ch/en/top/timetableticket

Wednesday June 1, 2022 11:00 - 16:00 CEST
Gandria

Social events, Tour

11:00 CEST

Individual tours "à la carte": visit MUSEC Museo delle Culture

GCDN Convening attendees can decide between four options for individual tours:

The Museo delle Culture safeguards most of the ethnic artworks collected by Swiss Italian artist Serge Brignoni (1903-2002) between 1930 and 1985. In 1985 Brignoni donated his collection to the City of Lugano. The City decided to house the Brignoni collection in the Villa Heleneum, an outstanding neoclassical mansion set in a tropical and subtropical botanical garden, thus creating the Museo delle Culture (the Museum of Cultures). The museum was first opened to the public on the 24th of September 1989.

A new chapter awaits the Museum of Cultures: the city of Lugano has decided to entrust the upcoming Fondazione Culture e Musei with the management of the Museo delle Culture. This foundatiois tasked to ensure the functioning of the Museo delle Culture by preserving its identity, autonomy and mission. The Foundation will allow a more efficient management, also thanks to its new headquarters at Villa Malpensata, who is being renewed and enlarged for the occasion. As such, this evolution of status and location will enable further sinergies and economies of scope, and intensify the interaction with the territory and the public. Consequently, the Musuem will benefit from the resulting outcomes, that will alllow to continues and improve its work, in every aspect its countless activities.

The GCDN nametag gives access to a complimenrary ticket to visit MUSEC. More info and timetable here: https://www.musec.ch/en/

Wednesday June 1, 2022 11:00 - 16:00 CEST
Musec Museo delle Culture

Social events, Tour