Cultural Innovators Forum - Session 717: The Creative Power of the Arts: Reimagining Human and Planetary Flourishing
Salzburg Global Seminar is uniquely positioned as a strategic platform to support creative, cross-sectoral and holistic approaches to systemic transformation by engaging pivotal international stakeholders across all sectors. The 3-day online program made connections through research, policy, and practice to advance the systemic relevance of culture and the arts for creative and innovative reforms across sectors.
All panellists and Global Salzburg Fellows participants outlined the idea that now more than ever is the momentum to encourage all world citizens to place arts and culture together with education at the heart of recovery and revival as a source of creativity, innovation and enjoyment. Art and culture is the “alive” cell for strong "immune” societies. Towards this goal, we had the opportunity to engage with new approaches for reimagining human and planetary flourishing and seek future collaboration within and across the themes: art, culture, education, climate action and peace.
A group of approximately 60 participants from different parts of the world joined the discussion about how the Arts and Cultural sector can play a more active role in promoting social justice, designing and implementing inclusive practices and supporting processes of decolonization around the globe.
Our world needs a beating cultural heart to survive!
Within a digital space, we listened to inspired talks from Program Facilitator Kiley Arroyo and Program Curators, David Fakunle, Karima Grant and Pireeni Sundaralingam.
The 1st session was entitled Bridging Divides: a cross-cultural and holistic approach was presented on how we can work together to further this agenda, and what are the most effective and promising strategies. The 2nd session Expanding Collaboration discussed creative and successful strategies to work together,overcome silos, and expand collaboration within and beyond our areas of work. Panelists came from the UNESCO Team, Dr. Ke Long and Lydia Ruprecht, together with Anasuya Senquepta, Co-Director of Whose Knowledge, and Pedro Affonso Ivo Franc from the United Nations Trade and Development Organization (UNCTAD).The last session was held under the theme Transforming Systems: what are the foundational principles of true change systems, and how can we work together to accelerate processes of systems transformation. Inspired and innovative projects were presented by Julia Lipton, Director, Climate Action and Planning C40 Cities, by Karima Kadaoui, Co founder of Community foundation for Human Development and Pireeni Sundaralinam, Behavior Change Scientist.
Finally all panelists and participants joined the closed online platform Mobilize, which is a common space to communicate and share resources and materials relevant to our sessions. Our Mobilize platform is divided into 4 sub-groups:
1. Reimagining a Healthier Planet: Promoting health and well-being through the arts
2. Reimagining a Smarter Planet: Fostering creativity in education and learning
3. Reimagining a Fairer Planet: Advancing social justice and processes of decolonization
4. Reimagining a Greener Planet: Mitigating climate change and furthering sustainable design
Arts and culture, with the assistance of innovative digital tools, can promote mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue among citizens and countries. They have the potential to stimulate creativity and innovation and thus generate community cohesion with a broader participation in the co creation of its cultural content. The Art and Cultural sector must be viewed as a shared resource and a common ground.
Georgia Manolopoulou is a Fulbright Alumna of the 2021-2022 Salzburg Global Seminar