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The World Summit on Arts and Culture is the flagship event of International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) delivered in partnership with one of its National Members. The 10th edition is co-hosted with Arts Council Korea.
Since its inaugural meeting in Ottawa, Canada, in 2000, the Summit has been held by a National Member countries in rotation. In 2023, after presenting Korea’s vision for arts and culture that spurred the rise of K-Culture, Seoul was unanimously selected as the host city of the 2025 Summit.
ARKO and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA, Kristin Danielsen, Chair) will co-host. The Summit will bring together 400 cultural leaders including government officials, representatives of arts councils and cultural institutions, policy experts, artists, and researchers from over 80 countries.
□ ‘Charting the future of arts and culture’ facing the reality of a polycrisis
In a year marked by a polycrisis, the Summit takes the theme of ‘Charting the future of arts and culture’ and sheds light, from various perspectives, on the roles that arts and culture play regarding the global issues of artificial intelligence, digital technologies, the climate crisis, and the resilience of local communities.
The Summit programme is comprised of 36 sessions with 106 speakers from 65 countries based on three transversal clusters: Knowledge Systems and Agency, Participatory Systems and Connectedness, and Digital Systems and Technology. Throughout the dialogues, participants will explore tools for futureproofing the cultural and creative sectors.
The co-hosts, ARKO and IFACCA, developed the Summit programme in partnership with the International Programme Advisory Committee (IPAC), composed of global leaders in CCS, to ensure greater international expertise and diversity of lived experience.
□ With the participation of about a hundred global dignitaries such as the Minister of Culture of Spain, executive leaders of arts councils, artists, and distinguished scholars, the Summit has a participatory structure that reflects the voices of diverse stakeholders from around the world
The Summit will feature a variety of programmes emphasizing participant-centered communication, starting with the Opening Gala on May 27 at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) and continuing with various programs at the ARKO Arts Theater and other venues in Daehakro area.
This Summit, by engaging different stakeholders, not only cultural policy officials but also artists, civic organizations, researchers, has endeavored to gather as many different voices as possible from across the world, including India, South Africa, and Ukraine.
To this end, key speakers include, Michael Running Wolf (Lead Architect, Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), Gerfried Stocker (Artistic and Managing Director, Ars Electronica), Avril Joffe (UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy), His Excellency Ernest Urtasun Domènech (Minister of Culture of Spain), Dr Alexandra Xanthaki (UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights).
On May 28, a panel session titled ‘Elastic futurity in Korean arts and culture: a critical examination,’ featuring Serang Chung (writer), Sang-Keun Yoo (Assistant Professor, Marist University), Andrés Felipe Solano (writer), will extensively discuss the future of Korean arts and culture.
Additionally, the World Summit Discussion Paper with contributions from ten global experts, published in April ahead of the Summit, will provide insights into shared interests across regions and the world, and will form a preliminary discourse for facilitating deeper discussions.
□ Playing a Bridging Role for Post-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Summit will play a practical role in establishing culture in the future of global sustainable agenda, ahead of Mondiacult 2025, the UNESCO-hosted ministerial-level World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, which will take place in Barcelona at the end of September.
On May 28, a panel session will discuss the topic, ‘A standalone goal for culture in the post-2030 UN agenda: pathways and prospects.’ The discourse generated by this Summit will serve as a bridge to future international agendas on the role of culture in broader government priorities.
□ A Cultural celebration with assorted K-Culture highlights
With global interest in K-Culture at a peak, expectations are high among participants visiting Korea for this Summit. In response, ARKO has curated a varied cultural programme for participants to experience both the elegance of tradition and modern culture.
The programmes will include the opening performance by HAEPAARY, an alt-electronic duo showcasing their unique musical world that blends tradition and modernity; an exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art, where participants can explore the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and view artworks ranging from ancient to contemporary times; and the closing performance by Ambiguous Dance Company, which will reinterpret traditional Korean cultural celebrations, like the Dano festival, through an interactive performance. These exceptional Korean cultural events will offer a warm welcome to guests from across the world.
□ Gratitude for global support and solidarity and a commitment to Giving Back as a platform for international cultural and artistic exchange
As Executive Director of IFACCA, Magdalena Moreno Mujica stated that this Summit aims “to build collective knowledge and capabilities to lead to collective action. We trust it will provide a range of tools and connections we need to help chart the future of arts and culture. Seoul is the ideal context to have these very important conversations and exchanges at this given time”
In response, ARKO Chair, Byoung Gug Choung said, "To pay back the solidarity and support of the international community that spurred Korea's growth as a global leader in arts and culture, we wanted to create a meaningful space where, based on Korea's cultural foundation, practitioners from various countries can explore the future of culture and the arts together, with results that are practically and meaningfully applied in the cultural and artistic fields."
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Registration for the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture will be available until May 18 through the official website (www.artsummit.org), where detailed schedules, programmes, and discussion papers will also be provided.
The morning sessions over the three days of the Summit will be broadcast live, allowing everyone to participate. The sessions will be available for viewing on ARKO and IFACCA's official YouTube channels.
