The Three Bells - SoundSage

Summary
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with David Cowan, Chief Public Spaces Officer at the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP). David expands on the work of DDP in developing public spaces that place the wishes and needs of Detroiters at the forefront. The two go on to discuss the numerous attributes that create a successful vibrant public space; from programming to financial models to public safety, DDP considers it all.

External references

Downtown Detroit Partnership: https://downtowndetroit.org/
Dlectricy – outdoor visual light + art celebration: https://dlectricity.com/
Beacon Park – new park in Detroit built in 2017: https://downtowndetroit.org/experience-downtown/downtown-detroit-parks/beacon-park/
Downtown Detroit Parks: https://downtowndetroit.org/experience-downtown/downtown-detroit-parks/
David Cowan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcowanarts/

Guest bioMichigan native and Chief Public Spaces Officer at the Downtown Detroit Partnership. David is an intuitive, results-focused Executive, recognized as a strategic leader in Nonprofit Organizational Development, Public Spaces and Placemaking, Arts Management, Signature Events, Real Estate, and Destination Marketing.

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In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Hilary Knight, Senior Consultant at AEA Consulting. The two focus on all things digital within the cultural sector; from engaging online and in-person audiences to the importance of developing digital strategies, Hilary shares her extensive knowledge on this crucial and fast-evolving field.

External references:

Hilary Knight’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarycpknight/
The Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/
The Tank Museum: https://tankmuseum.org/
The Tank Museum’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thetankmuseum
59 Productions: https://59productions.co.uk/
Kings Cross: https://www.kingscross.co.uk/
V+A Museum’s Exhibit, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/alice-curiouser-and-curiouser
The Space Economy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space-based_economy

Hilary Knight Bio:

Hilary is a senior executive with over 20 years of experience delivering strong growth and performance for creative and cultural organisations, including the Tate, Channel 4, Film4, and BBC. A highly commercial leader, she combines a wealth of experience in strategy and leadership with deep experience in digital and new technologies, audience-centric approaches, and agile methodologies, enabling organisations to remain competitive and significant in their space.

Her career began with BBC Radio 1 where she led on content production for digital platforms and online channels at the advent of the transition into digital music and social media. This was followed by a long career with Channel 4, leading online and digital content for Channel 4’s news and documentary output, Film4’s channel and production house, and Channel 4 drama.

As Director of Digital for Tate, she developed and delivered a strategy that generated double-digit, year-on-year growth to its digital audience, and worked with the organisation to embed digital within their core capabilities and practices.

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In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Paul Farber, Director and Co-Founder of Monument Lab. They discuss the origins of Monument Lab and the value of understanding, setting, and respecting boundaries for healthy collaboration. The two also discuss Monument Lab’s Pulling Together – an upcoming public art exhibition taking place from August 18th – September 18th, 2023 – which will bring forward new perspectives on Washington D.C.’s National Mall.

External references:

Monument Lab’s Website: https://monumentlab.com/
Marian Anderson and the Easter Sunday Concert, April 9, 1939: https://youtu.be/XF9Quk0QhSE
More about Marian Anderson, and how she came to perform on the Lincoln Memorial steps: https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2014/05/20/marian-anderson-and-the-easter-sunday-concert-april-9-1939/
Monument Lab’s exhibition, Pulling Together: https://monumentlab.com/projects/national-mall-project
Pulling Together Artist Derrick Adams: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-derrick-adams
Pulling Together Artist Tiffany Chung: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-tiffany-chung
Pulling Together Artist Ashon T. Crawley: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-ashon-t-crawley
Pulling Together Artist Vanessa German: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-vanessa-german
Pulling Together Artist Paul Ramírez Jonas: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-paul-ramirez-jonas
Pulling Together Artist Wendy Red Star: https://monumentlab.com/projects/pulling-together-artist-wendy-red-star
What lies underneath the Lincoln Memorial: https://www.moon.com/travel/arts-culture/secrets-of-the-lincoln-memorial/#:~:text=Hanging%20from%20the%20ceiling%20beneath,started%20when%20it%20was%20built.
Rhode Island Black Storytellers: https://ribsfest.org/

Paul Farber's bio:Paul M. Farber (he or they) is Director and Co-Founder of Monument Lab. He is the host of The Statue, a podcast series from WHYY. Farber also serves as Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Public Art & Space at the University of Pennsylvania.

Farber and the team at Monument Lab were the inaugural grantees of the Mellon Foundation’s “Monuments Project,” a $250 million initiative to “transform the way our country’s histories are told in public spaces,” including Monument Lab’s National Monument Audit and the opening of research field offices throughout the United States. Farber has co-curated Monument Lab projects including its original Philadelphia City Hall discovery exhibition (Philadelphia, 2015), citywide public art and history exhibition (Philadelphia, 2017), A Call to Peace (Military Park Newark, 2019), Public Iconographies (Pulitzer Foundation, 2019-2020), and Staying Power (Village of Arts and Humanities, 2021).

Farber's research and curatorial projects explore transnational urban history, cultural memory, and creative approaches to civic engagement. He is author of A Wall of Our Own: An American History of the Berlin Wall (University of North Carolina Press, 2020) which tells the untold story of a group of American artists and writers (Leonard Freed, Angela Davis, Shinkichi Tajiri, and Audre Lorde) who found refuge along the Berlin Wall and in Cold War Germany in order to confront political divisions back home in the United States. He is also co-editor with Ken Lum of Monument Lab: Creative Speculations for Philadelphia (Temple University Press, 2019), a public art and history handbook designed to generate new critical ways of thinking about and building monuments.

In addition to his work with Monument Lab, Farber served as curator for the inaugural Artist-in-Residence Program at the Office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia (2020), keynote speaker for the Americans for the Arts national conference (2020), and Scholar in Residence at Mural Arts Philadelphia (2015–2017). He serves as an advisor to numerous monument and memorial projects including for the City of Newark and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. His work on culture has also previously appeared in The Guardian, Brooklyn Rail, Al Jazeera, Museums & Social Issues, Diplomatic History, Art & the Public Sphere, Vibe, and on NPR.

Farber earned a PhD and MA in American Culture from the University of Michigan and a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

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In this episode of The Three Bells, our host, Criena Gehrke sits down with Senior Architect Naseema Asif and Studio Director Peter Emerson, from international design collective RIOS. The two share their insights on what goes into making a project successful, from incorporating evolution to exploring unanticipated angles and embracing a touch of 'messiness' throughout the process.

External references:

RIOS website
The Music Center Plaza
San Diego’s Balboa Park
Houston’s Lynn Watt Square For Performing Arts
Gold Coast Hi-Lights
Lampposts of progress: Hi-Lights
Gold Coast Council votes to remove public art installation 'Hi-Lights' from the M1 at Yatala

Naseema Asif Bio:

Naseema is a Senior Architect at RIOS. She has been the Project Architect on commercial and institutional projects ranging from a community center in Playa Vista to the transformation of a 1980s office park into creative office space.

She is a trusted architect and manager, orchestrating complex project teams and projects with a focused vision on the end result. These projects track an ongoing exploration into the integration of tools from architecture and landscape architecture to shape spaces that respond to the unique relationship between a proposed program and the site’s environment. She adeptly blends disciplines to create places that blur traditional boundaries and redefine our conceptions of place.

Naseema is inspired by the notion of craft and tectonics. Her personal interest in making manifests through construction as an art form, exploring the juxtaposition of materials and textures in projects which transcend disciplines.

Her expertise and experience with sustainability is evident in her work on the Resort at Playa Vista. The green building strategies she instituted for this project led to a LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of environmental recognition. Her current projects include Music Center Plaza Renovation, which will enhance the Center’s connection to the community by making it more accessible to the public, and The Park, a transformation of San Diego Tech Center into and amenity-filled active landscape to augment the workplace community.

Peter Emerson Bio:

Peter has built a career around complex projects and integrated design. Since joining RIOS in 2016, Peter has quickly contributed these skills to become an integral part of the practice. His wealth of experience designing and building campus landscapes, parks, and iconic public spaces have been an asset to some of our most complex projects. Peter melds landscape, planning, and architecture at all scales of design, while working closely with stakeholders, collaborators, and clients to create inspiring places for people to live, work, and play.

His experience spans levels of scale and expertise, from organic farming and systems all the way to international experience designing landscapes for U.S. embassies that promote ecological diplomacy and design excellence. His projects find balance, whether it be between security and accessibility like at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and grounds, or design and programming like at Jones Plaza in the Houston Theater District. He is a registered landscape architect and a 2009 Olmsted Scholar.

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Summary
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Simon Cane, Director of Cultural Engagement at University College of London (UCL) and Chair at Kings Cross Knowledge Quarter (KQ). Simon plays a large role in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s development, East Bank, a new cultural and educational powerhouse composed of five organizations located in London, UK. Simon speaks about the benefits and challenges that come with having multiple organizations in one district. He also talks about the different programs and opportunities East Bank has created that promote inclusive growth, diversification within the sector and community engagement. He shares the importance of knowing the surrounding communities and their needs when creating these programs. Simon also shares his thoughts on the benefits of partnering with artists, and how they inspire empathy towards the challenges that local communities face, shifting the conversation and spreading awareness.

Simon later shares his thoughts on iconoclasm, specifically with relation to the ‘Just Stop Oil’ movement and how art can act as a lightning rod, bringing awareness to current issues. He speaks about the ambivalence he feels for movements such as this, and the balance that is necessary to navigate these difficult topics.

Wrapping up the episode with our new segment titled “Things That Keep Me up at Night”, Stephanie shares with listeners her feelings about the recent US midterm elections and her concern for democracy worldwide. She emphasizes the necessity of interdependence, and shares that she seeks out arts news that highlights communities rather than turning to the 24-hour news cycle to stay informed. Creatives are impacting local communities, and artists are needed to activate civic imagination to create meaningful change. She wraps up her monologue by sharing follow up thoughts sent via email by Simon Cane.

External Links

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
East Bank
University College London
London College of Fashion
Sadler’s Wells East
BBC
V&A Museum East
H is for Hostile Environment - moving image piece by Edward Mingard and Keren Weitzberg that explores migration and asylum seeking in East London
Simon was part of an international research project funded by AHRC a few years back on iconoclasms – which resulted in this book
King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter
Four scenarios for a world in disorder
Just Stop Oil's Van Gogh soup stunt is the latest streak of radical art protest by women
The great women's art bulletin: each fortnight Katy Hessel discusses an artwork made by a woman which speaks to today's news agenda
4 museum curators around Boston who are shaping what we see next, and how we see it
LA Vanguardia: An L.A. Times project celebrating the Latino vanguard transforming our cultural landscape
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life

Bio:
Simon Cane is Director of Cultural Engagement at University College of London (UCL) and Chair at Kings Cross Knowledge Quarter (KQ). Whilst his background is rooted in material culture and its preservation he is equally interested in the power of knowledge and culture, their production, their sharing and their impact.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Ramon Marrades, urban economist, and Director of Placemaking Europe. The two dive right into deep discussion on the human condition and our definition of progress. Ramon shares insightful thoughts on what works when connecting people to their environment, emphasizing the importance of authenticity. They later explore creative bureaucracy, how to create a strong public policy, if strategies should shift post-covid, and much more. Ramon also speaks about Placemaking Week, Placemaking Europe’s flagship conference and festival taking place in Pontevedra, Spain, 27-30 September 2022, and what he hopes will come out of the event.

Wrapping up the episode, Criena shares with listeners a new segment titled “Things That Keep Me up at Night” where she discusses visitor and audience trends, and how they have shifted since the pandemic. She openly wonders if humanity has had enough time to deal with the literal and emotional impacts of Covid – and addresses the unrealistic pressure to quickly recover.

References:

Placemaking Europe– a network for placemaking in Europe, connecting practitioners, academics, community leaders, market actors and policy makers throughout Europe in the field of placemaking, public space, social life, human scale and the city at eye level.
Placemaking Week – Europe's founding and largest placemaking festival. In the spirit of collaboration and inspiration, over 400 practitioners meet every year to share knowledge, learn and network.
Our City? Countering Exclusion in Public Space– Book about strategies, projects, and proposed solution, co-authored by Ramon Marrades.
Creative Bureaucracy Festival – a festival celebrating outstanding examples of innovative public administrations.
Sustainable Development Goals – The UN’s call for action by all countries in a global partnership.
121db – The band that Ramon plays bass in.

Bio:

Ramon Marrades is an urban economist, writer, and activist with a passion for people and places. He is currently Director of Placemaking Europe and Strategy Advisor to the Creative Bureaucracy Festival. Before, he has served as the Chief Strategy and Finance Officer at La Marina de València, Valencia’s waterfront redevelopment agency, and a board member of the Worldwide Network of Port Cities (AIVP). Ramon is a co-editor of the book “Our City? Countering Exclusion in Public Space” (2019) and the host and co-curator of Placemaking Week Europe 2019 and the upcoming 2022 edition. His work focuses on the interface between public space and economic development. He has been a researcher at the University of Valencia (Spain), Western Sydney University (Australia), and FLACSO (Ecuador). He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Valencia and an MSc in Economics and Geography from Utrecht University. He received the Spanish Social Entrepreneur Award in 2012 and co-authored four books and published more than a hundred columns on urban issues in some of the main Spanish newspapers. In 2012, Ramon also co-founded Urbego, an international network of urban professionals dedicated to improving cities through active participation, co-creation, and knowledge sharing; personally leading projects in Australia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Jesper Koefoed-Melson, Founding Director of Kulturdistriktet, about activating unique spaces in Copenhagen with cultural events and festivals, fostering a vibrant community and enriching the city’s cultural landscape.

Jesper discusses Kulturdistriktet unique framework, placing emphasis on the importance of trusting the artists and creating an open platform to all participants, as opposed more traditional approaches to developing cultural events. He also talks about the birth of Kulturdistriktet, and how he capitalized on the abundant down-time resulting from the pandemic to research different models for cultural districts. Adrian and Jesper also touch on the political support Kulturdistriktet has received from the city of Copenhagen, its relationship with tourism, how the organization aims to address the climate crisis, and its future goals with incorporating technology into its events.

References:

Kulturdistriktet is an association of visionary urban developers, artists, cultural institutions, and companies that have joined forces in creating an engaging framework for culture, cooperation, and innovation throughout the Østerbro and Nordhavn neighborhoods in Copenhagen, Denmark.

GivRum facilitates user-driven urban development with local communities as point of departure.

Vida Local is a team of advisers and project managers who work for the creation of strong communities, attractive areas, and innovative partnerships.

The Tunnel Factory is a Copenhagen-based cultural hot spot with an international outlook. It originated as the birthplace of the tunnel elements connecting Copenhagen and Malmø

Åben Festival is a collaboration between audience, artists, cultural creators, institutions, and companies.

GCDN’s Publications – which Jesper cites as primary inspiration for building the framework of Kulturdistriktet

The Haves and the Have-Yachts, referenced by Adrian Ellis, is a New Yorker article written by Evan Osnos and published on July 18, 2022.

Bio:

Jesper is the Founding Director of Kulturdistriktet, an association of visionary urban developers, artists, cultural institutions and companies that have joined forces in creating an engaging framework for culture, cooperation and innovation throughout Østerbro and Nordhavn in Copenhagen. Jesper is also a partner in the urban development organization GivRum and has years of experience in developing innovative cities and organizations based on human resources. With the help of broad commitment and ownership, he has set the course for locally rooted solutions that have contributed to lifting policies and implementing strategies within, for example, settlement, citizen involvement and business and cultural development. Jesper establishes sustainable organizations that continue the solutions he has helped to launch. He has a master's degree in pedagogy and performance design from RUC and has since supplemented his master's degree with a diploma in art and cultural management from the Center for Performing Arts Development. Alongside his studies, Jesper started his first company, but since 2010 it has been about GivRum.

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Episode Summary:In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Rosie Dow, Manager of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health at UCL. They talk about Rosie’s new role at UCL, her previous work leading “HARP”, the benefits of singing, as well as the essential role of networks in the field of arts and health.

External References:

The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health is based at University College London.
Health Arts Research People (HARP) – a program that allowed arts interventions to play a more prominent role in the health and wellbeing of people in Wales.
The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a national membership organisation representing everyone who believes that creativity and cultural engagement can transform our health and wellbeing.
New Pathways is the largest sexual violence support provider in Wales, with 30 years’ experience of delivering specialist therapeutic support to adults and children affected by the trauma of rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse.
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales. The theatre has been running the ar y dibyn series of creative workshops since 2019.

Guest Bio:Rosie Dow is the Manager of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health at UCL. Previously, Rosie ran ‘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. Rosie has been working in the field of arts and health for over ten years. +

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director, about The Bentway’s artful and playful approach to activating public spaces – as illustrated by their 2021 Playing in Public season and accompanying Play Provocations resource that encourages cities to become more play-friendly. They discuss the evolution of The Bentway as a platform for connected urban life, and the importance of programming public spaces to be not only responsive to the needs of communities, but to also encourage creative practice. Ilana also shares the plans for The Bentway's STREET season, which promises a summer of public art to help their audience see the streets of Toronto anew.

After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how dynamic public spaces allow users to respond to the sites in a plethora of imaginative ways. They highlight the importance of this open approach to public spaces for progressive and inclusive urban planning.

References:

The Bentway is a public space under The Gardiner Expressway, which The Bentway Conservancy operates, maintains, and programmes as a platform for creative practice, public art, and connected urban life.
The Artful City, a platform to explore, debate and contemplate public art in Toronto.
Play Provocations, a resource published by The Bentway together with Daily Tous Les Jours, a Montreal-based art and design studio. The resource synthesises the major insights they gleaned from The Bentway’s Summer 2021 Season, Playing in Public. It expands the definition of play, explores why play is important for both children and adults, and how we can make our cities more play-friendly. A downloadable copy of their resource can be accessed here.
Playing in Public, The Bentway’s Summer 2021 Season, is a neighbourhood-based exhibition consisting of 16 artist projects that explored different facets of play. The projects ranged from installations, to connective and roaming projects, and pop-up events. Importantly, the installations were not just situated at The Bentway but also at other properties within the vicinity, encouraging audiences to explore and navigate the neighbourhood.
Walk Walk Dance, a work by Daily Tous Les Jours, was installed at The Bentway in 2020. The project is highly touch-based, consisting of music-making lines that allow audiences to “play” music when stepped, jumped or danced on.
The Under-Gardiner Public Realm Plan has recently been unveiled by The Bentway in partnership with The City of Toronto.
STREET is The Bentway's Summer 2022 Season, which promises a summer of public art to help their audience see the streets of Toronto anew.

Guest bio:

Ilana Altman is Co-Executive Director of The Bentway. She is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. Prior to joining The Bentway, she has worked with notable design firms and led the curation and design of exhibitions and installations at the SFMOMA, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 2014, Ilana founded the Artful City, a Toronto collective that aims to advance public art research, policies, and imaginations.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Linda C. Harrison, Director & CEO, about her bold leadership agenda to transform the Newark Museum of Art into a relational organisation that not merely sits in, but belongs to its community. They discuss the evolution in the Museum’s organisational culture instigated by Linda, both internally and externally – from a significant name change, to an ambitious real estate development plan that aims to diversify income as well as to support downtown Newark’s emergence as a vibrant creative hub.

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on the benefits of hiring cultural leaders from outside the sector, and the need to build an organisational culture that actively embraces cultural change.

External references:

The Museum of the African Diaspora is a contemporary art museum in San Francisco that celebrates Black cultures, showcases the rich stories and cultures of Africans who have migrated throughout the world.
The City of Newark is New Jersey’s largest city and its industrial centre.
The Newark Museum of Art is New Jersey’s largest museum that holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world.
John Cotton Dana is the founding director of the Newark Museum of Art. Together with a group of public officials, prominent businessmen and local collectors, he established the Museum in 1909 at the Newark Public Library.
Museum Parc is Newark Museum of Art’s real estate development strategy. It consists of two apartment buildings – a six story structure with 90 units and an art gallery on the first floor, and a 12-story high-rise with 2,400 square-feet of retail space on the ground. 50 of the residential units will be set aside as affordable housing.
Peter Drucker is an influential Austrian-American author, mentor and consultant, and is also known as the founder of modern management.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is one of the anchor cultural institutions for the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey
Talent Justice Initiative is an initiative by Fund the People, that helps funders and nonprofits invest to advance intersectional racial equity in the nonprofit workforce

Guest bio:

Linda C. Harrison is the Director & CEO of the Newark Museum of Art – a large, complex, urban museum campus. Strengthened by her experience outside the cultural sector, Linda plays a strategic and unifying role for the organisation and the city of Newark. Linda’s corporate experience includes consulting, strategic planning, and technology applications for large corporations (IBM, Apple), Universities (Columbia, Stanford), and entrepreneurial companies (Wired magazine, Business for Social Responsibility). She lectures at seminars and workshops across the country to organisations developing new strategies to advance their business. She was previously Director and CEO of the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Lisa Havilah, Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum in Australia. They unpack the visionary approach she has crafted over her career of shaping cultural institutions and precincts into culturally and commercially vibrant hubs. They discuss the imperative need to maintain your community engaged, to operate and program inclusively, as well as the significance of keeping an open-door policy, particularly towards emerging artists and cultural leaders.

After, Criena is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on the importance of bold but honest cultural leadership, alongside the need for cultural institutions to align practice with ethos for a coherent brand identity.

References:

Powerhouse Museum is one of Australia's oldest and most important cultural institutions.
Project Contemporary Artspace in Wollongong was founded by Lisa Havilah, Glen Barkley and Nathan Clarke.
Casula Powerhouse Art Center, a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Western Sydney
Campbelltown Arts Centre, an arts centre also based in Western Sydney
Carriageworks, the largest multi-arts centre in Australia
Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, Australia’s only international fashion event that takes place throughout the Carriageworks precinct
Sydney Contemporary, visual art fair presented by and staged at Carriageworks
Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest investment in cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House, and the first major cultural institution to be established in Western Sydney.
Renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo, where it will be embedded into a new creative industries precinct
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Guest bio:

Lisa Havilah is the Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum. Through her visionary leadership, she is establishing a new museum paradigm for one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions. From 2012 to 2019, Lisa was the Director of Carriageworks. Under her leadership, Carriageworks experienced extraordinary audience, artistic and commercial growth, becoming the fastest growing cultural precinct in Australia. She was recently named one of Sydney’s most influential people in the Daily Telegraphs’ Power 100 list.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal in Dubai. They discuss how Alserkal’s commitment to facilitating open dialogue, mapping geographies of practice, and building a repository of knowledge for future generations have catalysed the development of a cultural ecosystem that goes beyond physical infrastructure. They also chat about the vital role cultural institutions play in social transformation and fostering a sense of place and belonging.

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how cultural institutions are the heart of a city’s software for creativity, innovation, and renewal – as illustrated by Alserkal.

References:

Alserkal is a socially responsible and forward-thinking arts and culture enterprise based in Dubai.
Alserkal Avenue, administered by Alserkal, is home to over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, home-grown and entrepreneur-led business and community spaces.
Alserkal Arts Foundation was formalised in 2019. It is informed by the three pillars of artistic production, scholarship and research.
Alserkal Residency allows practitioners across different disciplines to reconnect with their practice. It also supports alternative research, scholarship, and practice that produces new forms of knowledge.
Common Room is a centre for cultural practitioners and academic researchers.
Alserkal Advisory was formalised in 2021 and seeks to help develop cultural production and establish spaces for the region.
Henri Lefebvre was a French philosopher and sociologist, best known for introducing the concepts of the right to the city and the production of social space

Bio:Vilma Jurkute is the Executive Director of Alserkal, overseeing Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Arts Foundation, and Alserkal Advisory. Her professional and academic experience is centered on placemaking and the development of sustainable, community-centric creative economies with both global and regional impact.

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Summary:In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Lily Cabatu Weiss, Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. They talk about the importance of collaboration amongst cultural leaders and institutions, especially in times of crisis. Lily shares how an ongoing dialogue between Dallas arts and cultural leaders enabled unprecedented resource-sharing, knowledge transfer, synergy, and increased support from all stakeholders – culminating with the We Are Dallas Arts initiative. After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. Despite the challenges involved in sustaining collective action and vision, they acknowledge its power to produce impactful change.

References:

Lily Weiss was at the Brooker T Washington High School for 36 years, first as a teacher and then as Artistic Director.
The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres. It aims to transform the Dallas Arts District into a dynamic destination for locals and tourists alike while creating a fulfilling urban experience.
Ordinance No. 17710, passed by the Dallas City Council on February 16, 1983 – setting the legal bases for the Dallas Arts District
The Dallas Museum of Art was the first institution to move into the district.
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was the second institution to move in.
Trammell Crow Center is an iconic office tower located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.
The Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a professional dance company that aims to bridge cultures, reach diverse communities and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.
The Klyde Warren Park serves as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a natural history and science museum in Dallas.
Moody Performance Hall, is a City-managed, publicly-funded theater in the Dallas Arts District.
Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark that holds large collections of 1930s art and Art Deco architecture.
The Bishop Art Theatre Centre is an award-winning, multicultural, multidisciplinary arts institution in Dallas.
The Sammons Center for the Art, which supports and represents the smaller organisations during the “expanded CEOs” meetings, is a kind of “greenhouse” for small performing arts groups.
Surveys jointly organised and done by the Dallas Ars District, TACA - The Arts Community Alliance and Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition (DACAC), found that pandemic-related arts losses reached $95.5 million.
TACA - The Arts Community Alliance, is a nonprofit institution that supports the arts in Dallas County and North Texas through grant-making, capacity-building, and thought leadership
The Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition is a grassroots organization of members representing Dallas-area arts and cultural organizations
The We Are Dallas Arts Initiative is a collaboration between 29 Dallas Groups to urge audiences and patrons to return and again enjoy live, in-person cultural experiences
The Dallas Arts District Connect Master Plan guides the design and construction of new and replacement features in the Dallas Arts District. It lays out a vision for the future of the Arts District and its build environment.
The 360 Plan is a strategic document that sets a clear, cohesive vision for Downtown Dallas and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Bio:

Lily Cabatu Weiss is the Executive Director for the Dallas Arts District and served as the Artistic Director for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts and Chair of the Dance Department that is now a national model. She is known for her tireless work over the past four decades to further the arts and education in the community. Her goals to create access and connectivity in the Dallas Arts District are demonstrated by her collaborative work on the CONNECT Master Plan, producing the Signature Block Party Series – a free, family-friendly event attracting over 50,000 visitors along with smaller activations throughout the year, and providing education outreach to 1,500+ students annually. Dallas Arts District was recently named third in USA Today’s 10 Best Arts Districts in the nation.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Kingsley Jayasekera, former Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, at the West Kowloon Cultural District. They reflect on his near decade-long experience in Hong Kong and discuss the importance of cultivating arts audiences through creating holistic customer experiences – and using social media for outreach and engagement.

After, Adrian is joined by Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They highlight the challenges of audience development, including the ethical issues of data collection and privacy.

References:

West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), an integrated arts and cultural quarter in Hong Kong that was first proposed in 1996 – one of the largest cultural projects in the world.
Sadler’s Wells, a globally-renowned dance organisation and performing arts venue based in London, England.
Xiqu Centre, a performance venue dedicated to Chinese opera in WKCD – opened in 2019.
Art Park, a green space in WKCD that welcomes visitors to relax and play.
M+ Museum, a new museum in WKCD exhibiting twentieth and twenty-first century visual culture encompassing visual art, design and architecture, and moving image – opened in 2021.
Digital wayfinding at West Kowloon Cultural District: a case study on how digital wayfinding and digital maps are used to elevate visitor experiences at WKCD.
Hong Kong Palace Museum, a planned museum exhibiting artefacts from Beijing’s Palace Museum in WKCD – expected to open in July 2022.
High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Bio:

Kingsley Jayasekera is a communications and marketing professional with extensive experience in both the commercial and subsidised culture and entertainment sectors. Until late 2021, he worked as Director, Marketing & Customer Experience at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. He is a regular international speaker on branding and marketing for the arts. He has also served on the board of Audiences London (now the Audience Agency UK), Dance East UK, East London Dance and the Gate Theatre, London and the Advisory Panel for the Ticketing Technology Forum.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Veronica Smith, author of When Communities Disappear. They discuss the interdependent relationship between economic and community development, and emphasize the imperative need to build and sustain healthy communities by being authentic and enabling access to resources.

After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. Through reflecting on Stephanie’s experiences with community development, they concur with the need to build diverse coalitions to foster local ownership and policy decisions that are informed by the plurality of place histories.

References:

NAACP, a U.S.-based grassroots activism organization for civil rights and social justice
When Communities Disappear: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalization Ideologies and Policies in the United States – a book by Veronica Smith
Matter of Truth, City of Providence’s report on present and historical racism and discrimination in Rhode Island

Bio:

Veronica Smith is a businesswoman, economic philosopher, and self-proclaimed Master of Community. As the CEO and Founder of Impact Community Partners, Veronica delivers strategic advisory, community, and economic development services to public and private sector clients. She is an engaged leader in her community who has been mentoring women and girls in the Sacramento region for a decade, given her strong belief that when women are economically and politically empowered, they can transform their own communities.

WHEN COMMUNITIES DISAPPEAR: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalization Ideologies and Policies in the United States

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with author and renowned urban expert Charles Landry. They go over his remarkable career, retracing the route and influences which led him to his famed Creative City concept. They also discuss his current focus on creative bureaucracy – best illustrated by his annual Creative Bureaucracy Festival.

After, Adrian is joined by Stephanie Fortunato to explore key takeaways. They discuss the practical applications of Charles’ work, especially as an ethical reminder to cultural institutions to prioritize ideals of openness and curiosity in an increasingly polarized world.

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References:

Robert Skidelsky, Keynesian economist and emeritus professor of political economy at Warwick University
Sir Peter Hall, geographer and urban planner, and Professor of Planning and Regeneration at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London
Marc Pachter, Cultural historian and American museum director who headed the United States National Portrait Gallery from 2000 to 2007
Culture at the Crossroads: Culture and Cultural Institutions at the Beginning of the 21st Century – a book by Marc Pachter and Charles Landry
Creative Bureaucracy highlights the human perspective. It understands people are at the heart of the system. It puts the lived experience of working within or with a bureaucracy centre-stage…
The Creative City Index, developed by Charles Landry and Jonathan Hyams, is a method for assessing cities holistically.
The Creative Bureaucracy Festival: creating a better bureaucracy isn’t easy and can’t be done alone. It requires hard work and strong partners…
Poetry in Theory: An Anthology 1900 - 2000 (by Jon Cook) – brings together key critical and theoretical texts from the twentieth century which have animated debates about modern poetry.
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake – “the more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.”
The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling – James Hillman presents a vision of our selves, and an approach to the mystery at the center of every life.

Bio:

Inventor of the Creative City concept, Charles Landry is a renowned author and international authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. He is currently a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin – and creator of the annual Creative Bureaucracy Festival. Through his writings and advisory work, Charles helps cities identify and make the most of their potential by triggering their inventiveness and thinking and by opening up new conversations about their future. His aim is to help cities become more resilient, self-sustaining and to punch above their weight. Charles facilitates complex urban change and visioning processes and undertakes tailored research often creating his own projects. These include the Urban Psyche test developed with Chris Murray and the ‘Creative City Index’ in collaboration with Bilbao and developed with Jonathan Hyams, a strategic tool that measures, evaluates and assesses the innovative ecosystem of a city and its capacity to adapt to radical global shifts and adjustments.

The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling

Poetry in Theory: An Anthology 1900-2000

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with playwright, artistic director, and Indigenous leader Wesley Enoch about the role of storytelling, leadership and wisdom in elevating and amplifying the voices of Indigenous artists and cultures. They also highlight the importance of advocating for the intrinsic value of the arts, particularly in terms of celebrating differences and encouraging dialogue.

After, Criena is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They emphasize the critical need to support the next generation of cultural leaders and arts administrators, particularly Indigenous leadership.

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References

One Woman’s Song by Peta Murray, produced by the Queensland Theatre Company in 1993
Kath Walker
Celebrating Neville Bonner, the first Indigenous federal parliamentarian
Lydia Miller
Pat O’Shane
David Hudson
Ralph Myers: let's keep the dreamers in charge of the arts
Sydney Festival director Wesley Enoch talks us through his 'Australian Made' collection at SBS On Demand
The New HOTA Gallery

Bio

Wesley Enoch is an internationally acclaimed playwright and artistic director. He is the current [2021] Indigenous Chair in the Creative Industries (a new role) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. He has written and directed iconic Indigenous productions including The 7 Stages of Grieving, Black Medea and The Story of the Miracles at Cookie’s Table. He was the Artistic Director of the Sydney Festival from 2017 to 2020 and was previously the Artistic Director at Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts and the Ilbijerri Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative. Wesley’s other residencies include Resident Director at Sydney Theatre Company; Associate Artistic Director at Belvoir Street Theatre; the 2002 Australia Council Cite Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris and the Australia Council Artistic Director for the Australian Delegation to the 2008 Festival of Pacific Arts. He was creative consultant, segment director and indigenous consultant for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Manal Ataya, the Director General of the Sharjah Museums authority. They discuss the educational value of the arts, particularly in terms of promoting inclusivity and diversity as well as cultivating empathy. After, Criena is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. Drawing on their own experiences, they expand on the importance of the arts in enabling cross-cultural experiences and exchanges – and explore how cultural leaders could create more collective experiences that invite solutions to the social, political, and ecological challenges the world faces today.

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References:

Sharjah Museums Authority
Laurie Anderson’s Concert For Dogs at HOTA, Home of the Arts
Commemorative Works in the City of Providence
The Three Bells Ep 8: Reimagining the future of theatre and live performance – Jesse Cameron Alick in conversation with Adrian Ellis
The Three Bells Ep 4: Towards transformational cultural leadership – Diane Ragsdale in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

Bio:

Manal Ataya is a museum professional with over 15 years of senior executive experience in museum development and cultural diplomacy. As Director-General of the Sharjah Museums Authority, she oversees a team of 600 staff working in Sharjah’s network of 16 museums. Her mandate includes strategic development of future museum projects, advising in museum and cultural policy, fostering partnerships with the international museum community and leading the efforts to deliver international best practice in museum services. The museums include dedicated collections of modern and contemporary Arab art, Islamic Art, Gulf heritage and UAE archaeology.

Ataya is a leading figure in the UAE cultural sector and a recognized expert in her field, responsible for implementing His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi’s directives for future museum and cultural heritage related projects. She serves on numerous advisory boards including Global Cultural Districts Network; the University of Sharjah’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Make-A-Wish Foundation and ICCROM-Sharjah, the Arab region’s field office of the UN’s body for cultural heritage preservation.

Ataya was awarded the Order of Art & Letters by the Republic of France in 2018 for her significant contributions to culture.

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Summary:
In this episode, Adrian Ellis speaks with Jesse Cameron Alick, about his recently published study, commissioned by the Sundance Institute, based on extensive interviews of artists, arts administrators and thought leaders. The focus is the state of live performance as we 'emerge from the cave' of Covid. They discuss the key findings and themes of the study – particularly the skepticism that artists interviewed expressed about the the commitment of larger cultural institutions to artists, to their local communities, and to equity and inclusion.

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They discuss the moral, political, economic... and artistic! – responsibilities that 'anchor institutions' need to balance.

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References:

Emerging from the cave – Reimagining our future in theater and live performance
Sundance Institute

Bio:

Jesse Cameron Alick is a dramaturg, producer, poet, playwright, essayist, artistic researcher and science fiction expert. He is currently the Associate Artistic Director of the Vineyard Theater in NYC. Jesse is an active freelance dramaturg at various off-Broadway theatres in the city, nationwide and in the UK, as well as a regular artistic consultant for the Sundance Institute. Jesse studied writing with Adrienne Kennedy and has taught theatre courses, lectured at classes and mentored students at a myriad of programs (Lewis and Clark, NYU, Goddard, UT Austin, Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons school, Fordham).

Previously, Jesse co-founded the Subjective Theater Company at 19, moved on to become the company’s first resident playwright and then took the helm as Producer and Artistic Director. Jesse ran Subjective for 10 years and staged 15 full productions around Manhattan and Brooklyn. He was also formerly Company Dramaturg at the Public Theater, where he was in charge of commissions, readings and workshops, the Emerging Writers group and production dramaturgy.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Sunil Iyengar, Director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts in the US, about the increasing global demand for research, information and statistics to demonstrate the value of the arts. They also discuss the need for more longitudinal and qualitative research, especially community-based participatory studies.

Thereafter, Adrian is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They concur on the importance of meaningful qualitative research, especially collaborative and cross-sectoral projects.

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References:

National Endowment for the Arts
Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account
NEA Research Labs
Artists’ Use of Technology as a Creative Medium
The Diversity of Performing Arts Audiences: Weighing Organizational Factors and Business Decisions
National Endowment for the Arts Research Agenda: FY 2017‐2021

Bio:

Sunil Iyengar is the Director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which is an independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Under his leadership, the NEA has produced dozens of research reports, hosted periodic research events and webinars, led strategic plan development for the agency, and established research and data partnerships with the U.S Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. His office also conducts program evaluations and performance measurement for the Arts Endowment. Working with his team, Iyengar has created and pursued a long-term research agenda (based partly on an arts “system map” his office helped to design), founded a national data repository for the arts, and launched two awards programs for arts researchers, including the NEA Research Labs initiative. He chairs a federal Interagency Task Force on the Arts and Human Development. For nearly a decade, he has contributed a monthly research post (titled “Taking Note”) to the agency’s official blog.

Prior to joining the agency as research director, Iyengar worked as a reporter, managing editor, and senior editor for a host of news publications covering the biomedical research, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. He writes poems, book reviews, and literary essays. Iyengar has a BA in English from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Jia-Ping Lee, an urban rejuvenator and place consultant based in Malaysia, about her inspirational journey as a placemaker who has been advocating and creating better places to live, work and play. They discuss the importance of deep listening, care, and hope as values that inform placemaking and placekeeping.

Thereafter, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. They further reflect on the significance of hope as well as factors affecting inclusive placemaking today, particularly the long tail of Covid-19.

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References:

Think City
Arts on the Move by Think City and Rapid KL
A dose of music with your Covid-19 shot
Kebun-Kebun Bangsar, a green garden/farm designed, built, managed, funded and maintained by community efforts and volunteers
The City at Eye Level Asia - An Open-Source Publication

Bio:

Jia-Ping Lee is the founder of Malaysian urban and culture change startup Tempatico, which looks into the regeneration of urban, corporate and cultural places. She was previously with Think City, where she led the rejuvenation of the heritage core of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and built partnerships with local, state and federal government as well as international organisations to push forward the Heritage and Placemaking agenda in Malaysia and the wider region. As Chairperson of Placemaking Malaysia (launched in 2021 under the auspices of Malaysian Institute of Planners), Jia-Ping is leading a team of placemakers to advocate and create better places to live, work and play. In 2020, she was elected to the board of PlacemakingX, a global placemaking network based in New York City.

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In this bonus track for Ep 5 of The Three Bells podcast, discover the unabridged edit of our host Adrian Ellis' conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.

Please note that the audio for this bonus has not been mixed to the same standards as our main episodes.

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, about his relational journey and global experiences in the arts, which highlights the importance of producing cultural programmes that address current social needs, and are co-created with communities.

Thereafter, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how Sanjoy’s dexterity during the Covid-19 pandemic reflects the agility and resilience of the arts. They also discuss the pros and cons of different organisational models for the arts, and the importance of retaining intellectual property for artistic content.

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LISTEN TO A BONUS UNABRIDGED EDIT

References:

Jaipur Literature Festival: Brave New World
Jaipur Literature Festival London
Earth Fables Craft Platform
The Espresso Martini

Bio

Sanjoy K. Roy, an entrepreneur of the arts, is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across 40 cities in countries such as Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Israel, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK, and USA, including the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. He has received the National Award for Excellence and Best Director for the film “Shahjahanabad: The Twilight Years.” He is a founder trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) working to provide support services for street and working children in the inner city of Delhi where over 55,000 children have benefited from education, training and residential services. In 2011 the White House presented SBT the US President’s Committee of Arts and Humanities Award for an International Organisation. Sanjoy is Co-chair of the Art and Culture Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI); President of Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) and a Member of the India@75 Culture Committee, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

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Summary:

In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Diane Ragsdale, Director and Co-Lead Faculty of the Cultural Leadership Program at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, about the need for transformational cultural leadership to ensure the resilience and relevance of the arts and cultural sectors, especially in navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thereafter, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how the Covid-19 pandemic could be a window of opportunity for new forms of cultural leadership to emerge, which will encourage artistic experimentation and maximize the potential of the arts as a force for social change.

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References:

Catalyzing Engagement
Guaranteed Income Pilot by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Fuse Box Festival
‘Dear White American Theater’

Further Reading:

On Aesthetics, Ethics, Economics, and Consequential Decisions of Cultural Leaders in the Long Now

Bio:

A professional writer, speaker, facilitator, researcher, lecturer, and advisor on a range of arts and culture topics since 2010, Diane Ragsdale currently serves as Director of the Cultural Leadership Program at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Diane is also adjunct faculty at Yale University, where she teaches a workshop on Aesthetic Values in a Changed Cultural Context for its Theater Management MFA and a doctoral candidate at Erasmus University Rotterdam (in the Netherlands), where she lectured 2011-2015 in the cultural economics and sociology of the arts programs. Over the past 15 years, Diane has given nearly 80 keynote addresses, lectures, or presentations at universities, arts conferences, and symposia around the world. She has served on the editorial board of Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts since 2011; has served on various committees for the online platform and journal HowlRound, including its present advisory board; and is a board member for Anne Bogart’s SITI Company and Marty Pottenger’s Art At Work.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Victoria Broackes, the current Director of the London Design Biennale. Drawing on her curatorial experiences, they speak candidly about the challenges facing cultural programming, particularly in relation to the opportunities presented by digital technology, and the untapped possibilities of experiential exhibition-making.

Thereafter, Adrian is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They reflect upon the tensions facing artistic risk-taking as well as the need for cultural programming to tell meaningful and resonant stories.

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References:

V&A Exhibition: “David Bowie is..” (2013)
V&A Exhibition: “ “Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains”
theVOV
London Design Biennale 2021
The sudden flourishing of culture about trees

Further Reading:

“Taking Risk in Times of Adversity”

Bio:Victoria Broackes is a curator and exhibition maker, currently Director of the London Design Biennale. Prior to joining the Biennale in 2019, Victoria was Senior Curator for the V&A Department of Theatre & Performance. From 2009 to 2018 she was Head of the London Design Festival at the V&A. In 2016 she was the V&A curator for the British entry for the inaugural London Design Biennale, Forecast by Barber & Osgerby. Victoria has curated multiple successful exhibitions at the V&A, of which many are popular music displays. This includes Pink Floyd, Their Mortal Remains (2017), You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels, 1966-70 (2016) and David Bowie (2013), Kylie: The Exhibition (2007), The Story of the Supremes (2008) and The House of Annie Lennox (2011). David Bowie Is (2013), is the fastest-selling exhibition in the V&A museum’s history. She co-presented the film David Bowie is Happening Now and featured in the documentary about You Say You Want a Revolution? which was presented at the Mill Valley Film Festival in California.

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with urbanist Ben Rogers about the differing factors influencing urban planning and policy today. In particular, they discuss how the pandemic and current political climate have affected cities, and highlighted the importance of long-term urban strategy as well the need to reclaim and democratise public spaces.

Thereafter, Criena is joined by fellow host Stephanie Furtunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect upon how this is an opportune moment to reimagine the possibilities for cities to become more community-centric.

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External references mentioned in this episode:

The New Politics of Public Space
Platform Papers 44: Cultural Precincts
Richard Florida and Superstar Cities
The London Plan

Bio:

Ben Rogers is an urbanist, researcher, writer and speaker, with a particular interest in urban life, citizenship, public service reform and the built environment.

He founded the Centre for London in 2011 and was an Associate Director of Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) for five years and subsequently led strategy teams at Haringey Council, the Department for Local Government and Communities and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, where he wrote the government’s strategy on ‘Quality of Place’.

He is currently Professor of Practice at University of London and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he will lead a new strand of research on European Cities, building on his interests in civic engagement, public space and urban democracy.

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Ep 1: Leading with empathy and kindness – Claire Spencer in conversation with Adrian Ellis

In this inaugural episode of The Three Bells, recorded on March 10, 2021 – our host Adrian Ellis (Founder and Chair of the Global Cultural Districts Network), speaks with Claire Spencer, CEO of Arts Centre Melbourne.

They cover a lot of ground: Claire's route to her current position, the remarkable project she conceived - The Arts Wellbeing Collective which she founded in 2016, but which is also perfectly designed for the present moment, the formidable precinct development currently in planning for which the Victoria government has committed a AU$1.5b for the first phase, the broadening mission of cultural organizations post-COVID, and the responsibilities of anchor institutions for their wider communities.

Afterwards, Adrian is joined by fellow podcast host Criena Gehrke, (CEO, HOTA, Home of the Arts) for the second part of the episode: the Key Takeaways segment.

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The Three Bells podcast is produced byAEA Consultingand the Binnacle Foundation, for theGlobal Cultural Districts Network (GCDN). More information and supporting material can be found at https://thethreebells.net

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Ep 0 (pilot): Introducing The Three Bells – Adrian Ellis in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

In this bonus pilot episode of The Three Bells, our host Stephanie Fortunato (Director of the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, City of Providence), speaks with Adrian Ellis, Founder and Chair of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

They cover a lot of ground: Adrian's recent move to Italy, his take on the future of international travel and what it means for cities and cultural institutions which rely heavily on tourism, the origins of The Three Bells, the goal of the podcast for GCDN and much more.

Afterwards, Stephanie is joined by fellow podcast host Criena Gehrke, (CEO, HOTA, Home of the Arts) for the second part of the episode: the Key Takeaways segment.

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The Three Bells podcast is produced byAEA Consultingand the Binnacle Foundation, for theGlobal Cultural Districts Network (GCDN). More information and supporting material can be found at https://thethreebells.net

The Three Bells: Recent Episodes

Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)