AAPPAC Session 2

How can cultural venues become a bridge between international art and local culture? How can they prosper with their surrounding communities and neighborhoods?

For this session, main panelist Gregorio Lucena Scarpella, who is the director of the Global Cultural District Network (GCDN), shares the core value concepts of global cultural districts, in addition to examples of cultural district development in various countries and regions. 

GCDN is committed to building a platform for exchanges, by which members from different countries and regions form strategic alliances and share knowledge, creating possibilities and opportunities for global urban art and cultural industry exchanges. The concept of a cultural district involves international art exchanges in different cultural venues through cross-border and interdisciplinary collaborations, driving the growth of the cultural and creative economy in urban areas and exchanges with community residents. 

GCDN holds international forums and conferences every year based on different themes to advocate forward-looking initiatives on sustainability and environmental conservation issues that promote urban development. The 10th GCDN conference took place in Athens, Greece in May 2024, with the theme "agora – a communal public space – today?" Agora is an ancient Greek word that refers to a diverse and open public gathering and living space and was used to explore the polarization of public issues. Cultural districts play important roles in promoting the development of cities, such as maintaining inclusiveness and openness to diverse opinions on public issues. This year, AAPPAC formed a strategic alliance with GCDN for the first time, with members from both organizations attending each other's conferences, joint expansion of international art and cultural exchanges, and strengthening of synergistic effects. 

In addition, respected art and cultural leaders from different countries and regions have been invited to serve as distinguished panelists. For example, Yvonne Tham, CEO of the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in Singapore and Jean-Louis Bleau, Executive Director of Chilliwack Cultural Centre will share how the Esplanade demonstrates the unique charm in its city's cultural district.

Sep 4 (Wed) 14:00 @ Globe Playhouse