Programme

The 8th World Summit programme interrogated the theme Mobile Minds: Culture, Knowledge and Change. Throughout the Summit participants explored existing knowledge and practices; considered the challenges we face in times of change; and identified creative ways to respond using traditional, contemporary and future-oriented perspectives. We also examined how we, as an international community, can work together to actively lead change. Aligned with IFACCA’s new leadership and fresh approach, the programme embraced participation and recognised the unrivalled expertise of delegates by actively involving them in long table discussions, a Lepak session where delegates convened in smaller groups to address important questions and – for the first time – a series of participatory creative workshops.

The 8th World Summit programme was developed in collaboration with an International Programme Advisory Committee (IPAC), comprising leaders from across the international arts and culture sector, along with representatives from the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), Malaysia and the Secretariat of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), as the co-hosts of the Summit. The introduction of a Committee to programme the World Summit for 2019 reflected a new direction for the Federation, prioritising working collaboratively and increasing opportunities for peer exchange within our international network of members and experts.

The members of the International Programme Advisory Committee were:

• IPAC Chair - Toni Attard (Malta), Founder and Director of Culture Venture, an arts advisory and management firm. He was the first Director of Strategy at Arts Council Malta and was responsible for the leadership of the strategy team that created and developed the Council's five year strategy and served as an advisor to the Ministry of Finance to co-author the creative economy strategy and was one of the authors of Malta’s national cultural policy.
• Olu Alake (United Kingdom), Director of UK-based cultural consultancy November Ventures who has developed and delivered cultural policy plans and programmes, arts and heritage initiatives across Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa; and held senior management positions in the UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission, Commission for Racial Equality and Arts Council England.
• Abdullah Alkafri (Syria), a playwright, cultural activist and founding member and Executive Director of Ettijahat-Independent Culture, a Syrian cultural organisation founded in the end of 2011 to play a role in building a dynamic, democratic and diverse Syrian culture.
• Dr Wulan Dirgantoro (Australia / Indonesia), an academic whose work focusses on Southeast Asia and the intersection between feminism and memory, and how the state, political and cultural institutions as well as art agencies are interlinked in the arena of cultural production.
• Joy Mboya (Kenya), performer, cultural activist and Executive Director of The GoDown Arts Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, a site for artistic experimentation, cross-sector partnerships and creative collaboration.
• Kathy Rowland (Malaysia / Singapore), Managing Editor of ArtsEquator.com, which she co-founded with Jenny Daneels, a site dedicated to supporting and promoting arts criticism with a regional perspective in Southeast Asia.
• Carlos J. Villaseñor Anaya (Mexico), an independent international consultant on cultural based development policies, with expertise on the 2003 (Intangible Heritage) and 2005 (Diversity of Cultural Expressions) UNESCO Conventions.
• Salehhuddin Md Salleh (Malaysia), Director of Policy and Research Division for the National Department for Culture and Arts, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia.

The National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) was represented by Salehhuddin Md Salleh, Director Policy and Research Division; and IFACCA was represented by Magdalena Moreno Mujica, Executive Director and Meredith Okell, Director of Communications and Engagement.

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Explore the full 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture programme in English and Spanish.

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Programme Participants

The 8th World Summit included keynote sessions with:

Professor Karima Bennoune (Algeria/USA), UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and Professor of Law and Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall Research Scholar at the University of California-Davis School of Law, who challenged delegates to reflect on the conditions that affect us through the lens of cultural rights, the transmission of knowledge and wisdom, and participation; and questioned what drives change and to what extent is change global?

Ashkan Fardost (Sweden), a technology and digitalisation expert with a unique perspective on the (r)evolution of the internet and digitalisation, who presented a provocation that interrogated what it means to be human in the digital age; shared his perspective on the internet as a psychological, sociological and anthropological phenomenon that continues to evolve and change the dynamic of the world; and challenged our focus on how artistic, cultural and creative practices respond.

The final day also included a main stage In-conversation session, (Re)Imagining Our Futures, which brought together internationally acclaimed architect and philanthropist Hijjas Kasturi and award-winning author Tash Aw to share their perspectives on the future of arts and culture in our societies.

The programme included more than 80 speakers representing 47 countries, including:

See the 8th World Summit programme for full information.

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Cultural Programme

Alongside the official conference programme, the cultural programme for delegates included:

Opening Ceremony

The official Opening Ceremony, which took place in the Perdana Botanical Garden, situated in the Heritage Park of Kuala Lumpur.

Special Co-created Performance

Tidal Constellations, a collaboration between BANDALOOP (USA) and ASK Dance Company (Malaysia), as a special co-created performance performed in the multi-tiered atrium of the National Gallery. The companies brought elements of their own repertoires – including BANDALOOP’s signature vertical dance, adapted to the atrium – and presented new collaborative work, symbolising partnership with respect and humility. The collaborative performance between BANDALOOP and ASK Dance Company was made possible with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts (USA), the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy programme and the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur.

Gala Dinner

The Gala Dinner, a celebratory evening event prior to the closing day of the Summit, where delegates enjoyed welcome drinks and networking, followed by a formal seated dinner and performances from local artists.

A Medley of Malaysian Dances or ‘Rampai Sari Tari Malaysia’, a production that highlighted the diversity of traditional dances that are rarely performed in Malaysia. The production drew from several repertoires such as the authentic Malay classical dances, those historically performed at the Malay courts.

Titik Mengalai by Persatuan Anak-Anak Sabah (Perkasa) | 15 & 16 March

Titik Mengalai, a traditional performance by Persatuan Anak-Anak Sabah (PERKASA) originating from Sabah, which is also known as the ‘land below the wind’. Sabah is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak and is home to various ethnicities and cultures. The original population comes from diverse background comprising at least 30 tribes who speak more than 50 languages and more than 90 dialects.

Find full information on the Cultural Programme within the 8th World Summit Programme.

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