Eduardo Saravia

Shain Shapiro

Phina So

Pooja Sood

Susannah Tantemsapya

Haniko Te Kurapa

Julie Trébault

Hiroko Tsuboi-Friedman

Hai-Yuean Tualima

Eva Marie Wang

Alexandra Xanthaki

Samba Yonga

Daryna Zhyvohliadova

Ms Aika Alemi is an artist, business coach, mentor, speaker, author, art director and event organiser. She is the creator of the Business of Creation methodology, her proprietary 10-step startup framework that has helped more than 3,500 creatives and innovators build their brands and enterprises. Ms Alemi currently serves as Director of the Central Asia Creative Incubator and Born Nomad and chairs the Creative Industries Alliance of Qazaqstan. She contributes to Elle Kazakhstan and Forbes Kazakhstan. 

Ms Alemi is a womenswear finalist for the International Woolmark Prize 2017 (Europe) and awarded Best Mentor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Women Entrepreneurs Programme 2018. She has organised over 50 major events including Central Asia Creative Incubator, Responsible Fashion Series Silk Road and Shymkent Art Days. 

Ms Alemi serves as a director on boards including for Duke University CIS, De Montfort University Kazakhstan, and NarXoz University Graduate Business School. She holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and speaks multiple languages including Kazakh, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian and German. 

Ms Sophia Alexandersson is a musician and pedagogue. She is currently the Chief Executive and Artistic Director, ShareMusic & Performing Arts – the Swedish knowledge centre for artistic development and inclusion. Under her leadership, ShareMusic has been at the forefront of technological innovation, particularly in music, exploring how new technologies and digitalisation can enhance artistic participation and creation for people with disabilities.  

Ms Alexandersson maintains a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusion, advocating for the right to engage in arts and culture on equal terms. She has extensive experience in this field as a project leader for both national and international initiatives. She conducts workshops and lectures on how the arts can empower people with disability and promote their visibility in society.  

Ms Alexandersson holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Royal College of Music, Stockholm and a Postgraduate degree in Performance and Communication from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, UK. 

Mr Santiago Alfaro Rotondo is a lecturer at both the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and the University of the Republic (Uruguay). His research interests focus on cultural policy, inequalities in the cultural and creative industries, audience development, and the intercultural approach in public policy.

Mr Alfaro Rotondo has held various roles including Programme Officer of Indigenous Rights and Interculturality at Oxfam America; Deputy Manager of Performing Arts and Cultural Industries at the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima; and General Director of Cultural Industries and Arts at the Ministry of Culture of Peru. He has worked as an external consultant for the British Council and the Inter-American Development Bank and as a researcher at the Leeds Institute for Excellence Teaching at the University of Leeds, UK.

Mr Alfaro Rotondo holds a Master of Arts degree in Society, Culture and Media from the University of Leeds, UK.

Mr Abdullah Alkafri is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Ettijahat–Independent Culture, which supports artists from Syria and the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region.

Mr Alkafri is a playwright, cultural manager and cultural activist. His work spans cultural policy, strategic planning and arts education. As an author and researcher, he has published academic works on art, society and cultural change, including On the Margin’s Margin: Some Fragmented Thoughts on the Circumstances of Those who Make Art. His writing focuses on cultural displacement and artistic expression during crises, examining independent culture in the SWANA region. Based between Brussels and Beirut, he lectures at the Institute of Fine Arts and Audiovisual Studies, Beirut, teaching cultural production sociology, playwriting and theatre direction.

Mr Alkafri holds a PhD in theatre studies from Saint Joseph University, Lebanon. Previously, he has served on the International Programme Advisory Committee for the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture (2019, Malaysia).

Dr José Antonio Ancan Jara is the Deputy Director, National Deputy Directorate of Indigenous Peoples of the Cultural Heritage Service at the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Chile since 2015. The National Deputy Directorate works with Indigenous and Afro-Chilean institutions on cultural revitalisation. Dr Ancan Jara had oversight over two significant consultation processes to Indigenous Peoples: the first for the creation of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage (2014-2015), and the second, for the new cultural heritage legislation in 2023–2024.   

Dr Ancan Jara is a creative and works in research and cultural management. He has authored numerous academic articles, participated in internships at the National Museum of the American Indian, USA and Auckland University, New Zealand, among others. 

Dr Ancan Jara holds a BA with a major in Art Theory and History from the University of Chile; an MA in Anthropology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain and a PhD in Latin American Cultural Studies from the University of Chile. 

Mrs Atang L.S. Arnold is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and founder of The Space Botswana Art Gallery and Creative Hub based in Maun, Botswana. Her work bridges art, climate activism and community engagement, focusing on themes of water, conservation and sustainable practices.  

Mrs Arnold has curated exhibitions including Threads of Water at Art Basel Miami Week 2024, The UP-UP Cycle supported by the We Are Family Foundation and the Elephant Studies show in collaboration with Sir Alexander McCall Smith. She leads art residencies, workshops and innovative upcycling projects that address climate change and the circular economy and is passionate about empowering marginalised communities.  

Mrs Arnold is an alumna of The Museums Lab, Global Cultural Relations Programme (GCRP) and the Climate Leaders of the Future, Earthshot Prize 2024. She has a vision to host an international art fair in Botswana and continues to use art as a transformative tool for social change across Southern Africa. 

Mr Obi Asika is the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Nigeria and a committed advocate for Nigeria's creative industries for over three decades.   

Prior to this appointment in January 2024, Mr Asika was a multi award-winning creative entrepreneur who built one of the most successful entertainment brands in Nigeria (Storm 360/Storm Records). He was Executive Producer of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 1999, Big Brother Nigeria and The Apprentice Africa, and co-founded Social Media Week Lagos.    

Mr Asika's previous public sector appointments include his roles as a core member of the Presidential team that gave birth to the National Startup Act (2022) and Senior Special Assistant to the President on social media (2015). In 2014, Mr Asika was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art, USA. Over the years, he has delivered presentations at Harvard Business School and Wharton School of Business, among others.   

Mr Toni Attard is Founder of Culture Venture, an international firm supporting cultural projects, creative industries and policy initiatives. He has many years of strategic experience in Malta's arts sector: he has co-authored national cultural policies, served as the first Director of Strategy at Arts Council Malta and was Vice President of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association. As an arts practitioner he is creative producer of Udjenza and has directed numerous theatre productions and arts festivals including ZiguZajg International Festival and the arts programme of EuroPride 2023.  

As a champion of cultural rights and a founding member of Opening Doors Association for artists with learning disabilities, Mr Attard’s work bridges artistic practice, community engagement and strategy development. His international contributions include his current role as an expert on the European Capitals of Culture Monitoring and Selection Panel and his past role as chair of the International Programme Advisory Committee for the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture (2019, Malaysia). 

Paula Carr is from Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Te Atiawa, Ngā Rauru tribes of Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand, where she was raised on her family farm and ancestral lands. She has a diverse career spanning central government, corporate, Māori Development, Treaty of Waitangi Settlements, Arts and Sports and she has held various governance roles at tribal levels.    

Ms Carr is Senior Manager, Māori Strategy and Partnerships at Creative New Zealand – Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa  overseeing the organisations national strategy for Māori arts. She also chairs the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture working group, implementing a major review to strengthen the 50+ year-old Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC), the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous artists in the Pacific.   

Ms Michelle Chawla is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Council for the Arts, a role she commenced on 26 June 2023.   

Prior to this appointment, she was the Director General of Strategy, Public Affairs and Arts Engagement, responsible for the executive leadership and direction of a wide range of functions, including strategy development, communications, partnerships, strategic planning, research, international coordination, and cultural diplomacy. She has previously held the position of Secretary-General at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Ms Chawla has a wealth of experience in leadership roles, particularly in arts and culture policy, equity and inclusion, corporate governance, government relations, and transformation initiatives.    

Ms Chawla is bilingual, with a Punjabi and Quebecois background, and is a proud member of the Sikh community. She is passionate about ensuring that diverse voices are valued, heard, and respected through arts and culture.   

Mr Maanka A. Chipindi is a seasoned arts administrator, project manager and consultant with a 15-year journey behind him in spearheading the creative and cultural sectors of Zambia. His areas of expertise include creative business operations, project management, strategic planning, as well as policy development, implementation and technical support for the advancement of the arts.   

Currently, Mr Chipindi is Director and CEO, National Arts Council of Zambia. His tenure at the National Arts Council has established him as a well-known and widely respected arts leader with an expansive network within and beyond the creative industries.   

Mr Chipindi is a Fulbright Scholar alumnus. Currently, he is an IFACCA-Globus Fellow 2024-2025, part of the learning and exchange programme launched by IFACCA in collaboration with the Nordic Culture Fund's global initiative Globus. 

Ms Jiwon Choi is the Director General of the Climate Change Center (CCC), the Republic of Korea’s first NGO dedicated to climate action. Since joining in 2020, she has led climate communication and awareness initiatives for future generations and leaders. In 2024, she took on broader responsibilities, overseeing policy research, advocacy, education and international cooperation to strengthen climate resilience in developing economies.  

Ms Choi has previously worked in the arts and culture sector for 15 years, producing classical music performances and festivals and leading sound content production and archival projects for a private music company. She believes achieving carbon neutrality is possible when individuals and communities embrace climate consciousness, with culture and the arts serving as powerful catalyst for change. 

Ms Choi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Korean traditional music and Korean studies from Seoul National University, Republic of Korea and is pursuing graduate studies in climate and environmental science at Korea University, Republic of Korea. 

Mr Adrian Collette AM is Chief Executive Officer of Creative Australia. He led the organisation through COVID-19 and, in 2023, oversaw the integration of Creative Partnerships Australia into the Australia Council, transitioning it to Creative Australia. He served on the National Cultural Policy Advisory Group, which was appointed to provide overarching strategic advice to inform the development of the 2023 National Cultural Policy. He currently sits on the Board of IFACCA.

Mr Collette held the position of Chief Executive of Opera Australia, Australia’s largest performing arts company for 16 years. He also worked as Managing Director, Reed Books, a Division of Reed Elsevier and Vice-Principal (Engagement) at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He served on the Australia Council Board from 2013-2018 and chaired the Major Performing Arts Panel.  

Mr Collette was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2008 for services to the performing arts, publishing, mentoring young artists and the community at large. 

Mrs Kristin Danielsen is the CEO of Arts and Culture Norway. She is an experienced cultural leader combining formal leadership education with a background as a performing artist. She specialises in strengthening and developing organisations within the cultural sector and is passionate about highlighting the role of art and culture in societal development. She currently serves as the Chair of IFACCA.   

Mrs Danielsen is an active public speaker, lecturer and contributor to societal debates. She has held various board and advisory roles and has extensive experience in board governance.   

Mrs Danielsen started her career as a dancer and choreographer and was educated at the Norwegian Ballet Academy, Oslo and Ballet Arts/Broadway Dance Centre, New York. She holds a Master in Arts Management from City University of London, UK specialising in international cultural relations.  

Mrs Dereka Deleveaux-Grant is an eager advocate for cultural development, a performer and an educator dedicated to the artistic and cultural evolution of The Bahamas. As the Director of Culture for The Bahamas Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture, she is committed to utilising culture, the arts and heritage for connection and growth and to empower communities through cultural expression.   

Mrs Deleveaux-Grant has over 40 years of experience as a performer in dance and circus arts. She is a teacher and has mentored hundreds of students throughout The Bahamas, the Caribbean and the USA, passionately influencing the next generation of performers. As the co-owner of Emanji Circus Arts and Emanji School of Performing Arts, she continues to cultivate talent and expand opportunities in the creative sector. Mrs Deleveaux-Grant firmly believes that every individual should have the opportunity to experience, participate in and create culture.  

Mrs Deleveaux-Grant is currently an IFACCA-Globus Fellow 2024-2025, part of the learning and exchange programme launched by IFACCA in collaboration with the Nordic Culture Fund's global initiative Globus.  

Mr Mauricio Delfin is Co-Director of the Culture and Arts Policy Institute in New York, a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility on the Governance of Culture and a Research Associate at the Center for Artistic Activism, USA.   

Mr Delfin’s research and advocacy work advances open government principles in the arts and cultural sectors. He co-founded and directed Realidad Visual, the Peruvian National Summit of Culture and Culturaperu, a cultural information system. As director of Asociación Civil Solar and technical secretary of the Peruvian Alliance of Cultural Organisations, he helped create its governance framework and its Agenda for Shared Advocacy.  

Mr Delfin received the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2014 and was selected as both an OAS Open Government Fellow and a Fellow for the Latin American Initiative for Open Data. He holds Joint Honors in Anthropology and International Development Studies from McGill University, Canada and an MA in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University, USA. 

Ms Julie Diphofa currently serves as the Interim CEO of the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC), where she is dedicated to developing, advocating for, and promoting the arts. With 22 years of experience at senior management and executive levels, she has shaped funding policies, overseen grant disbursement and led monitoring and evaluation processes.  

Ms Diphofa has played a key role in securing the continuation of MMINO (South African – Norwegian Music Programme) and led the successful bid to host the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture in South Africa in 2009. She currently serves as Deputy Chairperson of the IFACCA Board and Chair of the Africa Chapter. 

Ms Diphofa is passionate about fostering collaborations and strategic partnerships with artists and cultural institutions and brings leadership, integrity and a commitment to advancing the arts in South Africa and beyond. She holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and has a background in teaching. 

Dr Diane Dodd is a Regional Adviser for IFACCA. She is the President and co-founder of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism) and the founder of the World Region of Gastronomy Award.  

Dr Dodd has pioneered international initiatives including the European Young Chef Award, the Food Film Menu, the World Food Gift Challenge and the Top Foodie Websites list. With over 30 years of experience in cultural policy and management, she contributes as an independent evaluator for the Council of Europe's Cultural Routes programme and has provided expert guidance to successful European Capital of Culture bids.  

Dr Dodd leads an Master’s course in Cultural Institutions and Policies at the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain and a Master’s course in Events and Destination Management at Sant Pol School of Hospitality and Culinary Management, Spain. She earned her PhD from the University of Girona, Spain in 2010. 

Ms Sylvie Durán Salvatierra is an expert in cultural policy and development, actress and cultural manager with more than 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of cultural policies at sector, government and international levels. From 2015 to 2022 as Minister of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica, she led the National Policy on Cultural Rights (2014-2023), and succeeded to incorporate the cultural sector into the National Development Plan for the Bicentennial 2019-2022 resulting in strategies for inter-institutional collaboration, territorial development and innovation. During this period, she was responsible for managing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in the cultural field.  

Ms Durán Salvatierra has collaborated with international networks on intangible heritage, cultural and creative sectors and industries, cultural tourism and public policies. As an international consultant, she curated and coordinated the Towards MONDIACULT Forum on Culture and Sustainable Development of Secretary General of Ibero-America SEGIB (2022).  

Ms Durán Salvatierra combines her sector experience, institutional leadership, policy development and inter-ministerial collaboration to strengthen culture as a driver of development. 

Ms Paloma Estévez is a New York-based, Chile-born performing arts manager, producer, and curator with extensive experience working with artists and cultural institutions. She currently serves as the Director of Artistic Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City (NYC). Here, she leads Summer for the City, one of NYC’s largest outdoor festivals. Ms Estévez also curates year-round programming and oversees the organisation’s line-producing team.   

In her current role at the at Lincoln Center, Ms Estévez leverages her expertise across disciplines, taking pride in her artist-centred approach while fostering partnerships, growing audiences and advocating for a radically equitable field.  

Ms Estévez began her career in Santiago, Chile, managing theatre companies and producing large-scale cultural events for nearly a decade. In 2016, she relocated to New York City and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University, USA.   

Ms Fatin Farhat is an independent researcher, arts manager and cultural policy expert based in Ramallah, Palestine. Ms Farhat is a member of EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Groups including those for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the Culture|2030 Indicators. She also serves as a Cultural Resource Artistic Board member.  

Ms Farhat has extensive experience as an arts manager, curator and policy maker overseeing a broad range of cultural initiatives including street festivals, municipal policy, artistic programmes, national cultural policy projects and funding schemes. Her professional engagements extend across the West Asia and North Africa region and beyond. She curates and supports cultural projects across several artforms and her work covers international cultural relations, visual, digital, performing arts, cultural policies across the West Asia and North Africa region, creative industries, cultural statistics, art for empowerment and social change and institutional development.   

Ms Farhat is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Hildesheim University, Germany.   

Dr Amareswar Galla is an IndoAustralian who is a highly experienced culture in poverty alleviation practitioner with demonstrated record on arts and cultural policy development, Intangible heritage, World Heritage, Indigenous peoples, intercultural dialogue, heritage tourism and the SDGs. He is the Founding Executive Director of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum.  

Dr Galla is a founding member of the UNESCO-UNITWIN Network on Culture, Tourism and Development; UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums and Sustainable Heritage Development, ANU, India (2021-2025); UNESCO accredited facilitator and mentor for the UNESCO 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Heritage; producer and editor of the flagship project and publication for the 40th Anniversary of the UNESCO 1972 World Heritage Convention: World Heritage: Benefits Beyond Borders, Cambridge University Press & UNESCO Publishing, 2012 (French and Korean versions in 2013). 

Ms Renu Ghimire is a social activist from Nepal leveraging art, media and technology to drive social change. As Program Associate at Freedom Studio, a youth-led non-profit based in Kathmandu expanding civic expression, she leads initiatives that promote civic expression, human rights, gender equality and climate advocacy. 

Ms Ghimire’s work addresses systemic inequities, supports marginalised groups and fosters vibrant civic spaces. She is dedicated to championing freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. She is a founding member of The Artivist Network, an independent collective of artists, activists and social workers. 

With a background in social work and a deep interest in historical narratives and peacebuilding, Ms Ghimire works to empower communities through visual storytelling, artivism and digital media campaigns. She organises workshops, festivals and other creative events focused on feminist movements to equip individuals with creative tools to amplify social movements. 

Associate Professor Dr Xin Gu is a cultural policy analyst, writer and speaker. She has been appointed a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility (2023-2026) for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression. She is Director of the Master of Cultural and Creative Industries at Monash University in Australia. She co-authored the report A crisis of sustainable careers? Examining working conditions for independent arts and cultural workers commissioned by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), writing about the social protection of cultural work.  

Dr Gu has worked with governments and civil society organisations in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand to develop cultural policies and strategies. She has delivered many capacity building and public outreach programmes on the development of cultural economy in the Asia Pacific region for the EU, UNCTAD and UNESCO, among others. Her most recent book is Cultural Work and Creative Subjectivity (Routledge, 2023). 

Mr Abid Hussain is the Director, Diversity at Arts Council England (ACE) where he leads the Arts Council's work on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, delivering more equitable access to creativity and culture. He is responsible for delivery of the Arts Council's equality objectives and equality action plan.  

Mr Hussain is the programme lead for All In - a UK and Ireland-wide scheme established to improve access to arts and cultural events for people with disabilities, developed in partnership with Arts Council of Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, and Creative Scotland. He is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Programme and the Salzburg Global Seminar and holds an MBA from Aston University, UK.   

Mr Hussain has extensive experience working with cultural agencies, government and academia internationally and has contributed to several international conferences and academic texts and journals in his field of expertise.  

Ms Cislé Jacobs specialises in Intellectual Property (IP) law as a legal and cultural professional and currently serves as Chairperson for the National Arts Council of Namibia. As a certified IP Agent in Namibia, she advises creatives, entrepreneurs and institutions including the National Theatre of Namibia and the Namibia Society of Composers and Authors of Music.

Ms Jacobs is an IP and Legal Compliance Expert Facilitator at Basecamp Business Incubators Namibia, has worked as an EU/UNESCO National Expert, contributing to the revision of copyright legislation and served as a technical expert for the National Arts Fund Draft Bill and Regulations 2024. She is author of The Intellectual Property Regime in Namibia (2017) and Copyright Law: Contracts and Protective Procedures for Musicians (2021).

Ms Jacobs holds a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Namibia.

Ms Yoonhyung Jeon is a cultural policy professional specialising in audio-visual industries with over two decades working in the cultural and creative sector. 

Ms Jeon is the Director of Public Relations at the Korean Film Council, a national institution of the Republic of Korea. In this role she leads numerous strategies, operations and organisational projects and works with ministries, corporations and civil society organisations. Ms Jeon’s expertise includes policy research and implementation, international cooperation initiatives and filmmaking equity fund management. Ms Jeon is an Adjunct Professor at Dong-Eui University, Republic of Korea teaching media literacy. 

Ms Jeon is a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Group for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression. She has participated in several policy implementation and capacity building programmes including for Ethiopia, Uganda and Mongolia. Ms Jeon also serves as a member of the Panel of Experts for UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity. 

Ms Youjin Jeon is a multidisciplinary artist who began her career in film scoring before expanding her practice into sound art, performance and sculpture utilising new media technology. 

Ms Jeon is a member of Seoul Express, an artist collective established with Mr Minki Hong in 2015. Seoul Express has presented performances such as Unlanguaged Seoul and I Walk with the Zombie. In 2017, she founded Woman Open Tech Lab in Seoul, which fosters discussions on the practice of technology from a feministic perspective in the Republic of Korea and aims to create a non-hierarchical technology culture. 

Ms Jeon develops workshops and educational programmes to create intersections between technology and art. She is a visiting professor at Dongguk University, Republic of Korea and has directed public programmes including The Technology for Resistance. 

Ms Avril Joffe is an Associate Researcher and holds the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy at Cultural Policy and Management Department at the Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.  

Ms Joffe is an economic sociologist and works at the intersection of academia and practice in the fields of cultural policy; culture in urban life; culture and sustainable development; fairness in international cultural cooperation; decent work; the rights and status of artists and cultural professionals; and, teaching pedagogy for postgraduate studies in the cultural economy. Her focus areas are Africa and the Global South.  

Ms Joffe is an active member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Group for Cultural Policy and Governance; the Global Creative Economy Council; the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance; and,  the external international advisory panel for the Horizon Europe programme, IN SITU - Place-based Innovation of Cultural and Creative Industries in Non-urban Areas. 

Mr Emile Kairua is Secretary and Head of Ministry, Ministry of Cultural Development, Cook Islands. He has an extensive background in marketing and public relations, driving business development efforts in tourism and travel related businesses in the Cook Islands.    

Prior to joining the Ministry, Mr Kairua has held various positions including being on the first Māori Language Commission. He has worked as Producer and Director of Kairoi, a five-hour a week cultural TV programme at Cook Islands Broadcasting. Subsequently, he served as General Manager and Managing Director at Cook Islands Broadcasting. Mr Kairua has previously worked as Product and Marketing Manager for Island Hopper Vacations and at The Edgewater Resort and Spa, serving as the Director of Sales and Marketing, Cultural Ambassador and General Manager. 

Dr Hae-Bo Kim is the Advising Director of the Policy and Strategy Division at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC). Since joining SFAC in 2004, he has overseen business management, arts education, research and policy development, arts grants, cultural space development and festival production. He regularly contributes to the SFAC Issue Paper Culture + Policy.

As Director of the Korea Regional Culture Policy Institute, affiliated with the National Assembly of Foundations for Arts and Culture, Dr Kim leads collaborative research across 17 metropolitan cultural foundations. He recently led research on regional cultural development titled Research on Strategies to Enhance Regional Attractiveness and Vitality through Locality and Culture, for the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development.

Dr Kim lectures on culture and technology and cultural policy at the University of Seoul (UOS), Republic of Korea, exploring topics like cultural globalisation, algorithmic culture and emotional economics. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UOS.

Mr Octavio Kulesz is a philosopher, digital publisher and director of Teseo, one of Latin America’s leading electronic publishing houses. As an expert collaborating with international organisations including UNESCO, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), IFACCA and the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, his research focuses on issues related to cultural diversity and creative industries in the digital age. He currently serves on the International Programme Advisory Committee (IPAC) for this 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture.  

Some of Mr Kulesz’ articles, such as Culture, Platforms and Machines (UNESCO, 2018), presciently anticipated the contemporary challenges associated with the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the cultural sectors by over five years. In 2020, he was selected by UNESCO, along with 23 other international experts, to draft the text of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first standard-setting instrument on this topic.  

Mr Kulesz divides his time between Turin (Italy) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).  

RAY LC is an artist and researcher whose practice investigates how humans adapt to new methods of interaction in creative expression involving artificial intelligence (AI) and machines. He holds a PhD in Neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design, New York. He is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong and is the Founder of the Studio for Narrative Spaces.

RAY LC’s artistic practice is informed by his neuroscience research Nature Communications and human-computer interaction. He has exhibited his work internationally, including at the New York Hall of Science, KYOTO Design Lab, Ars Electronica, Osage Gallery, Goethe Institute, Hong Kong Arts Centre, and International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA). His work has received awards from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Hong Kong Arts Development Council and New York Foundation for the Arts.

Ms Marie Le Sourd has been Secretary General of On the Move, the international cultural mobility information network, since 2012. In this role she leads the daily management of On the Move and the implementation of its strategic plan.

Prior to this position, Ms Le Sourd directed the French Cultural Centre in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2006 -2011) and worked at the Culture Department of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Singapore (1999-2006), including as Acting Director.

Over the years, Ms Le Sourd has developed extensive knowledge of international cultural cooperation and funding schemes for the mobility of artists, cultural professionals and networks. She is deeply interested in the multiple and evolving needs, motivations, contexts and realities of mobility for artists and cultural professionals. 

Mr Humberto López La Bella is currently the Director General of the Cabinet at the National Secretariat of Culture, Paraguay. He has formerly served as the Director General of Planning, Development and Cultural Innovation, as well as the Director General of Diversity, Rights and Cultural Processes at the same institution. He represents Paraguay for the Iberculturaviva programme, a cultural cooperation initiative that promotes intercultural dialogue, exchange, and collaboration among Ibero-American countries, and serves as an alternate representative of Paraguay before the Ibero-American Network of Cultural Diplomacy.   

Mr López La Bella holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Management from the International University of Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain) and a postgraduate degree in International Cultural Cooperation and Management from the University of Barcelona (Spain). He teaches cultural management and financing of the arts at the National University of Asunción, Paraguay.   

Mr López La Bella is an IFACCA-Globus Fellow 2024-2025, part of the learning and exchange programme launched by IFACCA in collaboration with the Nordic Culture Fund's global initiative Globus.  

Ms Micaela Mantegna is a lawyer, researcher and council member of the World Economic Forum. She is also known as Abogamer and specialises in video game law and advocacy, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, extended reality (XR) policy and the intersection of AI with creativity, culture and copyright law.

A 2022 TED Fellow, Ms Mantegna’s talk on metaverse ethics has reached over 1.5 million views. She is currently affiliated with MetaLAB (Harvard, Berlin, Basel) and previously with the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, USA. She has been a Salzburg Global Fellow and a Datasphere Initiative Fellow.

Ms Mantegna’s published works include ARTficial: creativity, AI and copyright (2022) and she is working on Braindancing in the Metaverse: a capitalism of cognitive surveillance forthcoming in 2025, examining digital capitalism's impact on creativity, neuroscience, intellectual property, AI ethics and aesthetics.

Ms Roisín McDonough has been Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland since 2000. In this role, Ms McDonough creates successful partnerships with Government organisations to implement a variety of arts programmes including the Arts and Older People Programme in partnership with the Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland and the Creative Schools initiative in collaboration with the Education Authority, Northern Ireland.  

Ms McDonough is a member of the organising committee for the British Irish Association established to promote understanding and dialogue between the governments and peoples of the UK and Ireland. She has served as a board member of the UK Creative and Cultural Skills Sector Council for 12 years and has served as Chair of the Women Chief Executives’ Forum for 10 years. She is an Institute of Directors (IoD) Chartered Director and is a passionate advocate for the arts role in building peace through bringing communities together as well as its inherent value to individuals.   

Mr Simon Mellor is Deputy Chief Executive, Arts and Museums for Arts Council England. He is a member of the Arts Council’s Executive Board, has responsibility for national arts and cultural strategy and provides executive board leadership for the Arts Council’s international strategy. Mr Mellor currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of IFACCA.  

Prior to joining the Arts Council in 2012, Mr Mellor helped set up the Manchester International Festival in 2006 and was its first General Director. Before that he was the Chief Executive of the Lyric Hammersmith, West London’s leading producing and presenting theatre. He was also the producer and founder of an international music theatre company, Gloria Theatre Company, UK. 

Mr Diego Mencaroni is currently the Residency Director at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in New York. He has served as Interim Executive Director for the Foundation in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Prior to this, Mr Mencaroni held the position of Program Coordinator at the Civitella Ranieri Center, New York.  Between 2014 to 2018, he was the spokesperson for the Democratic Party in the Perugia City Hall, Italy.  

Mr Mencaroni is a member of the Steering Committee of the Ecomuseo del Tevere, Italy where he carries out research on local traditions including folk music and local language. He writes plays, short stories and poetry and is fluent in English, French and Spanish. 

Mr Mencaroni holds a Bachelor in Political Science and a Master in Politics, Economy and Law of the EU from the University of Perugia, Italy. 

Mr Ángel Moreno is currently the Manager of the Honda Cultural Agency of the Bank of the Republic, Tolima since 2018. From 2016-2017, he was Director of Local Affairs and Participation of the Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sport of the City of Bogotá. In 2017, he also served as Head of the Department of Culture and Manager of the Roberto Arias Pérez Theatre for the Colsubsidio Cooperation in Bogotá.  

From 2009 to 2016, Mr Moreno served as Advisor to the Office of the Minister of Culture of Colombia. And prior to this role, he held the position of Advisor to Culture of the international organisation Convenio Andrés Bello in Colombia. 

Mr Moreno is a social communicator with a postgraduate degree in Political Science from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, a Diploma in Latin American Culture from the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia and a Diploma in Local Development from the Asia-Pacific University of Japan. 

Mr Iain Munro is Creative Scotland’s Chief Executive and Accountable Officer, prior to that he was Deputy Chief Executive. Mr Munro’s earlier career saw him study music before diversifying into economics and surveying, becoming a specialist in cultural development and working internationally before returning to the UK to help establish the National Lottery for the Arts. 

Mr Munro has previously held roles at the Scottish Arts Council including Director of the National Lottery and Co-Director of Arts, before joining Creative Scotland as Director of Creative Development.  He led developments in arts policy, participation, equalities, audience and organisational change and development, capital development and special projects such as the London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programmes in Scotland.   

Mr Munro led the formation and establishment of Screen Scotland to drive forward the growth of the Screen sector in Scotland. In December 2022, he joined the UK Creative Industries Council for a term of three years. 

Dr Nguyen Phuong Hoa is the Director General, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Viet Nam. She has dedicated her 20 year-plus career in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work in the area of international cultural cooperation. As a key author of Vietnam's Cultural External Relations Strategy, she has been actively leading the organisation of numerous Vietnamese Cultural Days/Week and Vietnamese Cultural Year worldwide and hosting a number of international art festivals in Viet Nam. Being the national focal point of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, she strongly advocates for the delivery of the National Strategy of Cultural Industries and facilitates cities in Viet Nam joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.  

Dr Hoa is the representative of Viet Nam at the World Exhibition Organization (BIE) and is a member of the IFACCA Board.  Currently, she serves as the Commissioner General of Viet Nam at EXPO Osaka Kansai 2025. 

Professor Justin O’Connor is Professor of Cultural Economy at the University of South Australia and Visiting Professor at the School of Cultural Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China. Between 2012-18 he was a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility Group for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression. He is currently working with the Reset Collective and with a coalition of cultural policy experts to promote the idea of culture as a global public good and as a sustainable development goal in the post 2030 agenda. 

Professor O’Connor is co-editor of the 2015 Routledge Companion to the Cultural Industries; Cultural Industries in Shanghai: Policy and Planning inside a Global City, (2018); Re-Imagining Creative Cities in Asia (2020); Different Histories, Shared Futures: Dialogues on China and Australia (2022) and The Great Decoupling: A New Global (Dis)Order (2025). 

Professor O’Connor recently co-authored Red Creative: Culture and Modernity in China (2020) and Culture is Not an Industry, Manchester University Press. 

Ms Jisun Park is a creative producer, researcher and arts policy advisor with over twenty-five years of experience. She is a co-founder of Producer Group DOT, an independent performing arts producers’ organisation established in 2014. She has led programming for major performing arts festivals including the Chuncheon International Mime Festival and Seoul Performing Arts Festival.  

Ms Park has previously served as General Manager for Korea Arts Management Services (KAMS) and in this role she oversaw the Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS). Ms Park co-founded the Asian Producers’ Platform (APP), advocating for non-hierarchical arts ecosystems and fosters collaborations between artists and non-artists to explore the contemporaneity of art. 

Deeply invested in sustainability and transformation, Ms Park focuses on projects addressing climate change, including climate change artist residencies and the Dance X Technology Creative Lab. 

Dr Tomás Peters is a cultural sociologist based in Santiago, Chile and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Communications and Image, University of Chile, Santiago. 

Dr Peters has previously held a visiting researcher position at the Ibero-American Institute, Germany and has taught as a visiting professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru), Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Iztapalapa (Mexico), Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) and University of Guadalajara (Mexico). Dr Peters was granted funding from Chile's National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FONDECYT) to research the relationship between the Chilean State and the cultural field. 

Dr Peters holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Birkbeck, University of London, UK and his main areas of research include sociology of art, Latin American studies and cultural policy. He is the author of Sociology of Arts and Cultural Policy and The incessant gap: cultural policies and inequality in Chile. 

Dr Pavla Petrová is the Director of the Arts and Theatre Institute, Czech Republic and serves as the Assistant Professor at the Department of Arts Management of the Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic. She engages in teaching and scientific research activities focusing on cultural management, new business models and entrepreneurship in cultural and creative industries.

Dr Petrová is a member of various expert teams and working groups on cultural policy and brings years of professional experience from large cultural institutions and projects to her roles. She is the national author of the publication Cultural policy profile for the Czech Republic published by the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends.

Dr Petrová has a background in economics and management and continues professional engagement as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and as a member of the Czech Commission for UNESCO.

Dr Zun Ei Phyu is an artist and expressive art therapist based in Yangon, Myanmar, known for her work in papercutting, paper making, participatory art installations and socially engaged art projects. 

Dr Zun Ei Phyu is the Program Manager for Networks and Alliances at Mekong Cultural Hub. In this role she fosters collaborative initiatives across countries in Southeast Asia that are connected by the Mekong River. Dr Zun Ei Phyu’s artistic practice emphasises healing, community well-being, and social justice, utilising art as a medium for empowerment and transformation. Her work has been exhibited internationally and she has received several awards and has been recognised for her consultancy and mentorship of youth, art and cultural practitioners, activists and community groups working for social change. 

Dr Zun Ei Phyu holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from University of Medicine 2, Yangon and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology.  

Mr Robert Piaskowski is a philologist, sociologist, manager and cultural animator. He is currently the Director of the National Centre for Culture in Poland and is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Krakow Film Music Festival. He has played a key role in major festivals including Misteria Paschalia, Opera Rara and the Miłosz Festival. He is a member of the Organising Committee of the Gdynia Polish Film Festival, the Council of the Polish Film Institute, the Programme Council of the Open Eyes Economy Summit and the Programme Council of the UN Global Compact Network Poland.   

From 2007 to 2019, Mr Piaskowski served as the Programme Director of the Krakow Festival Office and later as the Mayor of Krakow’s Plenipotentiary for Culture and the Director for Development and Creativity at the Department of Culture of the Krakow City Hall, Poland. He coordinated Krakow’s efforts to obtain the UNESCO Creative City title.  

Mr Piaskowski has lectured at Jagiellonian University, Poland among others.  

Mr Phloeun Prim is the Executive Director of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), Phnom Penh. A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Mr Prim has spearheaded CLA's transformation from a grassroots project reviving traditional arts to an organisation working as a catalyst in the country's rapidly expanding arts sector. Mr Prim continues to teach the CLA created university course Arts for Transformation: The Case of Cambodia, to New York University (NYU), Abu Dhabi students and introduced the course in Cambodia for the first time in 2019. 

Mr Prim has been key to the initiation of Mekong Cultural Hub, a regional non-profit working at the intersection between arts and social development, and Connecting South, an initiative to further collaboration across the Global South. He is currently involved in a Connecting South project entitled ‘An AI of Our Own’, that aims to bring Global South communities into the heart of global efforts to democratise access to cultural heritage through technological innovation. 

Mr Zikri Rahman is a writer, translator, independent researcher, and curator. Mr Zikri is currently a Researcher for Malaysia, Arts Equator’s Southeast Asian Arts Censorship Database and an experienced Programme Coordinator at Pusat Sejarah Rakyat, an independent archive dedicated to documenting the people’s history of Malaysia and Singapore. In 2011, Mr Zikri co-founded Buku Jalanan, a grassroots street library movement aimed at decentralising and democratising knowledge and cultural production and initiated LiteraCity, a literary and cultural mapping project of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mr Zikri has contributed to projects including the DEMO: An Oral History of Protest in Malaysia project for Pusat Sejarah Rakyat, the Southeast Asian Arts Censorship Database for Arts Equator and is the co-editor for Where are the people? People’s theater in Inter-Asian Societies (2022).  

Ms Chaymaa Ramzy Zaatout has more than 17 years' international experience in arts management, production and consultancy across the Middle East and North Africa regions. She holds a BA in Business Administration from Alexandria University, Egypt and is an international fellow of Arts Management and Strategic Planning in the Arts from the DeVos Institute, USA and the Business School of the Arts, University of Maryland, USA.

Ms Ramzy Zaatout’s work focuses on strategic development in the arts and education, designing programmes that engage communities and building partnerships. She has a strong history of working with public, private and civil society partners across the creative sectors, particularly in arts, education and creative economy research.

Ms Ramzy Zaatout is the Founder of Creative Invest as well as Executive Director of Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, and previously served as Art Manager at the Anna Lindh Foundation, based in Alexandria.

Ms Kajsa Ravin began her term as Director General for the Swedish Arts Council in March 2020, managing the culture sector through the pandemic. She has special interest in international cultural relations and cultural diversity. Ms Ravin has worked with a wide variety of cultural expressions, and she is strongly committed to promote and safeguard artistic freedom in Sweden and abroad as well as making arts and culture accessible and relevant to broad audiences.  

Ms Ravin is a board member of IFACCA and the Nordic Culture Fund.  

Ms Ravin has been active in the cultural sector for more than twenty-five years and has comprehensive experience in driving development of culture organisations and cultural policy, both at the local, regional and national levels. Prior to joining the Swedish Arts Council, she managed the Department of Cultural Affairs in several Swedish cities and regions. 

Dr Diana Rey is a political scientist and independent consultant specialising in the design of conceptual, statistical and legal frameworks for the creative sectors. She develops both quantitative and qualitative research projects to provide high-level evidence for decision-making.  

Dr Rey is the lead author of the 2025 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS) and co-author of the 2015 UNESCO Culture Satellite Account methodology for Latin America, which has been implemented in over 15 countries. She has published extensively on cultural rights, cultural heritage and the digital economy.  

Over the past 20 years, Dr Rey has collaborated with various intergovernmental organisations including UNDP, UNESCO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Convenio Andrés Bello and UN Women. She has worked with governments in Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Ecuador on cultural policies and strategies. Dr Rey is a member of the Global Creative Economy Council, UK and the UNESCO Reflection Group on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Digital Environment.  

Ms Márcia Rollemberg is currently the Secretary of Cultural Citizenship and Diversity at the Ministry of Culture, Brazil since 2023. She has previously held this position at the Ministry of Culture from 2011 to 2014.  

Ms Rollemberg has 30 years of experience working in public policy management and international cooperation, particularly in the areas of health, culture and heritage. She participated in the implementation of the Virtual and Health Libraries network in Brazil and the creation of the Centre for Culture at the Ministry of Health. 

Ms Rollemberg holds degrees in Social Work and Art Education specialising in health systems. In 2024, she obtained a Certificate in Latin American Studies from the Afro-Latin American Research Institute (ALARI) at Harvard University, USA.  

Mr Michael Running Wolf (Northern Cheyenne and Lakota) was raised in a rural prairie village in Montana, USA with intermittent water and electricity. Naturally he has a Master of Science in Computer Science, was an engineer at Amazon’s Alexa, and former faculty at Northeastern University, USA.

Mr Running Wolf is an artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist who envisions an Indigenous future where Indigenous communities, alongside reclaiming their languages, attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. His passion lies in leveraging artificial intelligence to revitalise Indigenous languages. To this end, he co-founded First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) at the Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, where he serves as the Lead Architect.

Mr Running Wolf is a 2024-25 The Tech for Global Good Laureate. His work researching an automatic speech recognition system for highly polysynthetic languages has been recognised with the Patrick J. McGovern AI for Humanity Prize. 

Mr Eduardo Saravia is an economist with a Master’s degree in Economics and over 14 years of experience in designing, evaluating and implementing policies and initiatives for the cultural and creative sectors. He specialises in cultural economics, heritage, and creative industries, focusing on their role in economic and social development. 

Mr Saravia currently serves as Chief Economist at Sound Diplomacy, a global research and strategy consultancy dedicated to driving economic and social growth through music and cultural strategies. He has extensive experience across public and private sectors and has also collaborated with national entities, including the Ministry of Culture of Colombia. He brings significant international experience, having worked with the Inter-American Development Bank and UNESCO, among others.  

Serving on several UNESCO Expert Facilities, including those for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the Culture|2030 Indicators, he helps shape policies for the cultural industries and heritage globally and advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Dr Shain Shapiro is an author working at the intersection of music, culture and urban policy. He is founder and current Executive Chairman of Sound Diplomacy, which has offices in London, Barcelona, Berlin as well as in Delaware and Louisiana, USA. He is Executive Director of the Center for Music Ecosystems, which operates globally.

In his book This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better, Dr Shapiro explores fresh approaches to valuing music in cities and places. He writes extensively about music’s role in cities, tourism, the night-time economy, real estate and recovery. His work includes a comprehensive guide to music and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), developed in partnership with UN.

In 2014, Dr Shapiro delivered the first TEDx talk on music's role in cities. He has spoken at global conventions, including South by Southwest (SXSW) and the UN World Urban Forum. He earned his PhD from the University of London, UK.

Ms Phina So is currently the Director of Creative Industries of Cambodia Association for Development and Advocacy (CICADA), a member-based association that aims to advocate for more support for the cultural and creative industries in Cambodia. In her role she engages with the community on research and capacity building for cultural workers.  

Prior to CICADA, Ms So held the position of Manager of the Knowledge Networks and Policy Program at Cambodian Living Arts. In this role, she was responsible for running the Living Arts Fellows programme, a cultural leadership programme for Cambodian artists, managers, researchers and policymakers. A strong component of the programme focussed on developing knowledge and building networks within Southeast Asia. She curates and facilitates talks, seminars and conferences. She manages mobility grants for cultural practitioners and develops collaborations with local and international academic partners.  

Ms So is a writer, publisher and literary translator. She founded the Khmer Literature Festival and co-founded Kampu Mera Editions. 

Ms Pooja Sood is a founding member and Director of Khoj International Artists’ Association, an autonomous, not-for-profit society committed to experimentation and exchange in the visual arts in India. She has actively built a robust network of experimental spaces across South Asia resulting in the South Asian Network for the Arts (SANA).  

Ms Sood has previously served as Director General of the Government-owned Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) in India. She is the Founding Director of ArThinkSouthAsia and has been Artistic Director and curator of 48 Degrees Celsius Public. Art. Ecology, a nine-day festival situated around Delhi, India 

Ms Sood has served on several international art juries and participated in various forums on Indian contemporary art, art management and South Asian art. She is a Chevening scholar (Clore Leadership Programme, UK, 2009-2011) based in New Delhi, India.  

Mr Gerfried Stocker is a media artist and an engineer for communication technology. Since 1995, Mr Stocker has been Artistic and Managing Director of Ars Electronica, based in Linz, Austria. He oversees the developments of the various programmes of Ars Electronica in Linz as well as internationally.  

In 1995-96, Mr Stocker developed the groundbreaking exhibition strategies of the Ars Electronica Centre with a small team of artists and technicians and was responsible for the setup of Ars Electronica’s own R & D facility, the Ars Electronica Futurelab.  

Mr Stocker is a consultant for numerous companies and institutions in the field of creativity and innovation management and is active as a guest lecturer at international conferences and universities. In 2019 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Aalto University, Finland. 

Ms Susannah Tantemsapya is the founder and Executive Director of Creative Migration and Bangkok 1899, based in Los Angeles and Bangkok. She is the producer of Creatives for Climate Action - Thailand; a member of the convening team for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action initiative; a non-profit advisor for the Entertainment + Culture Pavilion; and serves on the Advisory Council of the Hollywood Climate Summit.

Ms Tantemsapya is global ambassador and fellow at the Royal Society of Arts; founding member of Soho House Bangkok and advisor for the exhibition, Brackish Water Los Angeles as part of Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiative.

Ms Tantemsapya holds a BA in Photojournalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. She has participated in the National Outdoor Leadership School, USA and at an architecture workshop at Arcosanti, USA both of which shaped her commitment to environmental preservation.

Mr Haniko Te Kurapa is currently the Senior Manager, Te Kaupapa o Toi Aotearoa at Creative New Zealand – Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa. With over forty years of arts experience, Mr Te Kurapa offers a Māori worldview on knowledge systems, encompassing relationships with the environment, ancestry, land, and the cosmos.    

The proverb Tūhoe Moumou Kai, moumou Taonga, moumou Tangata ki te pō reflects Mr Te Kurapa's identity as a member of the Tūhoe tribe, renowned for their generosity, gifting of treasures, and dedication to the survival of its people. Raised in Te Urewera in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, Mr Te Kurapa is a fluent speaker of the Māori language and deeply rooted in Tūhoe Mātauranga (heritage). 

Ms Julie Trébault is the Executive Director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), an international organisation dedicated to safeguarding artistic freedom and supporting artists and cultural workers who are at risk. Under her leadership, ARC provides critical resources and support to empower artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors. 

Prior to creating ARC, Ms Trébault was Director of Public Programs at the Museum of the City of New York, USA and the Center for Architecture, New York. She has also worked at the National Museum of World Cultures in the Netherlands and at the Musée du quai Branly in France as Head of Higher Education and Academic Events.

Ms Trébault holds a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Sorbonne University, France and a Master’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Strasbourg, France. 

Ms Hiroko Tsuboi-Friedman is a consultant and member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility for the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. She combines academic foundations in art history, sociology and cultural anthropology with expertise in arts and culture, finance and public administration to develop, implement and evaluate projects, workshops and symposiums. Additionally, she conducts research and delivers lectures on topics related to the 2005 Convention and the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist.  

Ms Tsuboi-Friedman has served as Deputy Director for International Affairs at the Science Council of Japan Secretariat and as Senior Policy Researcher in the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. She is co-founder of Culture All Nippon to create a supportive environment for the cultural and creative sector in Japan. Shecontributes to various initiatives including the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), the Civil Society Forum of the 2005 Convention and the Japan Association of Cultural Policy Research.   

Solamalemalo Dr Hai-Yuean Tualima is an expert in traditional knowledge and Intellectual Property (IP) in the Pacific. Currently she is Senior Law Lecturer at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her PhD research in Samoa, using Talanoa Research Methodology, offers practical solutions for the protection and preservation of traditional knowledge.

In 2023, Solamalemalo led Pacific country negotiations on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge. She was the first Pacific Islander appointed as a WIPO Indigenous Fellow (2015-2017).

Solamalemalo formally established the first National Human Rights Institution in Samoa (2013). She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, and Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She was admitted as Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand (2010) and to the bar in Samoa (2014).

Dr Eva Marie Wang is the founder and convenor of HIRAYA Collective for the Blind, a community of blind and sighted individuals in the Philippines, co-creating accessible and inclusive spaces for learning, creativity and innovation. HIRAYA focuses on the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 30 - Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.   

Dr Wang serves as the co-convenor of Project ADAM (Audio Description Awareness Movement), a collaboration of 14 blind organisations advocating for inclusive media and championing the Philippine Audio Description Bill. She became right eye-blind and left eye vision-impaired due to Retinopathy of Prematurity and facilitates workshops on topics ranging from disability and accessibility to politics of international education.   

Dr Wang holds a PhD in Global Education Cooperation from Seoul National University (Republic of Korea), a Master’s in International Studies from Korea University (Republic of Korea) and a BA in Psychology from the University of the Philippines Diliman (Philippines).   

Dr Alexandra Xanthaki was appointed UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights in October 2021. She is Professor of Laws at Brunel University London, UK. Throughout her academic career, Dr Xanthaki has published on the cultural rights of minorities and Indigenous peoples, cultural diversity, cultural heritage, balancing cultural rights with other rights and interests, multiculturalism and integration in international human rights law. She has worked with NGOs, civil society and has consulted States on such issues.  

Dr Xanthaki’s doctorate was on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations, under the supervision of Patrick Thornberry. She has a master's degree in Human Rights and Emergency Law.  

Dr Xanthaki is a member of the Summer Human Rights Faculty at Oxford. She is the founder of the Athens Refugee Project, where students have volunteered since early 2016 with refugee civil society organisations. 

Ms Samba Yonga is a journalist, communications specialist and cultural curator based in Lusaka, Zambia. She is co-founder and Museum Director of the Women’s History Museum of Zambia, an institution established to research and restore African Indigenous narratives, knowledge and living histories of women using digital technologies.  

Ms Yonga curatorial work and research centres on preserving African cultural heritage as part of decolonial practice. She works to centre Indigenous knowledge systems alongside communities to support the process of correcting knowledge asymmetries to validate the knowledge production process of local communities. She is also involved in future-modelling design for museums and sites of memory for cultural heritage across Africa.  

Ms Yonga is the founder and managing partner of Ku-Atenga Media, a communications agency that designs strategies to impact development for Africans, by Africans.  

Dr Daryna Zhyvohliadova is a cultural professional and academic from Ukraine with expertise in management and knowledge exchange practices for international cultural cooperation, as well as in strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage. She is currently the Academic Project Coordinator at KU Leuven for the HERitage UKRaine project within the Faculty of Arts, MoSa - History of Modernity and Society, Belgium. In 2023, she was awarded the Youth Cultural Protection Professional Award by the International Arts and Antiquities Forum, UK.   

Dr Zhyvohliadova has delivered guest lectures at universities worldwide, including the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), University of Maribor (Slovenia) and University of Technology Sydney (Australia). She has served as consultant to the ALIPH Foundation, Europa Nostra and the Cultural Relations Platform; led the Creative Europe Desk; and coordinated the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) humanitarian response for youth. As an individual member of leading European networks, including ENCATC and Culture Action Europe, she is a committed youth advocate and promotes culture as a cornerstone of sustainable development.