GCDN Conversations: Same Old/Brand New – Have We Simply Gone Back to Business as Usual?

Jun 2021

Check out the replay of our latest GCDN Conversations session: Same Old/Brand New – Have We Simply Gone Back to Business as Usual?

Replay available here: https://youtu.be/ORA_ttPQ2Ok

The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the arts and cultural sectors into a paradoxical situation. While lockdowns have intensified the demand for cultural and creative content, the cultural sector has also been one of the most affected by, and probably one of the latest to economically recover from the pandemic and its consequences.

With vaccines now available, and an end to pandemic restrictions on the horizon for many countries (but not all), have cultural districts and institutions managed to find new and/or sustainable new ways of operating? Has the pandemic incited the cultural sector to re-examine their business models and source for new forms of financial support and revenue streams? Importantly, how can cultural districts better leverage on the new opportunities and build resilience to both foreseeable and unforecastable future change?

Michael Woodsmall, Strategic Development Manager, WHY Architecture, explored these questions in conversation with:
– Theodore Gen Knipfing, Founder, Plus Curiosity
– Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
– Shauna Weeks, Manager Communications and Programming, Perth Theatre Trust