WHAT’S NEXT FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS?
GCDN is meeting from 29 May to 1 June, hosted by LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura in its stunning lakeside location nestled in the Swiss Alps. It will be our first in-person convening since we met in Singapore in 2019. We have a lot to discuss and learn from each other and from expert counsel. Sessions include:
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- The longer-term impact of the pandemic
- Our responsibilities for the environment
- Our contribution to agendas for innovation
- Social impact and its measurement
- Moral dilemmas and the challenges of cultural leadership today
Lugano’s complex amalgam of languages and cultures and its location at the heart of Europe provide a rich site for a highly participative programme of discussion, workshops and networking activities. Since it opened in 2015, LAC has become a civic anchor with a profound impact on the cultural, social, and economic life of the city.
In a time of social, economic, environmental, and political flux, cultural organisations are increasingly keen to use their resources and cultural heft to make a difference. It becomes even more important to go beyond the rhetoric and refine our understanding of the resources and appetite required to achieve meaningful change; and for cultural districts to contribute to building a sustainable future. The 2022 convening will support GCDN’s commitment to make an authentic contribution to addressing the most challenging issues of the day.
GCDN is an initiative of AEA Consulting. Find out more about GCDN here and please contact us if you have any questions.
All information on this webpage is subject to change – last updated on 25 May 2022.
Tickets
GCDN Membership provides free registration to the convening for two representatives – and a 25% discount on any additional registration – please contact us if you require the code to book your complimentary/discounted tickets.
Speakers
Confirmed speakers include:
Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director, The Bentway Conservancy – Toronto, Canada
Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London – London, United Kingdom
Elly Andriopoulou, Managing Director, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center – Athens, Greece
Charlotte Ashamu, Creative Economy Specialist, Yale University Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage – Washington, DC, United States
Roberto Badaracco, Vice-Mayor of the City of Lugano & President of LAC – Lugano, Switzerland
Eloi Beauchamp, CEO, Iregular – Montreal, Canada
Andrew Best, Partner, BuroHappold – Berlin, Germany
Elettra Bordonaro, Principal and Creative Director, Light Follows Behaviour – London, United Kingdom
Luisa Bravo, Founder and Director, City Space Architecture – Bologna, Italy
Jason Bruges, Founder & Artist, Jason Bruges Studio – London, United Kingdom
Christos Carras, Executive Director, Onassis Stegi – Athens, Greece
Andrea Dempster Chung, Co-Founder & Executive Director – Kingston, Jamaica
Luigi Di Corato, Director of Culture, City of Lugano – Lugano, Switzerland
Julie Corver, Co-fondatrice, ARTPOINT – Paris, France
Sarah Dance, Chair, Creative Estuary – Kent, United Kingdom
Ore Disu, Director, The Pavilion, Edo Museum of West African Art – Benin City, Nigeria
Rosie Dow, Director, Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance; Programme Manager (Arts and Health), Nesta – Bristol, United Kingdom
Adrian Ellis, Chair, GCDN; Director, AEA Consulting – Doglio, Italy
Sherif El-Itriby, Principal, AEA Consulting – London, United Kingdom
Michele Foletti, Mayor, City of Lugano – Lugano, Switzerland
Stephanie Fortunato, Director, Special Projects, GCDN – Providence, United States
Michel Gagnon, Director General, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura – Lugano, Switzerland
Sumantro Ghose, Artistic Programming Director, The Royal Commission for AlUla – AlUla , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
David Gogishvili, Senior Researcher, Institute of geography and sustainability – University of Lausanne – Lausanne, Switzerland
Josée Guérette, Market Development & Touring – Interactive Installations, Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles – Montreal, Canada
Linda C. Harrison, Director & CEO, Newark Museum of Art – Newark, USA
Phillip Ihenacho, Chairman, Legacy Restoration Trust – Lagos, Nigeria
Tim Jones, Manager, Culture Mile – London, UK
Bettina Leidl, Managing Director, MuseumsQuartier Wien – Vienna, Austria
Gregorio Lucena Scarpella, Director, GCDN – La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Ramon Marrades, Director, Placemaking Europe – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Anne-Marie Melster, Co-Founder & Executive Director, ARTPORT_ – Stockholm, Sweden
Kate Meyrick, Director, Urbis – Brisbane, Australia
Rachel Moore, President & CEO, The Music Center – Los Angeles, United States
Martin Müller, Professor, University of Lausanne – Lausanne, Switzerland
Regina Myer, President, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership – New York City, United States
Patrizia Nalbach, Artist – Museum’s Cultural Mediator – Music Therapist, LAC – Lugano, Switzerland
Daniel Payne, Managing Principal, AEA Consulting – New York, USA
Anna Pfeiffer, Conception and Content / Project Management, iart – Basel, Switzerland
Nathalie Pichard, Executive Director, ArtTech Foundation – Lausanne, Switzerland
Codin Popescu, Co-founder & CEO, Artivive – Vienna, Austria
Pier Luigi Sacco, Professore Ordinario, Università degli Studi ‘Gabriele d’Annunzio’ di Chieti – Chieti, Italy
Andy Shulz, Vice President for the Arts, University of Arizona – Tucson, United States
Rozina Spinnoy, Founder, BIDs Belgium – Brussels, Belgium
Paul Toyne, Sustainability Leader / Principal, Grimshaw – London, UK
Michael Woodsmall, Strategic Development Director, WHY – Los Angeles, USA
Kulapat Yantrasast, Founder and Creative Director, WHY – Los Angeles, USA
Rarița Zbranca, Programme Director and Co-Founder, Cluj Cultural Centre – Cluj, Romania
Venues and map
Pictures & summary
Click on the button below to access pictures and a summary report.
Recordings
GCDN members and convening attendees have access to the recordings of all the sessions held in Lugano. Click on the button below to access the recordings.
Access to the recordings is limited to registered GCDN members and convening attendees. If you believe you should have access to the recordings, you may request registration here: https://gcdn.net/convenings/attendee-registration/
Programme
To avoid printing, the programme of the GCDN 2022 convening is hosted on the platform Sched. Click on the button below to access the full programme.
We encourage registered attendees to create a profile on Sched to access the full programme, sign up for break out sessions, and interact with other participants before, during and after the event.
The convening programme is also available on the Sched app for iPhone and Android. Use the buttons below to download the app for your smartphone.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any question about the schedule or if you encounter any issue navigating Sched on your browser or phone.
You may also watch these tutorial videos to familiarize yourself with Sched’s features:
Partners
Co-host
Event Sponsor
With special thanks to
Claus and Bente Christiansen
Hotels
GCDN recommends the following hotels, all at walking distance to LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura.
: Hotel Splendide Royal Lugano (7min walk from LAC)
: : Lugano Dante (9min walk from LAC)
: : Hotel de la Paix (12min walk from LAC)
: Hotel International au LAC (3min walk from LAC)
: : Hotel Colorado (5min walk from LAC)
: : Hotel Zurigo Downtown (13min walk from LAC)
: Hotel Pestalozzi Lugano (13min walk from LAC)
: Please note that all hotels listed here offer free cancellation up to 48h prior to the check-in date.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding accommodation.
Travel
Recommended travel dates: to enjoy the experience of the convening to the fullest, GCDN recommends planning to arrive in Lugano by mid-afternoon on 29 May and leave in the evening of 1 June.
Extended stay: The convening is preceded by LAC’s Dance Project festival (25-29 May) – all the more reason to extend your stay and enjoy the Lugano dolce vita for a while longer.
“Scenic route” itinerary (air travel): land at Zurich Kloten airport and then take the train to Lugano (multiple connections available). Find your best option and buy tickets online here. Costs vary and promotions such as saver day-passes are available.
Duration: 2h15.
Alternative itinerary (air travel): land at Milan Malpensa airport and then take the direct S50 train line from Malpensa T1 or T2 to Lugano. Train tickets can be purchased online here. Single course tickets cost €21 for 2nd class and €27 for 1st.
Duration: 1h35.
Covid-19: please refer to this Swiss government website for current information on the situation in Switzerland and any entry requirements/restrictions.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice on travel plans.