The Three Bells

Summary: 

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Ramon Marrades, urban economist, and Director of Placemaking Europe. The two dive right into deep discussion on the human condition and our definition of progress. Ramon shares insightful thoughts on what works when connecting people to their environment, emphasizing the importance of authenticity. They later explore creative bureaucracy, how to create a strong public policy, if strategies should shift post-covid, and much more. Ramon also speaks about Placemaking Week, Placemaking Europe’s flagship conference and festival taking place in Pontevedra, Spain, 27-30 September 2022, and what he hopes will come out of the event. 

Wrapping up the episode, Criena shares with listeners a new segment titled “Things That Keep Me up at Night” where she discusses visitor and audience trends, and how they have shifted since the pandemic. She openly wonders if humanity has had enough time to deal with the literal and emotional impacts of Covid – and addresses the unrealistic pressure to quickly recover.

References:

• Placemaking Europe– a network for placemaking in Europe, connecting practitioners, academics, community leaders, market actors and policy makers throughout Europe in the field of placemaking, public space, social life, human scale and the city at eye level.
• Placemaking Week – Europe's founding and largest placemaking festival. In the spirit of collaboration and inspiration, over 400 practitioners meet every year to share knowledge, learn and network. 
• Our City? Countering Exclusion in Public Space– Book about strategies, projects, and proposed solution, co-authored by Ramon Marrades.
• Creative Bureaucracy Festival – a festival celebrating outstanding examples of innovative public administrations.
• Sustainable Development Goals – The UN’s call for action by all countries in a global partnership.
• 121db – The band that Ramon plays bass in.

Bio:

Ramon Marrades is an urban economist, writer, and activist with a passion for people and places. He is currently Director of Placemaking Europe and Strategy Advisor to the Creative Bureaucracy Festival. Before, he has served as the Chief Strategy and Finance Officer at La Marina de València, Valencia’s waterfront redevelopment agency, and a board member of the Worldwide Network of Port Cities (AIVP). Ramon is a co-editor of the book “Our City? Countering Exclusion in Public Space” (2019) and the host and co-curator of Placemaking Week Europe 2019 and the upcoming 2022 edition. His work focuses on the interface between public space and economic development. He has been a researcher at the University of Valencia (Spain), Western Sydney University (Australia), and FLACSO (Ecuador). He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Valencia and an MSc in Economics and Geography from Utrecht University. He received the Spanish Social Entrepreneur Award in 2012 and co-authored four books and published more than a hundred columns on urban issues in some of the main Spanish newspapers. In 2012, Ramon also co-founded Urbego, an international network of urban professionals dedicated to improving cities through active participation, co-creation, and knowledge sharing; personally leading projects in Australia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia.

Summary:

In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Jesper Koefoed-Melson, Founding Director of Kulturdistriktet, about activating unique spaces in Copenhagen with cultural events and festivals, fostering a vibrant community and enriching the city’s cultural landscape. 

Jesper discusses Kulturdistriktet unique framework, placing emphasis on the importance of trusting the artists and creating an open platform to all participants, as opposed more traditional approaches to developing cultural events. He also talks about the birth of Kulturdistriktet, and how he capitalized on the abundant down-time resulting from the pandemic to research different models for cultural districts. Adrian and Jesper also touch on the political support Kulturdistriktet has received from the city of Copenhagen, its relationship with tourism, how the organization aims to address the climate crisis, and its future goals with incorporating technology into its events. 

References:

Kulturdistriktet is an association of visionary urban developers, artists, cultural institutions, and companies that have joined forces in creating an engaging framework for culture, cooperation, and innovation throughout the  Østerbro and Nordhavn neighborhoods in Copenhagen, Denmark.

GivRum facilitates user-driven urban development with local communities as point of departure.

Vida Local is a team of advisers and project managers who work for the creation of strong communities, attractive areas, and innovative partnerships. 

The Tunnel Factory is a Copenhagen-based cultural hot spot with an international outlook. It originated as the birthplace of the tunnel elements connecting Copenhagen and Malmø

Åben Festival is a collaboration between audience, artists, cultural creators, institutions, and companies.

GCDN’s Publications – which Jesper cites as primary inspiration for building the framework of Kulturdistriktet

The Haves and the Have-Yachts, referenced by Adrian Ellis, is a New Yorker article written by Evan Osnos and published on July 18, 2022. 

Bio:

Jesper is the Founding Director of Kulturdistriktet, an association of visionary urban developers, artists, cultural institutions and companies that have joined forces in creating an engaging framework for culture, cooperation and innovation throughout Østerbro and Nordhavn in Copenhagen. Jesper is also a partner in the urban development organization GivRum and has years of experience in developing innovative cities and organizations based on human resources. With the help of broad commitment and ownership, he has set the course for locally rooted solutions that have contributed to lifting policies and implementing strategies within, for example, settlement, citizen involvement and business and cultural development. Jesper establishes sustainable organizations that continue the solutions he has helped to launch. He has a master's degree in pedagogy and performance design from RUC and has since supplemented his master's degree with a diploma in art and cultural management from the Center for Performing Arts Development. Alongside his studies, Jesper started his first company, but since 2010 it has been about GivRum.

Episode Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Rosie Dow, Manager of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health at UCL. They talk about Rosie’s new role at UCL, her previous work leading “HARP”, the benefits of singing, as well as the essential role of networks in the field of arts and health.

External References:

• The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health is based at University College London. 
• Health Arts Research People (HARP) – a program that allowed arts interventions to play a more prominent role in the health and wellbeing of people in Wales.
• The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a national membership organisation representing everyone who believes that creativity and cultural engagement can transform our health and wellbeing.
• New Pathways is the largest sexual violence support provider in Wales, with 30 years’ experience of delivering specialist therapeutic support to adults and children affected by the trauma of rape, sexual assault or sexual abuse.
• Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales. The theatre has been running the ar y dibyn series of creative workshops since 2019.

Guest Bio:
Rosie Dow is the Manager of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health at UCL. Previously, Rosie ran ‘HARP’, a large Arts and Health innovation and research programme with a focus on how the arts can play a more prominent role in the health and wellbeing of people in Wales. Rosie has been working in the field of arts and health for over ten years. +

Summary: 

In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director, about The Bentway’s artful and playful approach to activating public spaces – as illustrated by their 2021 Playing in Public season and accompanying Play Provocations resource that encourages cities to become more play-friendly. They discuss the evolution of The Bentway as a platform for connected urban life, and the importance of programming public spaces to be not only responsive to the needs of communities, but to also encourage creative practice. Ilana also shares the plans for The Bentway's STREET season, which promises a summer of public art to help their audience see the streets of Toronto anew.

After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how dynamic public spaces allow users to respond to the sites in a plethora of imaginative ways. They highlight the importance of this open approach to public spaces for progressive and inclusive urban planning.

References:

• The Bentway is a public space under The Gardiner Expressway, which The Bentway Conservancy operates, maintains, and programmes as a platform for creative practice, public art, and connected urban life.
• The Artful City, a platform to explore, debate and contemplate public art in Toronto.
• Play Provocations, a resource published by The Bentway together with Daily Tous Les Jours, a Montreal-based art and design studio. The resource synthesises the major insights they gleaned from The Bentway’s Summer 2021 Season, Playing in Public. It expands the definition of play, explores why play is important for both children and adults, and how we can make our cities more play-friendly. A downloadable copy of their resource can be accessed here.
• Playing in Public, The Bentway’s Summer 2021 Season, is a neighbourhood-based exhibition consisting of 16 artist projects that explored different facets of play. The projects ranged from installations, to connective and roaming projects, and pop-up events. Importantly, the installations were not just situated at The Bentway but also at other properties within the vicinity, encouraging audiences to explore and navigate the neighbourhood.
• Walk Walk Dance, a work by Daily Tous Les Jours, was installed at The Bentway in 2020. The project is highly touch-based, consisting of music-making lines that allow audiences to “play” music when stepped, jumped or danced on.
• The Under-Gardiner Public Realm Plan has recently been unveiled by The Bentway in partnership with The City of Toronto.
• STREET is The Bentway's Summer 2022 Season, which promises a summer of public art to help their audience see the streets of Toronto anew.

Guest bio:

Ilana Altman is Co-Executive Director of The Bentway. She is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. Prior to joining The Bentway, she has worked with notable design firms and led the curation and design of exhibitions and installations at the SFMOMA, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 2014, Ilana founded the Artful City, a Toronto collective that aims to advance public art research, policies, and imaginations. 

Summary:

In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Linda C. Harrison, Director & CEO, about her bold leadership agenda to transform the Newark Museum of Art into a relational organisation that not merely sits in, but belongs to its community. They discuss the evolution in the Museum’s organisational culture instigated by Linda, both internally and externally – from a significant name change, to an ambitious real estate development plan that aims to diversify income as well as to support downtown Newark’s emergence as a vibrant creative hub. 

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on the benefits of hiring cultural leaders from outside the sector, and the need to build an organisational culture that actively embraces cultural change.

External references:

• The Museum of the African Diaspora is a contemporary art museum in San Francisco that celebrates Black cultures, showcases the rich stories and cultures of Africans who have migrated throughout the world.
• The City of Newark is New Jersey’s largest city and its industrial centre.
• The Newark Museum of Art is New Jersey’s largest museum that holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world.
• John Cotton Dana is the founding director of the Newark Museum of Art. Together with a group of public officials, prominent businessmen and local collectors, he established the Museum in 1909 at the Newark Public Library.
• Museum Parc is Newark Museum of Art’s real estate development strategy. It consists of two apartment buildings – a six story structure with 90 units and an art gallery on the first floor, and a 12-story high-rise with 2,400 square-feet of retail space on the ground. 50 of the residential units will be set aside as affordable housing.
• Peter Drucker is an influential Austrian-American author, mentor and consultant, and is also known as the founder of modern management.
• New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is one of the anchor cultural institutions for the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey
• Talent Justice Initiative is an initiative by Fund the People, that helps funders and nonprofits invest to advance intersectional racial equity in the nonprofit workforce 

Guest bio:

Linda C. Harrison is the Director & CEO of the Newark Museum of Art – a large, complex, urban museum campus. Strengthened by her experience outside the cultural sector, Linda plays a strategic and unifying role for the organisation and the city of Newark. Linda’s corporate experience includes consulting, strategic planning, and technology applications for large corporations (IBM, Apple), Universities (Columbia, Stanford), and entrepreneurial companies (Wired magazine, Business for Social Responsibility). She lectures at seminars and workshops across the country to organisations developing new strategies to advance their business. She was previously Director and CEO of the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. 

Summary:

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Lisa Havilah, Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum in Australia. They unpack the visionary approach she has crafted over her career of shaping cultural institutions and precincts into culturally and commercially vibrant hubs. They discuss the imperative need to maintain your community engaged, to operate and program inclusively, as well as the significance of keeping an open-door policy, particularly towards emerging artists and cultural leaders. 

After, Criena is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on the importance of bold but honest cultural leadership, alongside the need for cultural institutions to align practice with ethos for a coherent brand identity. 

References:

• Powerhouse Museum is one of Australia's oldest and most important cultural institutions. 
• Project Contemporary Artspace in Wollongong was founded by Lisa Havilah, Glen Barkley and Nathan Clarke.
• Casula Powerhouse Art Center, a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Western Sydney
• Campbelltown Arts Centre, an arts centre also based in Western Sydney
• Carriageworks, the largest multi-arts centre in Australia
• Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, Australia’s only international fashion event that takes place throughout the Carriageworks precinct
• Sydney Contemporary, visual art fair presented by and staged at Carriageworks
• Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest investment in cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House, and the first major cultural institution to be established in Western Sydney.
• Renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo, where it will be embedded into a new creative industries precinct
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Guest bio:

Lisa Havilah is the Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum. Through her visionary leadership, she is establishing a new museum paradigm for one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions. From 2012 to 2019, Lisa was the Director of Carriageworks. Under her leadership, Carriageworks experienced extraordinary audience, artistic and commercial growth, becoming the fastest growing cultural precinct in Australia. She was recently named one of Sydney’s most influential people in the Daily Telegraphs’ Power 100 list.

Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal in Dubai. They discuss how Alserkal’s commitment to facilitating open dialogue, mapping geographies of practice, and building a repository of knowledge for future generations have catalysed the development of a cultural ecosystem that goes beyond physical infrastructure. They also chat about the vital role cultural institutions play in social transformation and fostering a sense of place and belonging. 

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how cultural institutions are the heart of a city’s software for creativity, innovation, and renewal – as illustrated by Alserkal.

References: 

• Alserkal is a socially responsible and forward-thinking arts and culture enterprise based in Dubai.
• Alserkal Avenue, administered by Alserkal, is home to over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, home-grown and entrepreneur-led business and community spaces.
• Alserkal Arts Foundation was formalised in 2019. It is informed by the three pillars of artistic production, scholarship and research.
• Alserkal Residency allows practitioners across different disciplines to reconnect with their practice. It also supports alternative research, scholarship, and practice that produces new forms of knowledge.
• Common Room is a centre for cultural practitioners and academic researchers.
• Alserkal Advisory was formalised in 2021 and seeks to help develop cultural production and establish spaces for the region.
• Henri Lefebvre was a French philosopher and sociologist, best known for introducing the concepts of the right to the city and the production of social space

Bio:
Vilma Jurkute is the Executive Director of Alserkal, overseeing Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Arts Foundation, and Alserkal Advisory. Her professional and academic experience is centered on placemaking and the development of sustainable, community-centric creative economies with both global and regional impact.

Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Lily Cabatu Weiss, Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. They talk about the importance of collaboration amongst cultural leaders and institutions, especially in times of crisis. Lily shares how an ongoing dialogue between Dallas arts and cultural leaders enabled unprecedented resource-sharing, knowledge transfer, synergy, and increased support from all stakeholders – culminating with the We Are Dallas Arts initiative. After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. Despite the challenges involved in sustaining collective action and vision, they acknowledge its power to produce impactful change. 

References:  

• Lily Weiss was at the Brooker T Washington High School for 36 years, first as a teacher and then as Artistic Director. 
• The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres. It aims to transform the Dallas Arts District into a dynamic destination for locals and tourists alike while creating a fulfilling urban experience.
• Ordinance No. 17710, passed by the Dallas City Council on February 16, 1983 – setting the legal bases for the Dallas Arts District
• The Dallas Museum of Art was the first institution to move into the district.
• The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was the second institution to move in.
• Trammell Crow Center is an iconic office tower located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.
• The Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a professional dance company that aims to bridge cultures, reach diverse communities and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.
• The Klyde Warren Park serves as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a natural history and science museum in Dallas.
• Moody Performance Hall, is a City-managed, publicly-funded theater in the Dallas Arts District.
• Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark that holds large collections of 1930s art and Art Deco architecture.
• The Bishop Art Theatre Centre is an award-winning, multicultural, multidisciplinary arts institution in Dallas.
• The Sammons Center for the Art, which supports and represents the smaller organisations during the “expanded CEOs” meetings, is a kind of “greenhouse” for small performing arts groups. 
• Surveys jointly organised and done by the Dallas Ars District, TACA - The Arts Community Alliance and Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition (DACAC), found that pandemic-related arts losses reached $95.5 million.
• TACA - The Arts Community Alliance, is a nonprofit institution that supports the arts in Dallas County and North Texas through grant-making, capacity-building, and thought leadership
• The Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition is a grassroots organization of members representing Dallas-area arts and cultural organizations
• The We Are Dallas Arts Initiative is a collaboration between 29 Dallas Groups to urge audiences and patrons to return and again enjoy live, in-person cultural experiences
• The Dallas Arts District Connect Master Plan guides the design and construction of new and replacement features in the Dallas Arts District. It lays out a vision for the future of the Arts District and its build environment.
• The 360 Plan is a strategic document that sets a clear, cohesive vision for Downtown Dallas and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Bio: 

Lily Cabatu Weiss is the Executive Director for the Dallas Arts District and served as the Artistic Director for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts and Chair of the Dance Department that is now a national model. She is known for her tireless work over the past four decades to further the arts and education in the community. Her goals to create access and connectivity in the Dallas Arts District are demonstrated by her collaborative work on the CONNECT Master Plan, producing the Signature Block Party Series – a free, family-friendly event attracting over 50,000 visitors along with smaller activations throughout the year, and providing education outreach to 1,500+ students annually. Dallas Arts District was recently named third in USA Today’s 10 Best Arts Districts in the nation. 

Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Kingsley Jayasekera, former Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, at the West Kowloon Cultural District. They reflect on his near decade-long experience in Hong Kong and discuss the importance of cultivating arts audiences through creating holistic customer experiences – and using social media for outreach and engagement. 

After, Adrian is joined by Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They highlight the challenges of audience development, including the ethical issues of data collection and privacy.

References:

• West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), an integrated arts and cultural quarter in Hong Kong that was first proposed in 1996 – one of the largest cultural projects in the world.
• Sadler’s Wells, a globally-renowned dance organisation and performing arts venue based in London, England.
• Xiqu Centre, a performance venue dedicated to Chinese opera in WKCD – opened in 2019.
• Art Park, a green space in WKCD that welcomes visitors to relax and play.
• M+ Museum, a new museum in WKCD exhibiting twentieth and twenty-first century visual culture encompassing visual art, design and architecture, and moving image – opened in 2021.
• Digital wayfinding at West Kowloon Cultural District: a case study on how digital wayfinding and digital maps are used to elevate visitor experiences at WKCD.
• Hong Kong Palace Museum, a planned museum exhibiting artefacts from Beijing’s Palace Museum in WKCD – expected to open in July 2022.
• High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Bio:  

Kingsley Jayasekera is a communications and marketing professional with extensive experience in both the commercial and subsidised culture and entertainment sectors. Until late 2021, he worked as Director, Marketing & Customer Experience at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. He is a regular international speaker on branding and marketing for the arts. He has also served on the board of Audiences London (now the Audience Agency UK), Dance East UK, East London Dance and the Gate Theatre, London and the Advisory Panel for the Ticketing Technology Forum.

Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Veronica Smith, author of When Communities Disappear. They discuss the interdependent relationship between economic and community development, and emphasize the imperative need to build and sustain healthy communities by being authentic and enabling access to resources. 

After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. Through reflecting on Stephanie’s experiences with community development, they concur with the need to build diverse coalitions to foster local ownership and policy decisions that are informed by the plurality of place histories.

References: 

1. NAACP, a U.S.-based grassroots activism organization for civil rights and social justice
2. When Communities Disappear: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalization Ideologies and Policies in the United States – a book by Veronica Smith
3. Matter of Truth, City of Providence’s report on present and historical racism and discrimination in Rhode Island

Bio: 

Veronica Smith is a businesswoman, economic philosopher, and self-proclaimed Master of Community. As the CEO and Founder of Impact Community Partners, Veronica delivers strategic advisory, community, and economic development services to public and private sector clients. She is an engaged leader in her community who has been mentoring women and girls in the Sacramento region for a decade, given her strong belief that when women are economically and politically empowered, they can transform their own communities.