10th World Summit on Arts and Culture Report
- hub asean
- Jul 22
- 5 min read
The World Summit on Arts and Culture is the flagship event of the International Federation of Arts 1 Discussion Paper with 10 authors 2 Participatory Workshops Federation provides a platform for global thought Councils and Culture Agencies, which is generally convened every three years in different parts of the world, co-hosted with a National Member of the Federation.
It is a highly participatory platform that fosters exchange between stakeholders within the global cultural policy field, including representatives of government, cultural and non-cultural sectors, and civil society. Through the World Summit, the leadership and explores key issues, in a spirit of openness, pluralism and curiosity.
The 10th World Summit co-hosted with Arts Council Korea brought together more than 400 people from over 90 countries, including leading policymakers, researchers, managers and practitioners from the arts, culture, and related sectors.
1. Culture is an essential dimension of any liveable society
Culture is a distinct dimension of social life that is essential to any liveable society and its value is social. In practice, it is difficult to separate this social value from the creative and cultural sectors on which so many cultural and artistic expressions rely. The social and economic dimensions of culture are deeply intertwined and embedded across a range of issues; and decisions about policy, legislation and investment must deal with this complexity – and consider the potential side effects of different approaches – as they engage across domains to position culture alongside other priorities.
2. Culture is not monolithic; its definitions are multiple
Culture is not monolithic; its definitions are multiple; and the concepts we use have powerful potential to shape perceptions held by wider communities (and policymakers). No body owns definitions of culture, and we need to ensure that any definition allows for community ownership, evolution and plurality (cultures, histories, ways of life). While new concepts may be useful to help us articulate the value(s) of culture, we should consider the uses and connotations they carry for people outside of our immediate sphere, as they may influence how our ideas and arguments are received.
3. Cultural rights are inextricable from civil, political, economic and social rights
Cultural rights matter on their own, not because of their transformational impact. They assure that culture is an everyday practice and that all people can participate freely in cultural life. As human rights in the field of culture, they are inextricably linked to civil, political, economic and social rights and there is a mistaken perception that most countries already enshrine cultural rights in their legislation. In our strategies for the future, we should prioritise a cultural rights approach, recognising that culture is for citizens as an everyday practice. Secondarily, we should connect culture and cultural rights to important existing debates such as those on development, security, migration, and the priorities of Indigenous Peoples and minorities, so that our futures reflect our values and how people want to see themselves and ensure the greatest possible participation.
4. We have agency to shape the future of technology and its role in our lives
Technological development does not happen on its own. It is the result of the choices we make and is deeply connected to cultural, social, environmental and political realities. AI is a double-edged sword that brings innovation and risk, including massive environmental impact; and it reproduces existing threats to diversity of cultural expressions. However, we have agency to shift our thinking to decide what we want its role to be in our world, lives, and societies. We must develop AI education and training for the CCS that goes beyond use of tools to consider the full spectrum of AI technologies, which have distinct ethical and governance considerations; resist the trap of convenience to actively consider ethics and take responsibility for our actions; and stake a place for culture and critical thinking to shift from observing technology to actively shaping it.
5. Indigenous knowledge and languages anchor shared cultural consciousness
Indigenous knowledge and languages are the soul of identities, the keepers of ancestral wisdom and the anchors of shared cultural consciousness, not simply means of communication. This makes the loss of knowledge and language equivalent to the loss of identity. There is a need for greater investment, legislation and whole-of-government approaches to implement – and sustain – international commitments to recognise and safeguard living cultures. Traditional knowledge should be included as a fundamental dimension of culture in the post-2030 agenda and future policies should align with existing international agreements, including the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
6. Social and economic conditions related to the CCS must be addressed with urgency
There is an urgent need to improve the social and economic conditions of artists and cultural workers. International legal instruments can provide valuable frameworks and tools with which artists and cultural workers can protect their rights, receive fair and communities. In practice, however, the ways in which these laws are framed and implemented are often limited and differ starkly between different national and regional realities. We need to better understand the CCS workforce, and the nature and extent of its problems, to make the case for government investment and protections. However, the ways in which we define the workforce and collect the data we need is not straightforward, particularly in countries where trust in government is not high. The potential for universal basic income, or a creative basic income, remains an open debate: while there is evident appeal, we need to think further about how it might work in practice.
7. International collaboration is imperative International collaboration across the entire cultural and creative ecology remains imperative.
Artists, communities, civil society, related and private sector actors, academia, governments and international organisations must cooperate, listen and learn from one another; articulate the ongoing role and values of culture; and position it as a transversal priority in national and global governance agendas to secure the future of arts and culture.
The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) is the global network of arts councils and ministries of culture, comprising 91 member institutions in over 70 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Gulf region, and the Pacific. IFACCA is committed to international dialogue and exchange, undertaken in a spirit of solidarity, inclusion, reciprocity, and mutual learning. Its Secretariat provides services to member institutions and their staff, and is an independent not-for-profit company registered as an income tax exempt charity. The company name is International Arts Federation Services Pty Ltd, Australian Business Number (ABN) 19 096 797 330. ifacca.org
Arts Council Korea (ARKO) is a national organisation for the arts and culture established in 1973. ARKO shifted into a consensus decision-making structure consisting of Board members in 2005. ARKO aims to stand as a strong groundwork to support diverse disciplines. ARKO’s main scope of activities comprises of contributing to various funding opportunities for artists and arts institutions; advocating for the arts in society; and fostering arts professionals. ARKO strives to ensure everyone’s access to arts and culture through cultural vouchers and community projects. ARKO continues to expand partnerships worldwide with individuals, private and public sectors. ARKO currently runs outstanding arts platforms in Korea and abroad such as ARKO•Daehakro Arts Theater, ARKO Art Center, ARKO Arts Archive, ARKO HRD Center, and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.