GCDN Annual Convening – Athens 2024

Larger cultural institutions have a definitional role within cultural districts. They can use their central position, influence, and resources to promote inclusivity, facilitate community engagement, education, and the exchange of ideas. However, fulfilling this outward-facing mandate requires explicit strategies that may seem onerous to organizations already reimagining their operating and business models, traditional offerings, and understanding of core audiences, which have all been up-ended by tectonic shifts over the last few years. And there may even be resistance from stakeholders who believe their mission and financial capacities don’t extend to a wider social role. How can these institutions position themselves to fulfill their outward-facing responsibilities as anchors of community life and stewards of culture? This session is a collaboration between the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) and the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC); initially the discussion will be presented at the 2024 GCDN convening, and later will travel to AAPPAC's conference in Taipei. In Athens, we delve into the Asia-Pacific perspective, inviting leaders of cultural anchors from that region to explore how these institutions can authentically embrace their community role, forge a collective civic identity that fosters a culture of inclusivity, and truly become shared spaces for all.