It is recognized that arts and cultureplay a key role in shaping innovation, economic growth and social harmony and, critically, that they encourage fresh ways of thinking about the problems the world faces, transforming mindsets and building new paradigms for change.
Still, today’s leadership could not be further away from recognizing and unleashing this potential.
The turbulent times we are facing with rising nationalism, climate change, isolationism and war, have crystallized exactly what auxiliary role the arts (and artists) are deemed to play in the eyes of policy-makers and business leaders. We believe that countries that are willing to invest in the arts can achieve something extraordinary in a very short time and over the long-run. The arts have always been at the cutting-edge of new ideas and paradigms about how we need to shape the future of the world and have the capacity to bring about the ‘courageous transformation’ the world so desperately needs.
Practically speaking, the arts are an enabling tool, a platform for culture and the development of the identity of the country through developing the identity of its individuals, with a knock-on impact to openness and transparency, accountability in governance, education and the development of human potential, sustainable growth, democratic processes, creativity and innovation – all huge drivers for economic and social development.
