We were delighted to partner with OECD on a new conference on Culture and Creativity for Local Development, which took place on the 6-7 December in Venice, Italy. 

This Conference was the first major OECD event examining links between culture and local growth, following the creation of a dedicated Culture and Local Development team.

The aims of the conference:

  • to develop recommendations for economic and social policies that leverage culture and cultural heritage to enhance economic growth, job creation and social inclusion
  • to highlight 'what works' in policy governance arrangements and funding models

In partnership with OECD we developed a range of content for the conference, and hosted the following speakers:

Stephen Stenning, Head Arts & Society, British Council chaired the plenary session 1: Understanding the transformative power of culture and creativity for local development.

Ojoma Ochai, Director Arts Nigeria, British Council spoke on the panel for the parallel thematic session B1: Creating creative jobs.

Rocca Holly-Nambi, Head of Arts Kenya and East Africa, British Council presented Book Bunk (Kenyan partner for Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth) followed by a Q&A for the thematic session A2. Museums and local governments: Partnering for education, well-being and inclusion.

Other key partners for this conference include Fondazione di Venezia, Citta de Venezia, UNESCO and the European Commission.

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