Edinburgh hosts global culture summit

Edinburgh has cemented its reputation as a city of cultural progress by playing host to experts, commentators, politicians and ministerial delegations from as far afield as Zambia, Brazil, Latvia and Korea.

Attracting 74 delegates from 25 delegations, and 60 programme participants, 300 tickets were given away to members of the public to follow the debate from the public gallery.

The 2nd Edinburgh International Culture Summit, which took place from 10-12 August at the Scottish Parliament, is an ongoing collaboration between EIF, the British Council, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and UK Government; all five are equal organisers and funders of the event.

Programme partners for the 2014 summit included Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI), launched in 2000 by His Highness the Aga Khan; Asialink at University of Melbourne; and United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Committee on Culture – Agenda 21.

Exploring the idea of ‘Culture – a Currency of Trust’, the 2014 summit programme reflected a belief in the capacity of cultural activity to foster mutual understanding between nations and among citizens.

Said Jonathan Mills, director of Edinburgh International Festival and programme director of Edinburgh International Culture Summit: ‘Culture and the arts have an inestimable impact on the vibrancy of the world we create and on the strength of the relations we create with each other. The Edinburgh International Culture Summit exists to make the argument for culture and the arts as an essential enlargement of the circumstances in which we imagine our lives.’

A range of videos, podcasts and resources related to the summit are available to download on the website.

Read the full story in issue 15 of International Arts Manager.