Way forward: Creative Export and Exchange? What have we learned from the pandemic?
With the borders reopening, the world will intertwine once again. These past few years have challenged many things, including physical mobility, how we relate to each other and the urgent call for equitable and just relations, the ever-evolving concept of sustainability, the introduction or resurfacing of Indigenous wisdom, how cultures are understood or relearned, and how borders of nations and people are being redrawn and redefined. Have we adopted a transformational framework, or are we still in a transactional mindset? Are we truly decolonized, or are we still living in the colonial shell when allocating resources for the creative sector?
For nations with diverse cultures, these questions become much more complex. While Canada, Taiwan, Australia and the US perhaps share the same progressive values, the practical realities could differ like night and day. This forum brings together four leaders in the creative sector representing different corners of the Pacific: from Taiwan, the former Chair of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture in Taiwan, Ting Hsiao-ching; from Canada, the CEO of Creative BC, Prem Gill; from Australia, International Development Consultant for the Australia Arts Council, Norman Armour; from Canada, Chair of the Board of CAPACOA and director of Vancouver Civic Theatre, Natalie Lue. The four will share their perspectives and experiences in non-profit arts and creative industries, particularly on their work in the sector as it relates to lessons learned during COVID and cultivating soft power through the diversity of the countries and communities they represent. To help facilitate the discussion is Mr. Jeff Nankivell, President and CEO of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
For those connected to the sector—both individual creative organizations and those connected to governments with the knowledge and resources to support them—this forum aims to reveal opportunities and challenges presented in a world we increasingly share.
