Side Event of UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education
at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Panel Discussions: Culture and Arts Education for a Sustainable Future
Time: 14 February 2024 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm, Abu Dhabi Time
Conference Room CS 5 (First Floor), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Institute for Sustainable Development/European Public Law Organization (EPLO), the International Theatre Institute (ITI), and the Culture for Causes Network (C4C) are honoured to announce their collaboration in organizing two pivotal panel discussions during the UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Centred around the critical theme, “Culture and Arts Education for a Sustainable Future”, these panels aim to foster a dynamic and interdisciplinary dialogue, leveraging the diverse expertise of our esteemed speakers. Our goal is to facilitate not only innovative discussions but also the exchange of tangible experiences, with the aspiration of initiating ongoing, actionable measures post-conference to sustain the momentum of the topics addressed.

The first panel will delve into the professional dimensions of the theme, scrutinizing how cultural institutions can integrate sustainability policies across various domains, including legal, networking, operational, and technological aspects. Conversely, the second panel is poised to engage with the public sphere, examining effective strategies to engage both emotional responses and widespread public involvement in intensifying awareness and action towards environmental sustainability. This holistic approach aims to bridge the gap between professional practices and public consciousness, thereby amplifying the impact of arts and culture in championing a sustainable future.

Panel Discussion #1
Sustainable Horizons: Charting a New Course for Cultural Institutions

This panel will focus on the practical side of performing arts education and the benefit that an individual can get when being taught in a discipline of the performing arts. Performing arts education can extend beyond schools and academies, reaching into communities and public spaces, ensuring accessibility for all. In this panel, three distinguished panellists who will share their experiences and approaches in including and engaging the public, particularly minority groups, in performing arts education within their respective communities and regions.

Moderator

Tobias BIANCONE

Switzerland

Director-General ITI
President ITI UNESCO Network
Poet
 

Panelists

Lemi PONIFASIO

Samoa and New Zealand

Stage Director, Choreographer, Visual Artist; Artistic Director of MAU
World Theatre Ambassador of ITI
International Dance Day Message Author

 

Vito MINOIA

Italy

Founder International Network of Theatre in Prison (INTiP)
President International University Theatre Association (AITU-IUTA)
Member of the Italian Centre ITI

 

Lina TAL

Jordan

Director General of the Jordan National Center for Culture and Performing Arts
Executive Council Member ITI

Panel Discussion #2
Mobilizing the Affects and the General Audience to Sustain Sustainability

Moderator

Christina Deligianni

 

Policy and Programs Director, Institute for Sustainable Development at EPLO

Panelists

Spyros Kouvelis

Greece

Director, Institute for Sustainable Development at EPLO
Senior Associate, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Former Minister for Cultural and Economic Affairs

 

Imran Gill

United Arab Emirates

CEO, Polygreen Middle East
 
 
 
 
 

 

Ahmed al Mukhaini

Sultanate of Oman

Expert - Office of the Executive President, Capital Market Authority

 
 
 
 
 

Panelists

Benjamin Benita

France

Head of Special Programs for Culture For Causes Network.
Founder of MuseumWeek
Founder of the digital exhibition 'Reconciliation with the living'
Former UNESCO International Consultant