YCI network expands to more than 200 creative change-makers across the world
More than 50 of the brightest creative minds catalyzing urban and social transformation in their communities will convene at Salzburg Global this weekend.
Young artists and cultural leaders representing more than 30 cities and regions will take part in the fourth session of the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators (YCI).
The six-day program, which begins on Saturday, will take place at Schloss Leopoldskron, in Salzburg, Austria.
Participants will develop their vision, entrepreneurial skills, and global networks which will allow them, their organizations, and their causes to thrive in new ways.
They will do this through a series of capacity building sessions focusing on storytelling, entrepreneurial thinking, human-centered design, and comparative styles of leadership.
YCI alumni will return as facilitators and resource specialists to assist this year’s participants, providing continuity and exchange of best practice.
The Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators is a 10-year project which aims to build collaborative networks for human capital and leadership development within the cultural sector.
Most participants come from YCI hubs that Salzburg Global has developed with partners in cities all around the world. These hubs form the core of the YCI multi-year program.
YCI hubs convene mini-sessions, workshops and public events and act as a local resource for emerging innovators.
In previous years, the disciplines represented by participants at these sessions have ranged from the visual and performing arts, literature, and cultural heritage, to foods, fashion, architecture, and design.
This year’s participants are arriving from Adelaide, Athens, Baltimore, Bangalore, Buenos Aires, Bristol, Cairo, Canmore, Chicago, Copenhagen, Detroit, Hanoi, Cape Town, London, Manila, Memphis, Montreal, Nairobi, New Orleans, New York, New Delhi, Ontario, Siem Riep, Salzburg, Seoul, Skidegate, Tirana, Tokyo, Toronto, Valetta, and Vientiane.
Salzburg Global Program Director Susanna Seidl-Fox said, “With the fourth Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators coming up soon, membership in our YCI network will grow to more than 200 creative change-makers across all continents. We are particularly excited to be welcoming new Forum partners from Canada, Malta, and Kenya this year.
“The YCI Forum connects and supports cultural leaders working at the intersection of the arts, civic innovation, and social transformation. Our world needs the creativity, energy, vision, and passion that these young leaders bring to their communities now more than ever. And they, in turn, can benefit greatly from the ongoing support, encouragement, and network that the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators provides.”
The Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators IV is part of a ten-year multi-year series. This year's program is supported by the Albanian-American Development Foundation, American Express, Arts Council Malta, Cambodian Living Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, Edward T. Cone Foundation, Fulbright Greece, Japan Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Adena and David Testa, and the U.S. Embassy Valetta, Malta. More information on the session can be found here. More information on the series can be found here. You can follow all the discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtag #SGSyci.