World cities from 25 countries, including Deputy Mayors and senior officials from London, New York, Paris and Moscow, gathered for the World Cities Tianfu Symposium in Chengdu, China to discuss opportunities and link together the influence of culture in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government which focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily China, the land-based Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the ocean-going Maritime Silk Road (MSR). Deb Johnson, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator was one of 35 delegates invited to the symposium representing creative thought leadership in New York City.
BF+DA Executive Director Deb Johnson at the World Cities Tianfu Symposium in Chengdu, China
The city leaders joined leading figures from the Chengdu creative industries and cultural sector to witness the launch of a new report on the potential of world cities such as Chengdu to develop cultural and creative economies and enhance global trade. The report, produced by leading London cultural and creative industry consultancy BOP, assesses the potential of world cities to use culture as a means of facilitating trade and investment and describes Chengdu as a ‘pioneering world city’ in its policy and vision for investment in culture.
“I think what we saw at the symposium is that arts and design both offer interesting ways for people from different cultures to connect,” says Johnson.
“There’s something about the aesthetic language inherent in art that takes conversation out of challenging issues like politics and makes us think of society as whole…it’s a different language that bypasses communication with words to really communicating through an aesthetic experience,” Johnson adds.
