S2:E3 Beyond physical infrastructure – Vilma Jurkute in conversation with Adrian Ellis

03/17/22 • 46 min

1 Listener

Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal in Dubai. They discuss how Alserkal’s commitment to facilitating open dialogue, mapping geographies of practice, and building a repository of knowledge for future generations have catalysed the development of a cultural ecosystem that goes beyond physical infrastructure. They also chat about the vital role cultural institutions play in social transformation and fostering a sense of place and belonging.

After, Adrian is joined by fellow host Stephanie Fortunato to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on how cultural institutions are the heart of a city’s software for creativity, innovation, and renewal – as illustrated by Alserkal.

References:

Alserkal is a socially responsible and forward-thinking arts and culture enterprise based in Dubai.
Alserkal Avenue, administered by Alserkal, is home to over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, home-grown and entrepreneur-led business and community spaces.
Alserkal Arts Foundation was formalised in 2019. It is informed by the three pillars of artistic production, scholarship and research.
Alserkal Residency allows practitioners across different disciplines to reconnect with their practice. It also supports alternative research, scholarship, and practice that produces new forms of knowledge.
Common Room is a centre for cultural practitioners and academic researchers.
Alserkal Advisory was formalised in 2021 and seeks to help develop cultural production and establish spaces for the region.
Henri Lefebvre was a French philosopher and sociologist, best known for introducing the concepts of the right to the city and the production of social space

Bio:
Vilma Jurkute is the Executive Director of Alserkal, overseeing Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Arts Foundation, and Alserkal Advisory. Her professional and academic experience is centered on placemaking and the development of sustainable, community-centric creative economies with both global and regional impact.

References:

Alserkal is a socially responsible and forward-thinking arts and culture enterprise based in Dubai.
Alserkal Avenue, administered by Alserkal, is home to over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, home-grown and entrepreneur-led business and community spaces.
Alserkal Arts Foundation was formalised in 2019. It is informed by the three pillars of artistic production, scholarship and research.
Alserkal Residency allows practitioners across different disciplines to reconnect with their practice. It also supports alternative research, scholarship, and practice that produces new forms of knowledge.
Common Room is a centre for cultural practitioners and academic researchers.
Alserkal Advisory was formalised in 2021 and seeks to help develop cultural production and establish spaces for the region.
Henri Lefebvre was a French philosopher and sociologist, best known for introducing the concepts of the right to the city and the production of social space

Previous Episode

S2:E2 We Are Dallas Arts – Lily Cabatu Weiss in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Lily Cabatu Weiss, Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. They talk about the importance of collaboration amongst cultural leaders and institutions, especially in times of crisis. Lily shares how an ongoing dialogue between Dallas arts and cultural leaders enabled unprecedented resource-sharing, knowledge transfer, synergy, and increased support from all stakeholders – culminating with the We Are Dallas Arts initiative. After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. Despite the challenges involved in sustaining collective action and vision, they acknowledge its power to produce impactful change.

References:

Lily Weiss was at the Brooker T Washington High School for 36 years, first as a teacher and then as Artistic Director.
The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres. It aims to transform the Dallas Arts District into a dynamic destination for locals and tourists alike while creating a fulfilling urban experience.
Ordinance No. 17710, passed by the Dallas City Council on February 16, 1983 – setting the legal bases for the Dallas Arts District
The Dallas Museum of Art was the first institution to move into the district.
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was the second institution to move in.
Trammell Crow Center is an iconic office tower located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.
The Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a professional dance company that aims to bridge cultures, reach diverse communities and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.
The Klyde Warren Park serves as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a natural history and science museum in Dallas.
Moody Performance Hall, is a City-managed, publicly-funded theater in the Dallas Arts District.
Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark that holds large collections of 1930s art and Art Deco architecture.
The Bishop Art Theatre Centre is an award-winning, multicultural, multidisciplinary arts institution in Dallas.
The Sammons Center for the Art, which supports and represents the smaller organisations during the “expanded CEOs” meetings, is a kind of “greenhouse” for small performing arts groups.
Surveys jointly organised and done by the Dallas Ars District, TACA - The Arts Community Alliance and Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition (DACAC), found that pandemic-related arts losses reached $95.5 million.
TACA - The Arts Community Alliance, is a nonprofit institution that supports the arts in Dallas County and North Texas through grant-making, capacity-building, and thought leadership
The Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition is a grassroots organization of members representing Dallas-area arts and cultural organizations
The We Are Dallas Arts Initiative is a collaboration between 29 Dallas Groups to urge audiences and patrons to return and again enjoy live, in-person cultural experiences
The Dallas Arts District Connect Master Plan guides the design and construction of new and replacement features in the Dallas Arts District. It lays out a vision for the future of the Arts District and its build environment.
The 360 Plan is a strategic document that sets a clear, cohesive vision for Downtown Dallas and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Bio:

Lily Cabatu Weiss is the Executive Director for the Dallas Arts District and served as the Artistic Director for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts and Chair of ...

Next Episode

S2:E4 Knocking on doors – Lisa Havilah in conversation with Criena Gehrke

Summary:

In this episode, our host Criena Gehrke speaks with Lisa Havilah, Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum in Australia. They unpack the visionary approach she has crafted over her career of shaping cultural institutions and precincts into culturally and commercially vibrant hubs. They discuss the imperative need to maintain your community engaged, to operate and program inclusively, as well as the significance of keeping an open-door policy, particularly towards emerging artists and cultural leaders.

After, Criena is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. They reflect on the importance of bold but honest cultural leadership, alongside the need for cultural institutions to align practice with ethos for a coherent brand identity.

References:

Powerhouse Museum is one of Australia's oldest and most important cultural institutions.
Project Contemporary Artspace in Wollongong was founded by Lisa Havilah, Glen Barkley and Nathan Clarke.
Casula Powerhouse Art Center, a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Western Sydney
Campbelltown Arts Centre, an arts centre also based in Western Sydney
Carriageworks, the largest multi-arts centre in Australia
Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, Australia’s only international fashion event that takes place throughout the Carriageworks precinct
Sydney Contemporary, visual art fair presented by and staged at Carriageworks
Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest investment in cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House, and the first major cultural institution to be established in Western Sydney.
Renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo, where it will be embedded into a new creative industries precinct
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Guest bio:

Lisa Havilah is the Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Museum. Through her visionary leadership, she is establishing a new museum paradigm for one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions. From 2012 to 2019, Lisa was the Director of Carriageworks. Under her leadership, Carriageworks experienced extraordinary audience, artistic and commercial growth, becoming the fastest growing cultural precinct in Australia. She was recently named one of Sydney’s most influential people in the Daily Telegraphs’ Power 100 list.