Bengaluru, 31st October 2023: Bengaluru, the vibrant and bustling metropolis known for its technological prowess and rich cultural heritage, made its historic debut at the prestigious World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF) hosted in São Paulo, Brazil from 25th to 27th October 2023. At the forum, delegates from over 40 global cities deliberated on a range of areas – from culture and nightlife to creating enabling policy frameworks, government support, and the impact of technology on creative industries in their cities.
UnboxingBLR represented Bengaluru at the WCCF conference.
“Far beyond its economic impact, a city’s cultural heritage is an important indicator of a thriving and vibrant city. UnboxingBLR is a unique initiative to nurture Bengaluru’s cultural landscape. The WCCF offers an important peer network for us to understand what we can do in Bengaluru to make things better,” said Malini Goyal, Founder, UnboxingBLR Foundation
At the conference, Malini Goyal, addressed the opening plenary on the topic of “Courage, culture and leadership in a new world” and on “Creative industries: how can cities work with commercial creativity?”
“We are really delighted to welcome Bengaluru – the first Indian city – to our global family. Together we share a commitment to the culture being a golden thread in cities, supporting jobs, economies, tourism, and, of course, quality of lives” says Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor (Culture and Creative Industries) London and Founder of WCCF. She was speaking on the first day of the conference in Sao Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere.
WCCF’s theme, ‘Culture, Courage, and Leadership for a New World,’ serves as a dynamic platform for global city leaders to delve into critical topics ranging from artificial intelligence to climate change, fostering collaborative discussions on pivotal challenges faced by the world’s foremost creative cities.
Bengaluru’s recent inclusion in the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF) signifies the city’s growing stature as a global cultural hub, as it joins a distinguished list of cities committed to exploring the transformative role of culture in shaping future prosperity.
Leaders at WCCF represent the World Cities Culture Forum’s network of global cities, including Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Bengaluru, a first-time participant. Held in different global locations each year, WCCF facilitates a rich exchange of research, intelligence, and best practices aimed at incorporating culture at the core of city planning and investment. Past host cities have included Helsinki, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, San Francisco, and Seoul.
Unboxing BLR’s participation at WCCF embodies a commitment to fostering creative resilience and innovative cultural leadership. It signals a significant milestone in Bengaluru’s ongoing journey toward cultural evolution and global prominence.
About World Cities Culture Forum:
The World Cities Culture Forum, founded in 2012 by the Mayor of London, connects over 40 civic leaders from creative cities across six continents, representing a total population of 272 million. Prioritizing culture in urban planning, the Forum fosters cultural exchange, creating equitable, prosperous, and sustainable communities. City leaders collaborate on 21st-century challenges like climate change, affordable workspace, and cultural tourism. Culture is recognized as a golden thread supporting well-being, tourism, and economic growth. Through Global Summits and Leadership Exchange Programs, the Forum promotes practical solutions, advocating for culture’s central role in thriving cities via research and case studies.
City Partners of the World Cities Culture Forum are: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Austin, Barcelona, Bengaluru, Brasilia, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Chengdu, Dubai, Dublin, Edinburgh, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kyiv, Lagos, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Milan, Montréal, Nanjing, New York, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Seoul, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich.
About UnboxingBLR Foundation:
UnboxingBLR, launched in April 2022, is a Bengaluru-focused not-for-profit platform aiming to transform the city into a vibrant, inclusive, and global hub. Founded by Prashanth Prakash, Accel India’s founding partner, and veteran journalist Malini Goyal, the volunteer-driven initiative is driving various projects, including an authoritative book on Bengaluru, a docu-series, India’s first start-up tech museum, and Unboxing BLR Habba, a city festival in December. The book on Bengaluru – an authoritative contemporary biography of Bengaluru co-authored by them – will be published by Penguin in November 2023.
