Celebrating difference, building resilience

In its broadest sense, culture is an expression of the collective human experience, reflecting the ideas, beliefs, and values of a society or group of people, and shaping how individuals interact with each other and the world around them.

Cultural heritage is fluid, reflecting the richness of human experiences. It should be accessible to all, with the right to participate in its preservation and interpretation. It is that glue that holds us together. And like glue, it can be tricky. But when used deftly it builds mutual understanding and respect across different cultures.

Those with power in society have the ability to shape the ways in which history is remembered and understood, and to erase or marginalise certain stories and perspectives. This profoundly impacts how we see ourselves and others, influencing the choices we make about how to live in the world.

By allowing certain voices or stories to be silenced or erased, we risk losing the richness and complexity of our collective heritage. We limit our ability to understand and engage with the world around us. Cultural futurism is a forward-looking approach that seeks to envision and shape the cultural landscape of the future through inspiration and creative possibility and looking squarely at the lenses of the past.