The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents, and Bengaluru is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others.
Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to become part of the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF,) a global network of cities that share research and intelligence, and explore the role of culture in future prosperity.
The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents. Bengaluru being the latest addition is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others.
The global consortium was founded in 2012 by Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture & the Creative Industries.
“We have been keen to have an Indian city and a lot of other cities that are part of the network have also been keen about it. Bengaluru is a fast-growing city. It’s very diverse and has got a big commitment to culture,” said Ms. Simons in an exclusive interaction with The Hindu.
“It feels like there is real ambition and drive in Bengaluru around the culture story. It is known as a tech city in the rest of the world. This is a fantastic opportunity for Bengaluru to bring the cultural story alongside the tech story, and to really grow its economy and its status as a global city,” she added.
Bengaluru’s entry into WCCF comes after several discussions that have been happening for over a year. Unboxing Bangalore, a participative project to create a new narrative around Bengaluru through multimedia properties, have been representing the city and leading the discussions.
“Bengaluru, in many ways, represents an aspirational India. There is a lot of culture to the city that is not being talked about,” said Prashanth Prakash, chairman of UnboxingBLR Foundation and founding partner at Accel India.
(Detailed interview in e-paper)
