Helsinki has been selected to host the World Cities Culture Summit 2022 to be held on 5–7 October 2022. The summit is part of the activities of the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF) network, comprising of cultural leaders and deputy mayors of cities around the world. The annual meeting brings together the world’s cultural leaders in one of the network’s member cities for three days.
The WCCF is the world’s most important international art and culture policy cooperation network on the role of cultures in cities. The network consists of members from more than 40 cities all over the world. The member cities consider culture as one of the key factors contributing to their social and financial success. The key operating methods of the network include the sharing of ideas and information and designing of innovative and fair operating models. The network was established in 2012 on the initiative of the Mayor of London and Helsinki joined the network in 2018.
The World Cities Culture Summit to be organised in Helsinki in October will be the tenth annual meeting of the network. The previous meetings have taken place in Chengdu, Lisbon, San Francisco, Seoul, Moscow, Amsterdam, Istanbul and London.
The meeting supports the goals of Helsinki
Hosting the meeting supports the international profiling goals of Helsinki. Helsinki will have the opportunity to showcase its top know-how and increase its international presence and visibility. The programme of the summit will be structured in such a way that it will support Helsinki’s 2021–2025 city strategy A Place of Growth.
Organising the summit will also speed up the return of international conferences to Helsinki after the coronavirus pandemic and show that Helsinki will continue to be not only a safe, but also a health-safe milieu for international events.
“We look forward to building on the creative leadership for a sustainable future that was the focus of the summit in 2021. The culture sector has been hit hard by the pandemic and we welcome dialogue on how to support the cultural recovery of our cities. During the summit, we want to create opportunities for local artists to perform and connect with international networks.
As Deputy Mayor I also want to make sure everyone in Helsinki has the same opportunity to enjoy culture and I am looking forward to sharing ideas on how our cultural institutions and actors can reach new audiences”, says Paavo Arhinmäki, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Leisure of the City of Helsinki.
London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, and Chair of the World Cities Culture Forum Justine Simons is equally pleased that Helsinki will host the 2022 summit.
“After what has been for many of us a tumultuous two years, there is a new spirit of optimism and urgency, and a recognition that we can reimagine our cities through culture and creativity. When we come together for the 10th Anniversary edition of the World Cities Culture Summit, it will be an occasion for us to reunite in person and embrace these opportunities.
I am delighted that the wonderful city of Helsinki will be our host for this. New times need new solutions, and with its famous culture of innovation and enterprise, it is the perfect setting for city leaders around the world to learn, share and collaborate”, says Justine Simons, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, and Chair of the World Cities Culture Forum.
“An international network meeting is a great opportunity to find solutions that ensure that the expertise and practices of art and culture professionals are utilised in urban development,” says Reetta Heiskanen, City of Helsinki’s Deputy Culture Director.