John Studzinski to chair the first of the Lord Mayor of London’s ‘Cultural Conversations’ series at Mansion House

18 February 2020

On 24 February, Genesis Foundation Founder & Chairman John Studzinski will chair the first of three ‘Cultural Conversations’ hosted by William Russell, Lord Mayor of the City of London at Mansion House.

Funded by the Genesis Foundation, these conversations are part of the Lord Mayor’s focus on the power of arts and culture and will bring together leading figures from the UK’s cultural scene.

The first debate addresses ‘Art for Social Change’ and focuses on art and its ability to help people rethink and reframe their values and behaviour. Panel members taking part are:

  • Farooq Chaudhry OBE, Co-founder and Producer of Akram Khan Company
  • Chi–chi Nwanoku OBE, Founder, Artistic and Executive Director, Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first majority Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) orchestra
  • Jemma Read, Head of Bloomberg’s Philanthropy & Engagement Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC)
  • Indhu Rubasingham MBE, Artistic Director, Kiln Theatre, Kilburn

The second talk, which will be held on 15 April, will take architecture, innovation and place-making at its key themes, while the third talk on 30 September will look at the arts and philanthropy. All three events at The Mansion House are open to the public and will be live streamed via the City of London Corporation’s Twitter account (@cityoflondon).

John Studzinski CBE, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, said:

“For a healthy society, open debate and the challenging of orthodoxies are essential. The Genesis Foundation is delighted to support the Lord Mayor’s series of discussions that will examine critical areas of the intersection between the arts and society, and the role of art in transforming communities and individuals. As the Genesis Foundation approaches its 20th anniversary, its work with leading arts organisations has repeatedly shown this transformative power. We are delighted to present many of our partners in this series who will provide insights and experiences that will stimulate meaningful discussions which we hope will ignite debate beyond Mansion House.”

Lord Mayor William Russell said:

“Arts and culture have always been very close to my heart, because they promote a rich and vibrant creative economy and showcase the City, London and the UK as attractive places to live, learn, and work in, as well as visit. Each of these three talks will be a unique meeting of minds between these influential figures, all of them highly respected artists in their chosen field, and our audiences.”

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