THE NEW NARRATIVES LAB​

Fellows benefit from the support of a circle of mentors and advisors

Lynette Wallworth's immersive video installations, virtual reality and film works reflect on the connections between people and the natural world. Her past work includes CORAL, Evolution of Fearlessness and the virtual reality films Awavena and Collisions, which the World Economic Forum premiered and executive­ produced. Collisions won an Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches to Documentary and was used in an outreach campaign to impact global efforts for a ban on nuclear tests. Awavena won as well the International News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches to Documentary, in 2020.

Lynette Wallworth has been awarded a UNESCO City of Film award, the Byron Kennedy Award for Innovation and Excellence and was named as one of the "100 Leading Global Thinkers" by Foreign Policy magazine. She is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Virtual and Augmented Reality and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Sundance Institute and has been an advisor on numerous Sundance Labs. She has participated in various World Economic Forum events. She is a recipient of the World Economic Forum 2020 Crystal Award.

Former Head of Arts & Culture, World Economic Forum

Nico Daswani is an arts director, producer and two-time Emmy-Award winning executive producer with a 20-year track record of creating inclusive change. As Head of Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum, he curated the arts and culture programme at Davos for 8 years with the goal of increasing inclusion and access, building bridges across sectors, and speaking truth to power. In that time, he created a global community of artists and cultural institutions who come together to create positive change. He launched a number of ground-breaking initiatives including co-producing topical exhibitions on technology, accessibility and sustainability, with the V&A, the Smithsonian Institution and the Natural History Museum London, producing the first international tour of the Afghan Women’s Orchestra, commissioning and world-premiering the Emmy-winning virtual reality films "Collisions" and "Awavena" by Lynette Wallworth, and launching the New Narratives Lab. Daswani has collaborated with luminaries including Marin Alsop, Yo-Yo Ma, Es Devlin, Daan Roosegaarde, and the late Martin Roth.

Cara Mertes is part of the International Programs team, serving as project director for Moving Image Strategies. She works with Ford’s 10 regional offices to design and implement a range of visual storytelling approaches tied to the foundation’s international strategies. Previously, she was director for JustFilms, the foundation’s creative documentary portfolio, supporting artist-led films, strengthening organizations and networks for independent and artist-driven content, and developing inclusive leadership and resources in this field.

Jin Xing is a choreographer, media personality and China's most popular TV hostess. She is a former male ballet dancer and army colonel, who was the first person, publicly, to undergo gender reassignment surgery in her country. She is the founder of the award-winning Jin Xing Dance Theatre, the country's first independent dance company. Her television shows, which have included Venus Hits Mars, The Jin Xing Show and Chinese Dating, draw more than 100 million viewers a week and create a space for discussion on contemporary life in China.

She is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the French Government and received an Honorary Doctorate of Dance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has participated in the Annual Meeting and Annual Meeting of New Champions of the World Economic Forum.

Platon is one of the great photographers of our time. His iconic pictures of world leaders have appeared regularly in and on the covers of the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GO and the Sunday Times Magazine amongst others.

For the past "10 years he has focused his efforts on the power of photography and storytelling to celebrate human rights advocates and those who fight for equality and justice, first with Human Rights Watch, and since 20"13 with his NGO, the People's Portfolio.

A brilliant communicator, Platon speaks regularly around the world and has participated on numerous occasions in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. He serves of the board of the World Arts Forum.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in music today. She is the recipient of the World Economic Forum Crystal Award and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Angelique Kidjo has cross-pollinated West African music with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. She has worked with some of the world's leading orchestras.

Angelique Kidjo works tirelessly to support girls' education in Africa in her role as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and through her Batonga Foundation. In 2019 she accompanied President Macron of France to the G7 to launch a $251 million fund to support women entrepreneurs in Africa.

Project Lead, Design & Interaction, World Economic Forum

Stéphanie has been working at the Forum since 2005, starting first within the Chairman’s office and then moved to what eventually became the Global Programming Group.

She has taken on different roles, from a programme manager in the Science and Technology Portfolio and then as a Lead in the Design and Interaction Team. It has enabled her to see the Forum's evolution over the years. She is now a project manager in designing complex exhibitions and projects.