· Year-long leadership fellowship supports artists from under-represented communities to develop the skills needed to become change-makers
· Musician Angélique Kidjo, photographer Platon and TV host Jin Xing are Mentors
· Fellows include photographer Rena Effendi, model Thando Hopa, and filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu
· The launch of Lab is part of a broader arts and culture “festival” at the Annual Meeting
Geneva, Switzerland, 9 January 2020 – The World Economic Forum today launches the New Narratives Lab, a year-long fellowship dedicated to fostering a new and diverse generation of Cultural Leaders. Through one-to-one mentorship by the World Economic Forum’s network of Cultural Leaders and support from peers, Fellows will develop leadership skills to navigate circles of power and decision-making to bring about change.
The Lab is developed in collaboration with 2020 Crystal Awardee Lynette Wallworth, with major support from the Ford Foundation. “Many artists from under-represented communities demonstrate great leadership potential and desire but may not have the access or resources to activate that leadership. This fellowship is a platform to support their journeys as leaders”, said Nico Daswani, Head of Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum.
Fellows will engage with their Mentors throughout the course of 2020, including at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January, during a weeklong residency at their mentor’s location in the spring, during the UN General Assembly week in New York in September, and at other Forum events. In addition, Fellows benefit from targeted introductions to business leaders, policy-makers and media influencers in line with their development goals; a coordinated social media, media and documentation strategy; and a $15,000 stipend. Follow the Lab journey at #newnarrativeslab.
“By creating a new fellowship for cultural leaders who strive to create change and by surrounding them with a team of allies who have experience navigating corridors of power, we hope to elevate the role of artists as leaders and to lift them up as they generate urgent new narratives for a changing world”, said Lynette Wallworth, Artistic Director of the Lab and 2020 recipient of the Forum’s Crystal Award.
Fellow and Mentor pairings include:
Rena Effendi is an award-winning photographer whose work portrays the socioeconomic effects of globalization on marginalized communities around the world. Effendi will be supported by Platon, one of the great photographers of our time, to combine powerful storytelling with real-world impact through the creation of multi-stakeholder coalitions.
Thando Hopa is a model, diversity activist and lawyer. In April 2019 she made history by becoming the first person with albinism to appear on the cover of Vogue. Hopa will be supported by Grammy Award winning musician and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo in advocating for more inclusive representation in media to benefit and support all bodies and identities.
Wanuri Kahiu is a filmmaker whose award-winning stories and films have received international acclaim and screened at more than 100 film festivals worldwide. Celebrated abroad, her latest film Rafiki was banned by her government for depicting a joyful lesbian love story. Kahiu will be supported by choreographer, media personality and one of China’s most popular TV hosts, Jin Xing, in developing the narratives that will empower artists in Kenya and beyond to advocate effectively for their freedom of expression.
"This fellowship is a response to the critical need for a diversity of perspectives and voices, including those of artists, to be in conversation at the most influential levels, about a world guided by the goals of equity, justice and dignity." Said Cara Mertes, Project Director, Moving Image Strategies, International Programs, Ford Foundation
More about the New Narratives Lab available here.
At the Annual Meeting 2020 the launch of the New Narratives Lab is part of the broader arts and culture offering that includes the engagement of 40 cultural leaders in 55 sessions across the official programme, and the presentation of the equivalent of a “festival” of more than 20 performances and exhibitions. Click here to find out more.
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting brings together governments, international organizations, business, civil society, cultural leaders, media, experts and young leaders from all over the world. For further information, please click here.
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