JFowler

Next week, The Cultural Table returns to London. Bringing together leaders from across #arts culture #business and innovation this upcoming Cultural Table will explore "The Power of Creative Leadership in a World of Rapid Change". Launched in 2023 by Arts & Culture at the @worldeconomicforum The Cultural Table positions culture as a strategic driver of innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and global progress. In a time of geopolitical tension, social fragmentation, and rapid technological change, creative leadership is more essential than ever. The Cultural Table creates space to challenge perspectives, reframe narratives, and open new pathways for collective transformation. Featured speakers include Baroness Deborah Bull, CBE, Member of the House of Lords and Vice President of the @royalacademyofdance Sabrina Elba, Model, Entrepreneur and @unitednations Goodwill Ambassador for IFAD, and Carey Mulligan, CBE, award-winning actor, and Global Ambassador for @warchilduk We look forward to welcoming an exceptional group of Cultural Leaders for an evening of meaningful #dialogue, fresh insight, and shared commitment to shaping the future through culture and #collaboration

Engineer He Shijie (@htx_studio ) spent three years chasing an idea: What if you could see music the way some people feel it? No #ai No screens No #cgi Just a piano… and a living system. Each note triggers bioluminescent algae, tiny organisms that glow when disturbed, turning sound into bursts of light in real time. What you see isn’t simulated. It’s alive. A fusion of #art #science and persistence.�A reminder that innovation doesn’t always come from more #technology sometimes it comes from looking deeper into nature. Maybe the most powerful question isn’t what can we build? �But what can we reveal?

YZA Voku is a Spanish visual artist and filmmaker working at the intersection of #art #technology and perception. With roots in cinematography, his spectacular work blends photography, moving image, and #ai to create dreamlike worlds where identities shift and realities blur. At the core of his practice is a question: how do we define what is real in a digitally mediated age? For Voku, AI is not just a tool, but a collaborator, expanding creativity while challenging ideas of authorship and control. Part of a new generation redefining visual culture, @yzavoku merges #fashion #music and immersive environments into poetic, fragmented narratives. His work pushes beyond aesthetics, exploring what it means to be human in an era where technology doesn’t just shape our world, but our perception of it.

Honoured to have been invited by Her Majesty The Queen to attend yesterday’s celebration at St James’s Palace marking International Women’s Day 2026 and the 16th anniversary of the @wowglobal The reception brought together an extraordinary group of individuals: supporters and staff of the WOW - Women of the World, leaders from the #arts #education and #business and those working tirelessly to eradicate violence against #women and #girls Meeting Her Majesty and hearing first-hand about the impact of the WOW movement was both inspiring and motivating. It reinforced a simple but urgent truth: creating a world of equality requires collective action, sustained commitment, and the courage to keep challenging the status quo.

CAMO by Thandiwe Muriu is a bold celebration of #identity #culture and #female empowerment. Featuring fully saturated photographs created from intricate physical sets, not digital edits, Muriu uses vibrant Ankara wax prints and East African kanga textiles to merge her subjects into their patterned surroundings. The body becomes a living canvas, exploring how identity is shaped, hidden, and revealed. Everyday Kenyan objects, from hairpins to mosquito coils, are transformed into striking sculptural accessories, symbols of memory, resilience, and creativity. Each image is paired with an African proverb in English and Swahili, honoring generational wisdom and the richness of #african beauty. Raised and based in Nairobi, @thandiwe_muriu began photography at 14 and became one of Kenya’s few female advertising photographers before launching CAMO in 2020. Since then, her work has been shown internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, and she continues to archive and celebrate cultural #heritage through pattern, color, and powerful storytelling. Immersive. Vibrant. Unapologetically rooted.

On this International Women’s Day, I want to say something too few men will say: I am a feminist. I am a #feminist because feminism is not about opposition. It is about #equality the simple, radical idea that dignity, opportunity, and voice are not privileges granted by gender, but rights inherent to every human being. Equity requires the participation of everyone. Men included. To be a feminist as a man is not symbolic. It is intellectually honest. It is recognising the structures that have favoured us and choosing to change them. It is listening before speaking, supporting without overshadowing, and questioning the assumptions that quietly guide society. Today, I take time to celebrate just a few of the remarkable #women I have the privilege to know. Supporting women’s equality does not diminish men. It enlarges our understanding of #leadership #collaboration and justice. An equal society is smarter, more creative, and better for everyone.

“Forestate” was created as a living portrait of the world’s forests, embedding environmental change into the rhythm of one of the world’s most concentrated decision-making environments. Over the course of the week, nearly 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries, including 65 heads of state passed beneath the work as they moved between conversations shaping global decisions. Placed at the heart of the Forum, “Forestate” confronts global leaders with the asymmetry between loss and renewal, reminding them that closing this gap is essential for a nature-positive future. When U.S. President Donald Trump stood beneath an icon devoted to forest restoration, the moment held a quiet duality. Yet, “Forestate” ensured that nature remained present, giving voice to systems often overshadowed by politics. Photos credit: World Economic Forum, @jfwef #AM26 #WorldEconomicForum #WEF #Davos

A Moment of Grace, Power & Purpose Last week in Davos, we were profoundly moved by a performance that transcended art, a moment that resonated deeply with the spirit of this year’s @worldeconomicforum Annual Meeting. World-renowned dancer @ingridsilva performed in our opening concert accompanied by the incomparable @jonbatiste Her presence on was nothing short of exquisite, in every movement there was #intention #resilience and immense #grace Ingrid’s journey, from a young girl in Rio de Janeiro discovering ballet through a community program, to principal dancer with the @dancetheatreofharlem is a testament to the transformative power of opportunity and the arts. This performance was not only a celebration of movement and music, but a powerful reminder of why art matters in shaping global dialogue, it connects us, it challenges us, and it dares us to see the world through a more compassionate lens. Thank you, Ingrid, for opening our #minds and #hearts with your artistry. I look forward to what’s to come.

What an extraordinary way to open the @worldeconomicforum Annual Meeting in Davos last week. Renaud Capuçon’s performance at the Opening Concert was nothing short of exceptional, marked by #élégance #depth and a rare musical authority that held the room in complete stillness. His artistry reminded us why music remains one of the most powerful forces for #connection #reflection and shared #humanity I extend my deepest admiration and gratitude for a performance of such outstanding quality, sensitivity, and brilliance. Also, on this special occasion, I am delighted to wish Renaud a very happy 50th birthday. 🎈

I’m delighted to have included @wearesanctum sessions within the Arts & Culture Programme at the @worldeconomicforum Annual Meeting. SANCTUM is an unmatched moving sequence to empower the body and expand the mind, designed to unlock human potential, creating vital space for #grounding #presence and #résilience as we shape the future. At the Annual Meeting, alongside high-level discussions and negotiations, it’s essential that participants do not to lose sight of well-being and the need to be #mentally and #physically prepared for the days ahead. Many thanks to SANCTUM co-founders @luukmelisse & @gab_my_journey

Among the cultural leaders at the @worldeconomicforum Annual Meeting was Katie Piper. Someone I’ve followed for years. I’ve read her books (Beautiful and Still Beautiful), listened to her podcasts, and watched her on screen. Meeting her in person wasn’t just an honour, it was deeply grounding. Katie’s participation at the Annual Meeting was a masterclass in #leadership rooted in #humanity She spoke about resilience not as a concept, but as something lived, earned, and generously shared. Nothing performative. Nothing polished for applause. Just #truth offered with courage. She reminded us that real leadership isn’t about power or perfection. It’s about continuity. It’s about choosing to show up, with #purpose again and again. At the Annual Meeting, Katie didn’t simply participate. She shared wisdom, #empathy and a powerful reminder that culture is shaped by those brave enough to turn adversity into meaning. Thank you @katiepiper_

The opening concert of the @worldeconomicforum 2026 Annual Meeting delivered a powerful message of #unity and #hope Jon Batiste’s brilliance filled the room, generous, electric, unstoppable. Standing ovation in under 5 minutes. Visuals by artists and technologist @ronentanchum.art with creative direction by the incredible talent that is @jemelmcwilliams Watch the compete concert featuring The Mahler Chamber Orchestra and renowned violinist Renaud Capucon, on the Forum‘s website.