Can creativity change the world? On the afternoon of Thursday 15 October, Creativity Pioneers from around the world open five conversations to the public, each in its own room at BASE Milano.
The Pioneers work at the forefront of some of the most pressing global challenges of ourtime, from artificial intelligence and climate emergencies to mental health, democracy, migration, polarisation and conflict. They bring unconventional practices
and approaches drawn from theirwork in communities around the world, in a space where critical thinking is welcome. Every conversation is open to the audience, whatever your background or field. You are invited to take part, ask questions and become part of the discussion, building a shared drive towards more equitable and sustainable futures.
The five conversations run in parallel, so choosing just one will be the hardest part. Each brings together three speakers and a moderator from different organisations and countries, from Ghana to Ukraine and from Brazil to India. All are shaped by the
theme ofthis year’s Revival, Other Suns, and its three guiding words: Time, Disorientation and Tenderness. Around-up of the conversations and closing remarks follow from 4:30PM.
1. Disorientation as a Creative Practice in the Age of AI @ Arena Moleskine
What happens to creativity when technology promises to remove every bit offriction and uncertainty? This conversation looks at how artists and cultural organisations can work with new technologies without losing the productive disorientation that
helps us imagine alternatives. With Maya Nussbaum (Girls Write Now ,USA), Graciela Selaimen (Instituto Toriba,
Brazil) and Sol Fernandez Buman (Arty Farty, Reset! Network, France). Moderated by Heba Y. Amin, visual artist and researcher.
2. The (Broken?) Clock of Democracy @ Ground Hall
Elections, legislative sessions and budget years shape how we imagine political change, and often flatten the future into a series of fixed deadlines. This conversation asks how creative and cultural approaches can change our relationship with time,
restore trust and help us imagine different political futures.
With Dijana Rakovic (Counterpoints, UK), Mirna Bamieh (The Palestine Hosting Society, Palestine) and Abdel Mandili (People’s Planet Project, Netherlands). Moderated by Lwando Xaso, writer and lawyer.
3. War and Conflict: Tenderness as an Act of Collective Repair @ arena musicROOMS
What mightit mean to place tenderness at the centre of how we think about security, justice and repair? This conversation explores how practices such as preserving oral histories and creating spaces for collective grieving can help communities heal and hold on to their identity in times of war. With Kyla-Rose Smith (Found Sound Nation, USA), Mohsin Mohi Ud Din (MeWe
International, USA) and Anna Karnaukh (Lanka.pro, Ukraine). Moderated by Elena Pasquini, journalist.
4. Other Suns: Creative Practices as Doors to Unseen Worlds @ ROOM1400
Poetry, surfing, hip hop: creative practices can open doors from the world as it is into worlds not here yet. This conversation explores how art helps us imagine, build and inhabit wider, more joyful realities, and how those worlds can be brought into real life.
With Sandy Alibo (Surf Ghana Collective, Ghana), Krantinaari (Wild Wild Women, India) and Titilope Sonuga (poet and playwright, Nigeria). Moderated by Kenji Maghoma, LAGO Collective.
5. Beyond Survival: The Reality of Pioneering @ yesROOM
Working in the creative and cultural field often means operating in survival mode, with scarce resources, isolation and burnout, yet it can also be deeply rewarding. Three organisations lookback over their full lifecycle, from birth and evolution to, in some cases, closure, and share practical and emotional insights on what it takes to turn ideas into lasting outcomes. With Kikelomo Oludemi (Oroko Radio, Ghana), Mohammed Zakaria (Seven Hills,
Jordan) and Terry Ayugi (Chimurenga, South Africa). Moderated by Jessica Horn, poet and writer.