The Three Bells

Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)

Hello and welcome to The Three Bells – a podcast in which we explore the challenges and opportunities waiting for us at the intersection of culture and urbanism…

  1. S6E4: Tiny apertures of opportunity... Gus Casely-Hayford, Director, V&A East

    9 APR

    S6E4: Tiny apertures of opportunity... Gus Casely-Hayford, Director, V&A East

    Ahead of the opening of V&A East on 18 April 2026, Adrian Ellis speaks with its Director, Gus Casely-Hayford, about involving young people in shaping the institution, widening access, and creating the kinds of transformative opportunities that can change futures. External references: V&A East: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/V&A East Storehouse: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visitYoung V&A: https://www.vam.ac.uk/young/The Music Is Black: A British Story: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/the-music-is-black-a-british-storyOrder an Object: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/order-an-objectGus Casely-Hayford is Director of V&A East. A curator and cultural historian, he joined the V&A in March 2020. He writes, lectures, and broadcasts widely on culture, and was previously Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. +

    41 min
  2. Letters of support… by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    26 MAR ·  BONUS

    Letters of support… by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In this latest Reflections, Stephanie Fortunato draws on her experience reviewing letters of support as part of California Arts Council’s process to select new cultural districts for its state program, reflecting on what those letters reveal about community pride, local identity, and the futures people hope to build through cultural districting. About our Contributor Stephanie Fortunato is Director of Special Projects of the Global Cultural Districts Network. Her expertise sits at the intersection of cultural planning and urban development, collaborating with local communities on creating policies and partnerships to strengthen neighbourhoods and transform public spaces. +

    11 min
  3. S6E3: Teaching them to fish... Alex Costas, Head of Recruitment, Onboarding & Relationship Management, Bloomberg Connects

    12 MAR

    S6E3: Teaching them to fish... Alex Costas, Head of Recruitment, Onboarding & Relationship Management, Bloomberg Connects

    Our host, Hilary Knight, speaks with Alex Costas of Bloomberg Connects about the nonprofit’s history and mission – and how its free platform and dedicated support team help institutions and districts worldwide tell their own stories through thoughtful digital storytelling. External references:  Bloomberg Connects: https://www.bloombergconnects.org/ Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts: https://www.bloomberg.org/arts/ Denver Art Museum on Bloomberg Connects: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/bloomberg-connects Museo de Arte Popular: https://www.map.cdmx.gob.mx/ Portland Japanese Garden: https://japanesegarden.org/visitvirtually/ About our guest:Alex Costas is the Global Head Recruitment, Onboarding & Relationship Management at Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app that offers digital guides to hundreds of cultural organizations around the world. Prior to joining Bloomberg Connects, Alex worked with the City of New York at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYC Tourism & Conventions encouraging businesses and tourists to choose NYC. Alex is a native New Yorker, a resident of Brooklyn. +

    38 min
  4. Luxury brands and culture predictions… by Hilary Knight (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    26 FEB ·  BONUS

    Luxury brands and culture predictions… by Hilary Knight (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In her first Reflections of Season 6, Hilary Knight explores the idea that luxury brands could replace museums as sites of cultural trust for Gen Z – and why she doesn’t buy it. External Links ‘Enshittification’ is coming for absolutely everything – FT article by Cory Doctorow Brand Valued: How socially valued brands hold the key to a sustainable future and business success– by Guy Champniss & Fernando Rodés VilàAbout our Contributor Hilary Knight Hilary Knight  is a creative leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategy, innovation, and digital transformation for cultural organisations worldwide. Currently a Senior Associate with AEA Consulting, she has held senior roles at the BBC, Channel 4, Film4, and Tate, where she led pioneering initiatives that embedded digital thinking and expanded audiences. +

    8 min
  5. S6E2: Fostering collective imagination... Conrado Uribe Pereira, Director of Contents, Conexiones Creativas

    12 FEB

    S6E2: Fostering collective imagination... Conrado Uribe Pereira, Director of Contents, Conexiones Creativas

    Stephanie Fortunato, speaks with Conrado Uribe about the power of networks to break cycles of isolation – and to make “collective imagination” a practical force in how cities evolve. Moving from Medellín to Barcelona to a Latin America-wide network of cultural districts, Conrado reflects on collaboration, governance, and why the real foundations of a district are its people, not its buildings. External references: Conexiones Creativas: Conrado’s organisation, designing and delivering projects to strengthen cultural and creative ecosystems. Plataforma de Distritos Creativos y Culturales: The network platform Conrado describes, supporting exchanges across creative districts in the Americas and Europe. Campus Colombias: The convening format Conrado references as a catalyst moment in the organisation’s early years. Museo de Antioquia: Museum at the centre of Conrado’s Medellín experience and a key cultural anchor in the city. MDE – Encuentro Internacional de Arte de Medellín: The four-year international art encounter organised by Museo de Antioquia, referenced in the episode’s Medellín context. LOOP Barcelona: The moving-image platform and festival Conrado mentions as a formative collaboration-led model. Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: The “humans succeed through collaboration” framing Conrado references via Harari’s work. “Scenius, or Communal Genius” (Wired): A widely cited explainer of Brian Eno’s idea of “scenius” that Conrado invokes (collective creativity over lone genius). About our guest:Conrado Uribe Pereira, is a curator and cultural strategist, and Content Director at Conexiones Creativas, the Colombia-founded platform behind a growing network of creative and cultural districts across Latin America and parts of Southern Europe. In the episode, he traces how his work in Medellín (including at the Museo de Antioquia) and later in Barcelona shaped his conviction that districts succeed when they invest first in talent (“software”), then governance (“artware”), and only then in infrastructure. +

    33 min
  6. When there are nine... by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    29 JAN ·  BONUS

    When there are nine... by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In this first Reflections of Season 6, Stephanie Fortunato looks back on the curatorial choices that shaped our 2025 season. Reflecting on a year that deliberately centred women and non-binary leaders, she considers what the data on gender inequality tells us, why progress cannot be taken for granted, and how storytelling can help expand our collective imagination of leadership, belonging, and cultural power. External references: The Reykjavík Index for Leadership: background and latest findings for the index referenced in the episode, measuring perceptions of women’s suitability for leadership across 23 sectors (including generational differences).Ruth Bader Ginsburg on “When there are nine”: Clip/source for the quote Stephanie references about representation on the US Supreme Court.About our Contributor Stephanie Fortunato is Director of Special Projects of the Global Cultural Districts Network. Her expertise sits at the intersection of cultural planning and urban development, collaborating with local communities on creating policies and partnerships to strengthen neighbourhoods and transform public spaces. +

    11 min
  7. S6E1: Allowing a city to be the best version of itself... Noah Horowitz, CEO, Art Basel

    15 JAN

    S6E1: Allowing a city to be the best version of itself... Noah Horowitz, CEO, Art Basel

    In the first episode of Season 6, Adrian Ellis speaks with Noah Horowitz, CEO of Art Basel, about how art fairs shape cities and cultural ecosystems. Their conversation explores the evolving role of Art Basel as a cultural platform operating at the intersection of culture, capital, and place – and what that means for the cities that host them. External references: Art Basel: Global art fair platform founded in Basel in 1970, with editions in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris, and Qatar.MCH Group: Swiss-based live marketing and events company and parent company of Art Basel.UBS & Art Basel – The Art Market Report: Annual research report referenced in the discussion of market dynamics and collecting trends.Art Basel Paris: Art Basel’s Paris edition, held at the Grand Palais.Art Basel Qatar: Newly announced Art Basel edition, launching in Doha, Qatar, 5-7 February 2026.About our guest:Noah Horowitz, is CEO of Art Basel. Previously Director of Americas for Art Basel, he has also held leadership roles at Sotheby’s and The Armory Show. Trained as an art historian, his work sits at the intersection of the art market, cultural institutions, and urban life. +

    40 min
  8. A tiny pink hat... by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    04/12/2025 ·  BONUS

    A tiny pink hat... by Stephanie Fortunato (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In this last Reflections from The Three Bells of our 2025 season, a mural becomes the starting point for a deeply personal exploration of the quiet ways individual stories slip into collective narrative. Through the story of a tiny knit hat, Stephanie Fortunato reflects on Providence as an adopted home, the threads that bind people to place, and the communities we call home. External Links AS220, Providence: independent arts organisation in Providence.PVDFest: Providence’s annual citywide arts festival.The Avenue Concept: Providence-based nonprofit public art organisation responsible for coordinating the mural installation.Shey Rivera Ríos – Artist who created the mural featured in the episode.Amber Art & Design – Artist and fabrication collective that installed the mural using parachute cloth.About our Contributor Stephanie Fortunato is Director of Special Projects of the Global Cultural Districts Network. Her expertise sits at the intersection of cultural planning and urban development, collaborating with local communities on creating policies and partnerships to strengthen neighbourhoods and transform public spaces. +

    11 min
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About

Hello and welcome to The Three Bells – a podcast in which we explore the challenges and opportunities waiting for us at the intersection of culture and urbanism…

Information

  • Creator
    Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2020 AEA Consulting LLC
  • Show Website
    The Three Bells

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