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. S6E5: Red up Pittsburgh with Arts Landing... Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

    15 hr ago

    S6E5: Red up Pittsburgh with Arts Landing... Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

    Adrian Ellis speaks with Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, about stewarding a 14-block cultural district, balancing the roles of presenter, property owner, and neighbourhood curator, and opening Arts Landing as a new civic space for Pittsburgh. TRANSCRIPT External references: Pittsburgh Cultural TrustPittsburgh Cultural DistrictArts Landing: The new outdoor civic space developed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Arts Landing facilities page: Visitor information for Arts LandingDollar Bank Three Rivers Arts FestivalThe Art Newspaper article on Arts LandingField Operations: The landscape architecture firm behind Arts LandingLACNA FoundationPerforming Arts Venues AllianceAbout our guest:Kendra Whitlock Ingram is President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She previously served as President and CEO of the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee and has held senior leadership roles at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Omaha Performing Arts, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. +

    40 min
  2. Digital twins… by Hilary Knight (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    18 Jun ·  Bonus

    Digital twins… by Hilary Knight (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In her second Reflections of Season 6, Hilary Knight explores how digital twins are moving from engineering and urban planning into museums, galleries, and heritage sites – supporting everything from access and conservation to research and climate resilience. Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a32f8f6a929e500c8bc523b/1781725430731/3bells_Transcript_S6Ed6.pdf  External references:  Smithsonian Digitization Program OfficeSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History Virtual ToursSt. Peter’s Basilica digital twinUNESCO Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural ObjectsCharles H. Wright Museum digital twin case studyAndrew Tallon and Notre-DameCyArk

    10 min
  3. S6E6: Celebrating ten years of AEA Consulting's Cultural Infrastructure Index... with Natalia Vartapetova, Luna BuGhanem, Jess Nickelman, and Laura Gildenstern from AEA Consulting

    4 Jun

    S6E6: Celebrating ten years of AEA Consulting's Cultural Infrastructure Index... with Natalia Vartapetova, Luna BuGhanem, Jess Nickelman, and Laura Gildenstern from AEA Consulting

    In this special roundtable episode marking the tenth edition of AEA Consulting’s Cultural Infrastructure Index, Stephanie Fortunato speaks with four members of the research team – Natalia Vartapetova, Luna BuGhanem, Jess Nickelman, and Laura Gildenstern – about what ten years of data can tell us about how cultural infrastructure is changing. Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a20a43d7cfcfb7761ba87e9/1780524093056/3bells_Transcript_S6E6.pdf External Links: Cultural Infrastructure Index dashboard2025 Cultural Infrastructure Index: The 10th edition of AEA Consulting’s annual report on major cultural capital projects worldwide.Doris Duke Theatre, Jacob’s PillowSpartanburg County Public Library Planetarium Learning CenterDepot Boijmans Van BeuningenEco-Museum and Orla Piratininga Park

    42 min
  4. When background becomes foreground... by Adrian Ellis (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    21 May ·  Bonus

    When background becomes foreground... by Adrian Ellis (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In this latest Reflections, Adrian Ellis draws on a recent panel at the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit to outline six tests for cultural districts today – and what happens when background issues become foreground pressures. Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a0e42a62c1a2f6d1e711660/1779319462679/3bells_Transcript_S6Ed5.pdf External references: Hong Kong International Cultural Summit 2026West Kowloon Cultural DistrictLe Quartier des SpectaclesGuggenheim Abu DhabiRoyal Arts Complex About our contributor: Adrian Ellis is the founder of AEA Consulting (1990) and the Global Cultural Districts Network (2013). He has worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world. +

    11 min
  5. S6E5: What is the return on imagination? Danielle Brazell, Executive Director, California Arts Council

    7 May

    S6E5: What is the return on imagination? Danielle Brazell, Executive Director, California Arts Council

    Stephanie Fortunato, speaks with Danielle Brazell, Executive Director of the California Arts Council, about the state’s cultural districts programme, California’s first creative economy strategy, and why public investment in culture should be measured not only in economic impact, but also in imagination, innovation, and inspiration. Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/69fa2314583a216d3c7a1807/1778000660301/3bells_Transcript_S6E5.pdf   External links: California Arts CouncilCalifornia Arts Council’s cultural districts programCalifornia’s Creative Economy Strategic PlanArts for LAHighways Performance SpaceAbout our guest:Danielle Brazell, is Executive Director of the California Arts Council. An artist, teaching artist, presenter, and arts administrator, she has held leadership roles across advocacy, local government, and the cultural sector, including at Arts for LA and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She now leads the state agency supporting arts and culture across California, including the California Cultural Districts programme and the state’s new creative economy strategy. +

    37 min
  6. The party is over... or is it? by Adrian Ellis (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    23 Apr ·  Bonus

    The party is over... or is it? by Adrian Ellis (Reflections from The Three Bells)

    In this new episode of Reflections from The Three Bells, Adrian Ellis marks the 10th edition of AEA Consulting’s Cultural Infrastructure Index by asking what slowbalisation, geopolitical volatility, and changing public expectations mean for the future of cultural infrastructure. External references:  AEA Consulting’s 2025 Cultural Infrastructure Index (10th edition)AEA Consulting’s Cultural Infrastructure Index dashboardIMF on slowbalisationAbout our contributor:Adrian Ellis is the founder of AEA Consulting (1990) and the Global Cultural Districts Network (2013). He has worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world. +

    19 min
  7. 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
  8. 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
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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
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2020 AEA Consulting LLC
  • Show Website
    The Three Bells

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