Hong Kong is holding its second Hong Kong International Cultural Summit at West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), bringing more than 1,000 arts leaders from around the world together to debate how culture can knit communities and support sustainable development. The three-day gathering, which ends tomorrow, is the first international event of Hong Kong Art Week 2026, features close to 30 speakers from 14 countries and regions, including heads of major cultural districts and leading museums, and is positioned as a flagship for the city’s “East‑meets‑West” cultural ambitions.
Hosted by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), this year’s summit carries the theme “A New Era: Reimagining Community through the Arts,” with discussions centred on how cultural institutions can deepen public engagement, foster social cohesion and secure long-term financial sustainability. The opening at the Xiqu Centre on 23 March was addressed by Hong Kong’s culture secretary Rosanna Law and WKCDA chairman Bernard Charnwut Chan, alongside senior officials from mainland cultural authorities, Macao and overseas consulates.
Law said the SAR government is drawing up its first five‑year cultural plan in line with the national 15th Five‑Year Plan, with a focus on facilitating exchanges between the mainland and overseas, while Chan described the summit as a “vital platform” for rethinking how arts organisations connect with communities in a rapidly changing environment.
A plenary session at Xiqu Centre examined the rise of multidisciplinary arts districts and the pressures of globalisation and technology, moderated by WKCDA chief executive Betty Fung. Speakers included Southbank Centre chief executive Elaine Bedell, Global Cultural Districts Network chair Adrian Ellis, Saudi Royal Arts Complex CEO Douglas Gautier and Guggenheim director and CEO Mariët Westermann, who discussed how large cultural campuses can stay innovative and inclusive while meeting sector needs and community expectations.
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The summit also introduced a new Performing Arts Panel Discussion titled “Arts, Community and Leadership – Reframing the Relationship,” reflecting anticipation of the WestK Performing Arts Centre’s opening in 2027. Led by WKCDA executive director for performing arts Paul Tam, the panel brought together Sadler’s Wells artistic director Sir Alistair Spalding, Chaillot – National Theatre of Dance director Rachid Ouramdane, Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation advisor Toufic Maatouk and Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting artistic director Sasapin Siriwanij. They explored how performing-arts venues are evolving into civic hubs for creativity and learning, and how leaders can redefine ties with artists, audiences, funders and communities amid rising expectations and budget constraints.
On the museum side, four sessions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ are probing how institutions can become engines of community building and experimental entrepreneurship, and how new learning approaches can prioritise curiosity, interactivity and social engagement over passive knowledge transfer.
The summit is supported by sponsors including the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Cathay, the Peninsula hotel, HKT and Volvo, and is being promoted globally in partnership with bodies such as the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Art Basel. Sessions are also being live‑streamed to allow remote participation, as WKCDA seeks to use the forum to strengthen Hong Kong’s profile as an international cultural hub for the Greater Bay Area and beyond.
