About

The Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators (YCI Forum) aims to connect, empower and supporting rising talents in the creative sector across every continent. The YCI Forum network is multi-disciplinary and encompasses creative disciplines ranging from the visual and performing arts, literature, and cultural heritage, to foods, fashion, architecture, and design.

Over the course of ten years, the YCI Forum aims to:

• Develop a critical mass (500+) of networked young arts leaders committed to innovative leadership and exchange of best practices;
• Nurture the capacity of next generation cultural leaders to sustain and advance the cultural life of our societies, contribute to sustainable economic development, and bring about positive social change;
• Guide young cultural innovators to apply and share their learning with peers at the community level;
• Share ground-breaking ideas with a broader community of stakeholders for increased impact;
• Support a fragile and often under-resourced sector that is a major driver of innovation, creativity, and change;
• Empower the creative sector and support the further development of creative industries worldwide by fostering innovative projects and public-private partnerships;
• Build a model for future cultural exchange that bridges cultural divides and promotes cross-cultural understanding through the arts worldwide.

The annual program is the first step towards a long-term engagement and participation of YCIs in a dynamic global network, with YCIs continuing to work together at the local level in their YCI Hub, while also remaining in touch with wider global YCI network. The Forum links individuals and communities with one another through an annual program, follow-up events, inter-hub exchanges, cross-border projects, and other activities.

The YCI Forum represents a major commitment by Salzburg Global Seminar to fostering creative innovation and entrepreneurship worldwide with the intention of building a more vibrant and resilient arts sector and of advancing sustainable economic development, positive social change agendas, and urban transformation worldwide.