Hello and welcome everybody! This is Abdallah, co-founder of Silverline Community and your host to the MeenWho podcast, the show that sheds light on the movers and, shakers and shapers of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
To kick-off our podcast series with the right benchmarking, we are honoured and delighted to have Gail Lord as our first interview, where she'll be talking about Cultural Transformation. Gail is not only the President and co-founder of the world’s foremost museum, gallery, and cultural planning firm, Lord Cultural Resources, but is also pushing the boundaries of sustainability, diversity and inclusivity.
I've gotten to know Gail a few years ago, after reading an excerpt from Barry Lord's book, Art & Energy, in Newsweek Magazine — unfortunately, Barry has departed from this world, but his legacy lives on through Gail, their children and the global network of Lord's team. Even though I was in the culture and arts sector for a while, nowhere did I stumble upon a more perfect explanation on the relationship between art and the environment. I mustered up the courage to reach out to Barry, who was ever so kind to oblige me for an interview in Shawati' Magazine. This marked a sporadic friendship, which I'm forever grateful for, for it has provided me with the opportunity of launching a career in museography.
During the interview, we discussed the role of soft power in transforming cities and communities; how the role of museums and cultural institutions is transforming the way we create and consume culture; and how will cultural institutions adapt to our new hybrid and “metaverse” reality. We talked about the Bilbao effect and its relevance in our day and age, how the Louvre Abu Dhabi managed to surpass that of its French parent in terms of decolonizing heritage, and how, contrary to common belief, museums have always been one of the first adopters of technology. Gail is a tour-de-force of knowledge, passion and vision. Her answers were specific, yet leaves one with a sense of wonderment and curiosity. Her belief in the soft power of museums is contagious and never-ebbing. You can listen to the full interview from our YouTube Channel or download the podcast from Spotify, Anghami or iTunes.
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