Future Arts Centres Co-Directors Annabel Turpin and Gavin Barlow recently attended the ISPA 2025 Congress in Lugano, Switzerland – a major international gathering of performing arts leaders from around the world.

The Congress, which brings together arts professionals to share ideas, build networks and explore the future of the performing arts, offered a valuable opportunity to connect with global colleagues. This year’s theme, Arts and Social Political Change, centred around transformation and resilience in the face of societal and cultural shifts.

Annabel and Gavin reflected on the experience:

‘It was incredibly useful to understand the work of arts centres around social change in a global context. Hearing international perspectives on issues such as creative health and wellbeing, maintaining artistic integrity in a polarised society, and the relationship between the arts and political change was both thought-provoking and inspiring.’

Attending the Congress also prompted reflections on Future Arts Centres’ own events and practices in the UK:

‘We were struck by the challenges of making international gatherings meaningful and accessible – especially across language barriers and vastly different cultural contexts. It gave us food for thought as we plan our future work with the network here at home.’

The event reinforced the shared belief in the power of the arts to drive social impact:

‘In what feels like an increasingly complex landscape, the Congress reaffirmed the value and potential of the arts as a catalyst for change.’

Future Arts Centres were also pleased to see the Congress sponsored by Arup – one of our valued partners – underlining a shared commitment to collaboration and sustainability in the cultural sector.

Find out more about the ISPA Congress here.