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In her latest Reflections, Hilary Knight asks how we should train the people who will run cultural institutions in an age of AI, and explores the technical fluency, critical judgement and governance literacy they will need. [TRANSCRIPT] External references:  UNESCO – Artificial Intelligence and CultureUNESCO – Report of the Independent Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence and CultureRhode Island School of Design – Generative Artificial IntelligenceMIT Media Lab – Creative AI: A curriculum around creativity, generative AI and ethicsNYU ITP – The Neural AestheticAbout our contributor:Hilary Knight is a creative leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategy, innovation, and digital transformation for cultural organisations worldwide. Currently a Senior Associate with AEA Consulting, she has held senior roles at the BBC, Channel 4, Film4, and Tate, where she led pioneering initiatives that embedded digital thinking and expanded audiences. +

Hilary Knight speaks with Matthew Niederhauser, Managing Director of Onassis ONX, and Prodromos Tsiavos, Head of Digital Development and Innovation at the Onassis Foundation, about what it takes to build a transatlantic platform to support artists working at the edge of art and technology. [TRANSCRIPT] External links: Onassis ONXONX RelayONX ScreensOnassis ONX at Under the Radar 2027 / TECHNEBehind The ScreenWIPO – Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual PropertyAbout our guests:Matthew Niederhauser is an artist, educator and Managing Director of Onassis ONX. His practice explores emerging technologies across a range of media, with a particular focus on immersive storytelling and the creative possibilities of AI. At ONX, he helps lead its work supporting artists through production resources, technical expertise, institutional partnerships and opportunities to bring their work to audiences. + Prodromos Tsiavos is Head of Digital Development and Innovation at the Onassis Foundation. His work spans digital culture, emerging technologies, intellectual property and innovation, including the development of Onassis ONX and its network of artistic, academic and institutional partnerships. +

In this latest Reflections, Adrian Ellis looks at the maintenance challenge facing cultural institutions, the funding structures that have allowed backlogs to grow, and the consequences of building without planning for upkeep. [TRANSCRIPT] External references:  Stewart Brand, Maintenance: Of Everything, Part OneFrench Senate – Christophe Leribault on the future of the Louvre SénatCour des comptes – The public establishment of the Louvre MuseumUK Public Accounts Committee report on museums, security and resilienceDCMS — England’s cultural infrastructure: repair, maintenance and renewalU.S. Government Accountability Office — deferred maintenance of federal buildingsAbout 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. +

Adrian Ellis speaks with cultural strategist Jorge Pinto about a career spent creating the conditions for culture to thrive – and what decades of cultural investment in the Gulf can teach us about moving from buildings to institutions, ecosystems and human capacity. [TRANSCRIPT] External Links European Commission – Culture and CreativityDepartment of Culture and Tourism – Abu DhabiSaadiyat Cultural DistrictZayed National MuseumGuggenheim Abu DhabiSharjah Art FoundationGuggenheim Museum BilbaoAbout our Guest Jorge Pinto is a senior cultural advisor and strategist whose career spans cultural policy, strategy, institutional development, and the creative economy across Europe and the Middle East. Trained in economics and management, he began his career at PwC before moving into cultural policy at the European Commission. He has since worked across government, consulting, and major cultural development programmes, bringing together experience in policy, cultural infrastructure, institutional development, and capacity building. +

In her latest Reflections, Hilary Knight explores the recent trend of Gen Z turning to analogue experiences, and asks whether it represents a true rejection of digital life or a search for a more meaningful relationship with it. [TRANSCRIPT] External Links Why Gen-Z Is Bringing Back Physical Media – Forbes‘I spent a week in 2004, and here is what I found’: On Gen Z’s obsession with going analogue – EpigramCultural Shifts 2026 Trend Report – MargaretVinyl Bars, Film Cameras, and the Rise of Asia’s Analog Revival – RADIIAnalogue Revival | A Cultural Pendulum Swing – MIDiA ResearchThe Analog Revival Did Not Take Place – Eugene HealeyNew Year, Old Stuff: Is Physical Media Making a Comeback in 2026? – Trill MagFact Check: Is 2026 the Year of ‘Analog’ Living? – DiploticWhy Physical Media Is Making a Comeback in 2026 – FstoppersWhy Physical Media Is Making a Comeback – UnpluggedDigital Detox Retreats UAE: A Growing Trend in Wellness Tourism – UAE StoriesHow Museums Are Using Immersive Approaches to Shape Experiences – BlooloopNew generation of British artists helped UK recorded music market in 2025 surpass £1.5 billion in annual revenue for the first time – BPI36 million adults read trusted editorial brands every month – PAMCo & Magnetic MediaAbout our contributor:Hilary Knight is a creative leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategy, innovation, and digital transformation for cultural organisations worldwide. Currently a Senior Associate with AEA Consulting, she has held senior roles at the BBC, Channel 4, Film4, and Tate, where she led pioneering initiatives that embedded digital thinking and expanded audiences. +

Hilary Knight speaks with Mutanu Kyany’a, Director of Research & Programs for African Digital Heritage about using technology to reclaim and preserve African histories – and why questions of consent, ownership, access, and power need to come before digitisation, especially in the age of AI. [TRANSCRIPT] External references: African Digital Heritage: https://africandigitalheritage.org/Mutanu Kyany’a – African Digital Heritage: https://africandigitalheritage.org/mutanu-kyanya/Skills for Culture: https://africandigitalheritage.org/skills-for-culture-strengthening-capacity-in-the-cultural-heritage-sector/A Toolkit for Cultural Heritage Practitioners: https://africandigitalheritage.org/a-toolkit-for-cultural-heritage-practitioners/WIPO – Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/traditional-knowledgeWIPO – Documentation of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/traditional-knowledge/resources/tk-and-tces About our guest:Mutanu Kyany’a is a digital society scholar and cultural heritage practitioner at African Digital Heritage, a Nairobi-based nonprofit working at the intersection of culture and technology. With a background in computer science and a specialisation in digital cultures and community development, her work explores digital storytelling, cultural heritage, gender, and community participation. She works with communities across Africa and the African diaspora to use technology to preserve, reclaim, and represent their histories on their own terms. +

In this latest Reflections, Stephanie Fortunato asks what arts and culture can learn from sport about participation, belonging, and civic life – and how to widen the circle of participation. TRANSCRIPT THE BEAUTIFUL GAME... BY GREG SCARPELLA

Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Kristina Newman-Scott, VP of Arts at Knight Foundation, about engaging artists as civic partners, building durable cultural ecosystems, and what people increasingly seek from the cities they call home. External references:  Knight Foundation – ArtsKristina Newman-Scott: The Arts Are Not a Luxury: They’re a Blueprint for Thriving CitiesCreative Cities InitiativeSpringboard for the ArtsThe Together ProjectNew World Symphony – WALLCAST ConcertsAmericans for the Arts – Arts & Economic Prosperity 6New England Foundation for the Arts: Creative EconomyReal Art WaysAbout our guest: Kristina Newman-Scott, Kristina Newman-Scott is VP of Arts at Knight Foundation, where she leads work at the intersection of arts, civic life, and community development. An artist and cultural leader born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, she previously served as President of BRIC, inaugural Executive Director of The Greene Space at New York Public Radio, and Director of Culture for the State of Connecticut. Her career spans visual arts, media, government, cultural institutions, and philanthropy. +

In this latest Reflections, Stephanie Fortunato reflects on visits to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and the Studio Museum in Harlem, exploring how museums can root themselves in place, build living relationships with artists and communities, and practise relevance rather than simply declare it. TRANSCRIPT

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. +

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

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

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. +

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. +

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. +