Simon Brault on Canada's Role at the First G7 Culture Summit in Florence

Simon Brault, head of the Canada Council for the Arts, represented Canada at the first-ever G7 Culture summit in Florence, Italy, alongside Minister Mélanie Joly. The summit, themed 'Culture as a tool for dialogue among peoples,' was organized by Italy. Before traveling, Brault presented the 'Manifesto for the Arts in the Digital Era' at the 'Arts in a Digital World' summit in Montreal, which gathered artists, cultural operators, mediators, and citizens to discuss the digital transformation of Canada's arts sector. Brault praised the Florence summit as a success for fostering urgent dialogue and hopes for a future G7 Culture in Canada. He emphasized the need for political will and intellectual leadership to protect cultural heritage, citing the 'Florence Declaration' as a first step. Brault quoted Cesare Pavese ('Art is proof that life is not enough') to argue that art must 'humanize' technology. The Canada Council is increasing funding for international events like the Venice Architecture Biennale 2018 and supporting young artists by encouraging institutions to diversify and open doors to emerging generations. Regarding Canada-U.S. relations, Brault expressed concern over 'building walls' but affirmed that art and culture can maintain open spaces and exchanges. He plans to visit Washington soon to meet U.S. colleagues.