Member’s Insights from the IWF World Leadership Conference – Seattle
Susan Young, IWF UK former Board Member, former Vice Chair & Member & Managing Director at City Academy.
It was a true honour to speak at this year’s IWF World Leadership Conference in Seattle as part of the panel discussion: How Arts Define a Place.
Our conversation was expertly moderated by Emily Parkhurst, Founder and CEO of Formidable, Interim President at Cornish College of the Arts, and a proud member of IWF Washington State.
On stage, the inspiring group of panellists included:
Nancy Mee, renowned Seattle-based sculptor
Vivian Phillips, long-time arts advocate and Founder of ARTE NOIR, an initiative celebrating and uplifting Black culture and art
Susan Young, Co-Managing Director of City Academy in London, which uses performance and the creative arts to foster personal and organisational growth
Together, we explored how art tells the stories of our lives—capturing who we are, what we’ve experienced, and what we aspire to become. Whether through sculpture, painting, or performance, art has the power to preserve memory, foster healing in times of trauma, and bring joy even in the darkest moments.
We also discussed the significant economic role of the arts. Beyond its emotional and cultural resonance, the arts sector contributes meaningfully to communities and economies across the globe.
It was a rich, thought-provoking conversation that reminded us all of art’s enduring power to shape identity, strengthen community, and imagine a better future.
