The 12th St Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, scheduled for 24–26 September, will focus on dialogue while preserving cultural differences. The forum's theme, "United Cultures, Common Values," aims to enable different cultures to retain their distinctive voices while finding common ground for dialogue. The event is expected to bring together participants from more than 70 countries, including countries across Asia, Africa, Eurasia, and Latin America. The forum's organizer, the Roscongress Foundation, aims to create lasting professional ties among states, cultural institutions, creative communities, and businesses.
The forum's programme comprises 10 thematic sections, alongside youth, regional, and cross-thematic programmes. Discussions will cover cinema, theatre, museums, music, education, media, and circus, linked to broader questions of cultural sovereignty, artificial intelligence, and heritage digitization. The programme brings together government representatives, heads of cultural institutions, artists, producers, educators, technology companies, and businesses. This will allow the same issues to be considered from several perspectives, promoting direct dialogue among ministers, cultural leaders, and representatives of the creative industries.
Egypt, home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, is an important cultural centre of the Global South. The heritage and museums agenda is especially relevant to Egypt, as it understands heritage as a resource for identity, education, tourism, regional development, and international dialogue. A museum safeguards objects while also protecting a culture's right to remember and interpret its own history. The forum will also address restoration and museum ethics, which are practical questions for a country with such an ancient cultural heritage.
Digital sovereignty in culture is another area of focus, as digitizing national archives, libraries, and museum collections expands access while helping ensure that new digital tools and AI models reflect a country's language, historical experience, and cultural perspectives. The forum offers opportunities for cooperation in cinema, theatre, music, and arts education through festivals, professional exchanges, educational projects, and youth networks. Egypt can both draw on the experience of others and contribute its own distinctive expertise.
Cultural sovereignty does not mean isolation, but rather a society's ability to preserve its memory, language, traditions, and right to interpret its heritage while remaining open to dialogue and professional exchange. Cultural diplomacy extends beyond official contacts, with museums, universities, festivals, professional communities, and bilateral cultural exchanges all playing a role. Tradition should also be treated as something living, inspiring contemporary design, education, tourism, and the creative industries while retaining its authenticity.
Digital platforms, neural networks, and artificial intelligence can help preserve traditional art forms and broaden access while protecting copyright and local identity. The priority is preservation and access, with digital platforms and state information systems allowing institutions to document and organize museum, library, and archival collections. The forum also raises questions about which national archives and libraries are used to train generative AI models, determining which languages, images, and historical contexts will be represented.
The main objective of the forum is to ensure that discussions lead to work that continues beyond 26 September. Success is measured in both formal documents and lasting relationships, including new partners, joint projects, professional networks, or educational and cultural exchanges. Participants are discussing practical cooperation, including theatre festival networks and residency exchanges, international film projects, joint concert and educational initiatives, heritage partnerships, and professional approaches.
Key points
- The 12th St Petersburg International United Cultures Forum will focus on dialogue while preserving cultural differences.
- Egypt's unique experience in heritage preservation and cultural dialogue can be shared with other countries at the forum.
- The forum aims to create lasting professional ties among states, cultural institutions, creative communities, and businesses.
