About World Cities Culture Forum:
- It was founded in 2012 by Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture & the Creative Industries.
- It is a global network of cities that share research and intelligence, and explore the role of culture in future prosperity.
- The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents.
- Bengaluru being the latest addition is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others.
- World cities culture summit hosted on a rotating basis by city partners, an unprecedented gathering of city leaders sharing ideas and knowledge about culture’s role in public policy in a world city context.
Key facts about Bengaluru
- Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) is a megacity, the capital of the Southern state of Karnataka and the fastest growing city in India.
- Its population has grown from one million in 1950 to over 16 million in 2023.
- It is commonly referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ because of its role as the nation’s leading information technology exporter,
- It is home to more than 30 government and private museums that showcase the city’s rich history, art and culture.
- Most recently, South India’s first major private art museum, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), opened in February 2023.
- Bengaluru’s distinction lies in being a rare city where both North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) classical music thrive.
- As the “Garden City of India”, Bangaluru has many green spaces including two nationally recognised botanical gardens, Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park that act as green lungs for the city.
