More related content on the BRIDGE
- Media Panel 9 December 2:00 - 2:30PM
Designing a Global Media Dealbook
As the media landscape fragments and legacy funding models fall short, creators and investors seek smarter ways to align. Despite broader access to tools and audiences, many high-potential ventures go overlooked. A 2024 World Economic Forum–McKinsey report found global venture funding for fintech, media, and creator platforms fell 67%, from $92 billion in 2021 to $30 billion in 2023, highlighting the absence of forward-looking, coordinated capital. Could a curated platform connecting mission-driven media with values-aligned investment unlock new innovation and a more resilient media future?
Forum StageSpeakers
- Media Panel 8 December 3:35 - 3:55PM
The Future of Media's 'Free' Spaces
Digital social media has become primary arenas for information exchange and cultural dialogue, yet the systems that govern visibility and participation remain largely opaque. As business models, ownership structures, and moderation philosophies evolve, societies are grappling with how to ensure these spaces remain trustworthy, inclusive, and resilient. A 2023 Reuters Institute study found that nearly one-third of global users now access multiple news sources through social platforms each week, underscoring their growing influence on public understanding. This conversation explores how different approaches like community governance can strengthen digital environments that balance openness with responsibility, support constructive engagement, and reflect the diversity of the global audiences they serve.
Forum StageSpeakers
- Creator Economy Workshop 10 December 11:00 - 11:40AM
X 101
All you need to know about your presence on X.
X - Technology Panel 8 December 4:10 - 4:25PM
Hand-Crafted Content in the Age of AI
In a world increasingly shaped by automation and generative tools, a creative counter-movement is gaining momentum: a return to the tactile, the hand-made, and the unmistakably human. From Blinkink’s clay-animated BBC campaign for the Women’s Euros 2025 to the large-scale mural culture documented and championed by Global Street Art, physical craft is becoming a powerful signal of authenticity in an AI-saturated age. Whether it’s clay, paint, textile, or movement, audiences are gravitating toward work that carries the imprint of real hands, real texture, and real emotion. This session explores why hand-crafted aesthetics, from murals and stop-motion to independent street culture, are resonating across film, fashion, advertising, and public art, and what it means when the most futuristic work is the work that feels the most human.
Central Stage - Creator Economy Fireside 9 December 5:20 - 5:35PM
The Bridge of Becoming: From Inner Child to Self
In this playful yet deeply honest session, Egyptian comedian, actor, and writer Ahmed Amin explores creativity, courage, and the selves we grow into. Through stories, humor, and hard-earned reflection, he unpacks identity, vulnerability, and what it really takes to stay curious and authentic while the world keeps trying to make us serious adults.
Explore by InstagramSpeakers
Moderator
- Picture Fireside 8 December 4:25 - 4:40PM
How To Build a Friendly City for Filmmakers
What does it take for a city to become a true hub for world-class filmmaking? Drawing on decades of experience producing global blockbusters, Tommy Harper offers a producer’s view of how cities can attract major productions and the talent behind them. This session explores the essentials: reliable infrastructure, streamlined logistics, supportive policy, strong creative pipelines, and environments where filmmakers feel empowered to create. How can cities move from being locations to becoming partners in storytelling, and engines of global cultural influence?
Central StageModerator
