Reflections from The Three Bells: S6#1
Title
When there are nine…
Contributor
Stephanie Fortunato
In this first Reflections of Season 6, Stephanie Fortunato looks back on the curatorial choices that shaped our 2025 season. Reflecting on a year that deliberately centred women and non-binary leaders, she considers what the data on gender inequality tells us, why progress cannot be taken for granted, and how storytelling can help expand our collective imagination of leadership, belonging, and cultural power.
Date of Recording
6 January 2026
Date of Publication
29 January 2026
[00:00:00]
THEME MUSIC
[00:00:04]
Stephanie Fortunato: Hello, and welcome to The Three Bells. This podcast is one of a series brought to you by AEA Consulting for the Global Cultural Districts Network, in which we explore dynamics of cultural vitality, cities, and belonging; consider how culture influences urbanism, and how urbanism influences culture all over the world.
I'm Stephanie Fortunato, Special Projects Director for GCDN, and it's the start of a new year, but 2025 is still fresh in my mind. And today, I'm reflecting on our last season of The Three Bells.
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External Links
The Reykjavík Index for Leadership: background and latest findings for the index referenced in the episode, measuring perceptions of women’s suitability for leadership across 23 sectors (including generational differences).
Ruth Bader Ginsburg on “When there are nine”: Clip/source for the quote Stephanie references about representation on the US Supreme Court.
About our Contributor
Stephanie Fortunato is Director of Special Projects of the Global Cultural Districts Network. Her expertise sits at the intersection of cultural planning and urban development, collaborating with local communities on creating policies and partnerships to strengthen neighbourhoods and transform public spaces. +
