South African Indian-origin filmmaker Anant Singh appointed to WEF's Global Arts and Culture Council

Johannesburg: Indian-origin South African filmmaker Anant Singh has been appointed to the Global Arts and Culture Council (GACC), which was inaugurated at the latest session of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Known for using his films to speak out against apartheid, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence, Singh's movies have earned him multiple international accolades. One such film is 'Long Walk to Freedom,' a biopic of Nelson Mandela.

He was conferred WEF's Crystal Award in 2001. The council was inaugurated on Wednesday in Davos.

Established by WEF co-founders Hilde Schwab and Professor Klaus Schwab, the council aims to harness the power of creativity to shape a more unified and prosperous future in an increasingly interconnected society.

"Artists and the creative community worldwide are the voice of the people and the custodians of humanity's storytelling. The GACC is vitally important in a fractious world where the voice and expressions of artists need to be heard to contribute to the dialogues of the journeys of millions of people," Singh said.

Singh was appointed to the council along with other renowned arts and culture luminaries from around the globe, including Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Academy award-winning film director); George Osbourne (Chair of the British Museum); Renee Fleming (World-renowned Soprano) and Hany Ulrich Obrist (Artistic Director of the Serpentine Gallery).

Andrea Bocelli (World-renowned Tenor); Deborah Rutter (President of the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in the US); Nile Rodgers (Musician, Producer and Founder of the We Are Family Foundation; Jin Xing (Dancer - Actress and Transgender Activist); Yana Peel (Global Head of Arts & Culture – Chanel) and Misty Copeland (Dancer, Author, Producer) are other notable members of the council.

The founders said that the GACC was established in the context of the shifting world from an industrial era to a more intelligent and interconnected society, where the arts and culture sector is uniquely positioned to lead the way toward a unified and prosperous future with a distinguished group of visionary cultural leaders committed to harnessing creativity to shape the new age.