MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT
Nov 3, 2026
Toronto, ON – Art/In Forum announces a bold collaboration with corporate trailblazer Kirstine Stewart, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, with previous roles as Executive Committee member of World Economic Forum (WEF), VP of Media for Twitter, and Head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
On November 24, 2026 at 2pm ET, Kirstine Stewart will feature in a free online event, Culture As A Middle Power, presented by Art/In Forum in partnership with Sheridan College and Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence, with support from Business / Arts.
Is the adage, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ as true in politics and world-building as it is in business? If so, how do we position artists, culture, and cultural relations at the table to build better futures? Will governments, business, media, technology, and leadership get behind culture?
Earlier this year, at WEF, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to the world’s political and economic leaders, naming this moment as a rupture, and declared that the rules-based international order is effectively over. ‘Middle powers’ are being called on to build a new world order. Is culture one of them?
Culture, globally, may be thought of as a ‘middle power’: It’s a powerful, if subtle force at work in the world. Culture is created by artists, museums, and theatres, and also shaped by business, media, and tech – with every story published and every product shipped. This is an invitation to talk across the table about the cultures we’re producing. In this online event, Culture As A Middle Power, we will reflect on culture’s multiple roles, and multiple authors, in a polarized and changing world. In these turbulent times, how can business, media, and tech work with artists and cultural institutions to build healthy, democratic, and responsible futures?
“Sheridan’s Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design (FAAD) prepares students to become the storytellers, designers, and creators who shape culture, and they will do that alongside business, media, and technology,” says Mark Jones, Dean of FAAD at Sheridan. “Culture As A Middle Power asks how these worlds can collaborate more intentionally. We’re delighted to support this conversation that brings artists, industry, and leadership to the same table, and that reflects the kind of future that our graduates are ready to help build.”
Culture As A Middle Power will feature Kirstine Stewart, and be hosted by Canadian cultural innovator Helen Yung, who founded Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence in 2019, and co-founded the international Forum for Artistic Intelligence (Art/In Forum) in 2025 with art, science, research, education, nonprofit, and business institutions around the world.
Both disruptors themselves, Kirstine Stewart and Helen Yung have spent their respective careers leading institutions through disruption. In this open conversation, two women in very different positions of leadership discuss and debate culture’s powers and possibilities.
The esteemed Dr. Cindy Gouveia, President and Vice Chancellor of Sheridan College, will introduce the event.
“Connecting business and the arts is at the heart of our work at Business / Arts,” says Aubrey Reeves, President and CEO. “Business / Arts is proud to support Culture As A Middle Power as we believe cross-sectoral, cross-border dialogue is how we build stronger futures.”
Free Event Registration
forum.artisticintelligence.com/2026/in-situ-culture-as-a-middle-power-with-kirstine-stewart
– 30 –
Media Inquiries
Mark Jones, Dean, Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design, Sheridan College
mark.jones3@sheridancollege.ca
Amina Mohamed, Communications, Art/In Forum
amina@artisticintelligence.com
About
Art/In Forum
In 2025, led by Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence, an international group of art, science, research, education, nonprofit, and business institutions came together to establish Art/In Forum: A global network for the application of artistic intelligence – artists and artistic methods – to transform complex problem spaces. We believe that social crisis, social innovation, and global transformations like climate change, require the insights of people knowledgeable about humanity in its creative, imaginative, emotional, and sociocultural aspects. Art/In Forum hosts cross-sectoral conversations and practical residencies to imagine more, to imagine better, and to practice bringing that imagination to life.
forum.artisticintelligence.com
Sheridan College
Sheridan is one of Ontario’s leading postsecondary institutions, attracting students from across Canada and around the world. An award-winning institution, Sheridan’s 240,000+ alumni play a critical role in shaping the future of our society in the fields of arts, business, community service, health, technology, and the skilled trades. Culture As A Middle Power is presented in partnership with Sheridan College’s Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design (FAAD). Notable alumni include Maggie Kang (KPop Demon Hunters) and Zaib Shaikh (Little Mosque on the Prairie) who served for eight years as Canada’s Consul General in Los Angeles with his partner Kirstine Stewart.
sheridancollege.ca/about/faculties/animation-arts-design
Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence
Founded in 2019, Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence (LAI) leads cross-cutting collaborations between art, science, community health, research, and more.
Business / Arts
Business / Arts is a charitable organization championing business investment in the arts and building strong, lasting partnerships between the arts, business and government in Canada.
Biographies
Kirstine Stewart
From leading global media organizations to advising Fortune 500 brands, corporate trailblazer Kirstine Stewart has spent her career helping businesses and leaders thrive in disruption.
Kirstine Stewart served on the Executive Committee for the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum, where she helped define the future of global media. Her strategic insights and industry expertise guided conversations on innovation, trust, and content, shaping how media adapts and thrives in a rapidly evolving landscape.
As Vice President of Media at Twitter, Kirstine Stewart drove transformative growth by leading strategic media partnerships across television, sports, news, and entertainment. Her leadership elevated Twitter’s position as the go-to platform for real-time conversation and breaking news.
As Executive Vice President of CBC, Kirstine Stewart led a bold transformation of Canada’s national broadcaster, driving record audience engagement and expanding its digital presence. Her visionary leadership introduced innovative programming and strengthened CBC’s position as a trailblazer in multi-platform content and storytelling.
Helen Yung
Artist and cultural innovator Helen Yung founded Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence in 2019, and initiated the founding of the international Forum for Artistic Intelligence (Art/In Forum) in 2025 with art, science, research, education, nonprofit, and business institutions around the world. Prior to this, Helen Yung co-founded Culture Days, Canada’s national cultural participation campaign, leading the digital strategy and cultural community engagement strategy. She was instrumental in paving the way for grassroots-led public engagement across the country, which has led to increases across arts participation, donation, education, sales, and volunteerism year-round, as verified by independent research.
Helen Yung has served on the Board of Directors for both the Centre for Social Innovation, and Social Innovation Canada. She is a Salzburg Global Fellow in cultural innovation, and a sought-after authority on artistic intelligence, and social innovation through the arts.