#31 Social entrepreneur Marta Foresti on creativity and our common future

Ich bin so frei

Staffel 2: Kunst und der perfekte Tag

Marta is a lot: A 51 year old Italian Londoner, a philosopher turned social scientist, a single mom of two cool teens, a dancer and a cyclist - a changemaker: a woman who gets things done.

She recently quit her job of nearly 20 years leading global policy research to create something new. In October 2022, she founded LAGO - Local Actions on Global Opportunities. It is a new collective focusing on cities, creativity and the movement of talent and ideas. We talk about her journey getting there, she says: “I realized that I wanted to do something new. I had written enough policy papers, so many words, trying to make a difference. Time to tell a different story, to explore new ways to make the most of local innovations to address global challenges.”

We discuss why we need a different narrative and new stories on the common destiny of Africa and Europe based on cooperation and opportunities. As an example she highlights the collaboration on fashion, textiles and design between the mayors of Freetown, Sierra Leone and Milan, Italy launched last June during Milan Design Week. She says “Creative sectors create jobs and are key drivers of local economic development. So I am working with designers, artists and innovators to connect them with policymakers and other leaders interested in exploring different solutions to unresolved ‘wicked’ global problems.  And with this, creating a new narrative on our 'collective future'”. She shouts out to all other pioneers, innovators, and changemakers out there: get in touch! 

To get in touch with Marta Foresti:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-foresti-36255334/

https://twitter.com/martaforesti

https://www.instagram.com/lago_collective

To learn more:

https://odi.org/en/insights/creating-our-collective-future-what-the-arts-and-design-can-do-for-development/

https://moleskinefoundation.org/marta-foresti-joins-moleskine-founation-as-senior-advisor/

https://odi.org/en/events/our-collective-future/

Music/Video/Poem reading credit:

On Freedom Of Movement (Wi de Muv), 2022 © Studioknxx;

Directed by Julianknxx   © Studioknxx; Courtesy of the artist and Studioknxx

This is a trailer of the artistic documentary "On Freedom of Movement" (wi de muv) , by Sierra Leone/British artist Julianknxx produced in partnership with ODI and Labrum London for the Africa-Europe Mayors Dialogue.