The Edinburgh International Culture Summit is a ministerial forum held every two years, established in 2012 as a collaboration between the Scottish government, UK government, British Council, Edinburgh International Festival and Scottish Parliament. The summit aims to build bridges between culture ministers, policymakers, artists and practitioners from around the world during the largest annual global celebration of the arts – the Edinburgh Festivals – helping to define the most appropriate ways to build a vibrant and financially sustainable culture sector, and to encourage a greater understanding among artists of the policy constraints facing politicians. The 2016 summit focused on the role of culture in building resilient communities, with sessions on cultural protection, heritage-led regeneration, the economic value of culture and widening participation in culture. The summit attracted representatives from 42 countries, including 22 ministerial delegations, discussing the importance of culture in building resilient communities.
