Follow the Data Podcast

148. Arts Internships in the Age of AI

Young people entering the workforce today are facing a brand-new challenge: Can I find a job that AI can’t touch? And just as important, what skills will make me irreplaceable?Enter: the arts and cultural sector — and specifically, the Bloomberg Arts Internship program, also known as BAI. Launched in 2012, this program connects high school and college students with paid summer internships at arts organizations in seven U.S. cities.Since its start thanks to an idea from Bloomberg Philanthropies Board Member Walter Isaacson, BAI has supported more than 2,250 internships at over 250 cultural institutions, giving students real-world experience while building skills every career needs — communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and civic engagement.On this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with from Kate D. Levin, who oversees Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Arts program, on how the Bloomberg Arts Internship has evolved, the impact it’s having on participants, and why these opportunities matter to young people in a rapidly changing professional landscape.

147. Protecting 30% of the World's Land and Ocean by 2030

Currently, only 17% of the world’s land and 8% of its ocean are protected. Without government action and commitment to protect the natural world, our most vital natural systems are at risk of collapsing.As a Bloomberg Ocean Initiative partner and the winner of the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the ‘Revive Our Oceans’ category, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People - also referred to as HAC - is turning words into action, engaging with governments around the world to officially protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030.An intergovernmental group of 120 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France, HAC is the largest coalition of countries for nature. Since its inception, the HAC has been working alongside policymakers to provide the guidance and resources necessary to track their progress and follow through on their commitments to global conservation efforts.On this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with Rita El-Zaghloul, Director of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, to discuss the urgency of biodiversity protection, how winning The Earthshot Prize has helped the group expand its efforts, examples of progress that has been made so far, and her vision for the coalition's future.

146. Celebrating The Gates in Central Park and the Power of Public Art

20 years ago, the late Christo and Jeanne-Claude transformed Central Park with The Gates, a temporary public art installation featuring 7,503 saffron-colored gates adorned with free-flowing fabric. After being elected as Mayor of New York City, Mike Bloomberg worked with the artists to bring their vision to life.The results? Over its 16 days on display, the public art piece drew more than four million visitors to Central Park in the middle of winter and brought an estimated $254 million in economic activity to the city.Christo and Jeanne-Claude were known for their site-specific, large-scale public artworks, which often reimagined landmarks or landscapes into surreal spaces with objects, fabrics, textures, and colors. From surrounding 11 islands in Miami’s Biscayne Bay with bright pink fabric, to wrapping Paris’s Pont Neuf bridge with silky, golden fabric, the pair created bold and brilliant outdoor projects that spanned the globe and garnered international acclaim for their expansiveness and originality. The point of their installations? It was simple; no deeper meaning was contained within the works, but they provided visitors with joy, beauty, and new perspectives on familiar spaces.  For a limited time, the public can experience a portion of The Gates through an augmented reality experience in Central Park powered by the Bloomberg Connects app and learn more about Christo and Jeanne-Claude's NYC projects at Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City, the latest exhibition at The Shed.On this episode of Follow the Data, Megan Sheekey sits down with Patti Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and  Vladimir Yavachev, Director of Projects at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, to dive deeper into the 20th anniversary of The Gates, the prolific life and works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and the critical role public art plays in cities around the world.

145. In Defense of Democracy

Around the world, public leaders are confronting a growing distrust in government.In these divided times, a mayor’s work becomes increasingly important. As the governing body closest to their residents, they are often the ones left reminding their communities of what we have in common—and why those things are worth fighting for.So how can local leaders proactively take the lead on building social solidarity, and rebuilding trust in government, from the bottom up? We looked to Istanbul, Turkey for a bold answer.Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is addressing this increasingly global challenge in his city with his Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge-winning project, Pay-It-Forward, which leverages municipal data to match residents in need with community members that can provide support. From helping neighbors pay utility bills during the pandemic to rallying global aid during a national earthquake disaster, this city-led platform brings people together to solve challenges. Since its inception, it has delivered over $12 million USD in aid.On this episode of Follow the Data, James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program, joins Mayor İmamoğlu on stage at Bloomberg CityLab 2024 in Mexico City to discuss the state of democracy from the ground floor of cities, and how solutions like Pay-It-Forward offer an inspiring path for mayors around the world to build social cohesion locally and around the world, at scale.

144. A Home for Arts and Culture in Lower Manhattan

Last year, the Perelman Performing Arts Center opened in New York City - the last major piece in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Its opening marks a new chapter in the story of Lower Manhattan as a center of culture and creativity.The space - dubbed PAC NYC for short - includes three theatres with movable walls and seats that expand and contort to create endless possibilities of layouts to stage a wide variety of shows. From a reimagination of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats to free programming on the lobby stage, PAC NYC’s inaugural year has hosted an impressive range of performances.Over the past year, PAC has welcome around 200,000 guests into their building and hosted 238 separate free performances with artists from 24 different countries.On this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver is joined by Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director of PAC NYC, and Bill Rauch, Artistic Director of PAC NYC, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the PAC's opening. Together, they discuss what drew them to working at this brand-new venue and what's to come for the Perelman Performing Arts Center.To learn more about the Perelman Performing Arts Center and its upcoming “Icons of Culture” Festival, head to pacnyc.org or check out its guide on the Bloomberg Connects app.