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How can we define popularity versus populism? Tim Marlow, Artistic Director, Royal Academy of Arts - Moderator Farooq Chaudhry OBE, Producer, Akram Khan Company Lars Nittve, curator, art critic, writer Munira Mirza, Executive Director, Culture, Kings College London Debates around populism are not simply the preserve of politics. Culture has also been in the cross hairs of late as prices for artworks at auction have soared, leading to questions about commodification versus artistic value while galleries and museums have capitalised on blockbuster, touring exhibitions to public, if not critical, acclaim. But is popularity a profound measure of quality or impact? Is the idea of driving mass audiences to cultural institutions and museums something that everyone in the cultural sector should support or believe in? What is behind the aspiration of contemporary cultural organisations’ attempts to reach the broadest possible audiences, and is elitism in the arts really a dirty word or do the arts have a responsibility to defend excellence and expertise? These were just some of the questions raised at the final panel discussion of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2019's first day. The engaging debate was moderated by Tim Marlow, Artistic Director of the 250-year-old Royal 39