UNESCO Creative Cities Network

Blog Credit: Trupti Thakur

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UNESCO Creative Cities Network

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a flagship city programme of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which have recognized culture and creativity as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development.  As of 2022, there are almost 300 cities from around 90 countries in the network.

The network aims to foster mutual international cooperation with and between member cities committed to invest in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy. The Network recognizes the following creative fields.

• The overall situation and activities within the Network is reported in the UCCN Membership Monitoring Reports, each for a 4-year period for a particular city.
• The Network recognizes the concept of creative tourism, defined as travel associated with creative experience and participation.

 

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

Kozhikode in Kerala and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh have made it to the prestigious creative cities list of UNESCO for contributions in the fields of literature and music respectively.

The announcement was made by UNESCO on its official website on October 31, which is designated as World Cities Day.

“On World Cities Day, 55 cities join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. New cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning,” the statement said.

 Kozhikode is the first City of Literature in India

On November 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a congratulatory message on X : “India’s cultural vibrancy shines brighter on the global stage with Kozhikode’s rich literary legacy and Gwalior’s melodious heritage now joining the esteemed UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Congratulations to the people of Kozhikode and Gwalior on this remarkable achievement!”

“As we celebrate this international recognition, our nation reaffirms its commitment to preserving and promoting our diverse cultural traditions. These accolades also reflect the collective efforts of every individual dedicated to nurturing and sharing our unique cultural narratives,” he added.

Union Culture Minister G. Kishen Reddy said: “A proud moment for India. Kozhikode in Kerala has been designated as the UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ and Gwalior as the ‘City of Music’ in the latest UNESCO list of Creative Cities Network. These cities get acknowledged and recognition for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity. Congratulations to all stakeholders!”

With the latest additions, the creative cities network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Kozhikode is a permanent venue for the annual Kerala Literature Festival and hosts several other book festivals. Gwalior has a rich and diverse musical heritage encompassing classical Hindustani music, folk music, and devotional music. The city also has some prestigious music institutes and hosts popular festivals.

With the latest additions, the UCCN now counts 350 cities in more than a hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. Some of the other cities added to the list are Bukhara for Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca for Media Arts, Kathmandu for Films, and Rio de Janeiro for Literature.

The newly designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade”, the UNESCO statement said.

 

 

 

Blog By: Trupti Thakur