Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague and John Kenyon, Executive Director of the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization, attended the 16th annual meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities network in July. The meeting, themed “Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade,” was held in Braga, Portugal, a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. More than 250 Creative Cities from around the world gathered to celebrate the Network’s 20th anniversary and underline the importance of youth engagement in urban development.
Since 2004, the UCCN has grown to more than 350 cities from more than 100 countries, each dedicated to harnessing culture and creativity as strategic drivers for sustainable urban development. The Conference gathered global delegates to reflect on the progress, innovation and collaboration among Creative Cities, showcasing the Network’s transformative impact.
In addition to connecting with and learning from the 35 other UNESCO Cities of Literature in attendance and cities in other of the six thematic designations, Mayor Teague and Kenyon met with the other U.S. Creative Cities where they held discussions with Ernesto Ottone R, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO; and Jean Manes, Acting U.S. Permanent Representative to UNESCO. In these meetings, the group discussed priorities for U.S. engagement with UNESCO, which include greater geographic and cultural diversity of the Creative Cities Network and more transparency in UNESCO operations.
Mayors and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and international networks met separately during the meeting to discuss strategies to better integrate culture into sustainable urban development. The discussions culminated in the endorsement of the “Braga Manifesto: A Culture Goal for Sustainable Development,” advocating for culture to be recognized as a standalone goal in the post-2030 sustainable development framework. Mayor Teague was among leaders who signed the manifesto, which underscores local-level commitment to implementing the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration and solidifies a shared vision of integrating culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 sustainable development agenda. This common vision also acknowledges the key role cities play in championing innovative cultural policies and integrating culture as a fundamental pillar of future urban development strategies.
Specifically, the manifesto outlines commitments across six priority areas to be implemented locally:
-Strengthening individual and collective cultural rights;
-Addressing the digital transformation in the cultural and creative sector, notably Artificial Intelligence (AI);
-Harnessing culture for climate action;
-Tapping into the economic dimensions of culture;
-Protecting cultural heritage in times of crisis; and
-Enhancing the synergies between culture and education.
Participants at the conference took part in roundtable discussions, panels and presentations on cultural topics such as Artificial Intelligence, youth voice, inclusivity and sustainability. Cities enjoyed hearing from recently welcomed UNESCO Creative Cities to the network, updates from the UNESCO Secretariat, and local officials in Braga on the work they’re doing in their city.
Paulo Rangel, Portugal Minister of Foreign Affairs said in his speech to the delegates, “The future of humanity is in cities, not because of their population numbers, but because of the values, innovation and creativity they hold. And cities are more inclusive than states.”
Delegates enjoyed visits to nearby Portuguese cities Barcelos City of Craft and Folk Art, Amarante City of Music and Santa Maria da Feira City of Gastronomy to experience the wealth of cultural activity they bring to the Creative Cities Network.
Cities of Literature had a strong involvement in the creative programme of the conference, as well as shaping the cultural policy at an international level. Each City of Literature donated a children’s book to a mobile children’s library that traveled around Braga during the week of the conference giving readings and performances of the books to young people in the local community.
A sound installation created by Portuguese sound artist Pedro Augusto featured a collection of readings by international authors in their original languages, contributed by many of the Creative Cities of Literature. The continuous broadcast was installed in the garden of Nogueira da Silva Museum, challenging visitors to discover the several listening points and experience the cultural and linguistic richness emanating from the Creative Cities Network, in a direct dialogue with the natural beauty of the space.
A new report, “The Impact of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network on Local, National, and International Levels,” was released to celebrate the network’s anniversary and underscore its contributions and successes. It highlights the network’s role as a platform for collaboration between local authorities and stakeholders on innovative cultural projects impacting both national and international levels.
To find out more about the events mentioned above and the Cities of Literature network please visit https://www.citiesoflit.com/ and follow the #CreativeCities hashtag on social media.
