UNESCO Creative Cities Network

UNESCO Creative Cities Network:

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was established in 2004 to support the economic, social and cultural development of cities based on the principles of sustainable and balanced development.

The programme, run by UNESCO, serves to highlight the achievements and aspirations of urban centres that want to share their ideas, experiences and best practices to foster sustainable cultural, social and economic development. Cities can implement these ideas in many fields of creative activity - through literature, film, music, crafts and folk art, design, use in the development of digital technology and media, and even gastronomy.

Kraków UNESCO City of Literature:

Kraków began the application process for the title of UNESCO City of Literature in 2010. Works on the application process integrated the city’s diverse literary circles and led to the creation of a coherent strategy for the development of literary life. The application was submitted to UNESCO in late 2011 by the Mayor of the City of Kraków, Jacek Majchrowski.

On 21 October 2013, at a conference of nearly 100 international cities held in Beijing, Kraków was officially declared a UNESCO City of Literature. Kraków is the seventh city in the world to be awarded this honourable title. Bearing in mind the title of UNESCO City of Literature and the need to create a programme to support the diversity and abundance of Kraków’s literary initiatives, the Kraków City Council adopted Resolution No. LXXXVIII/1319/13 on the development of the Kraków City of Literature Programme.

In the years 2014-2018, Kraków acted as the coordinator of the Cities of Literature, serving as a link between the member cities and the UNESCO Secretariat.

In 2018, Kraków and Katowice, UNESCO City of Music, under the common name of “Krakowice”, organised the 12th Congress of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network - one of the most important events for all network members. The Congress was headlined by the slogan “Creative Crossroads”, and the entire event was devoted to bringing together different areas of culture and creativity in order to further fulfil the objectives of sustainable development contained in the UN Agenda 2030.

Coordination of the cooperation:

The operator of the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature programme is the Krakow Festival Office.

More information available at the Kraków UNESCO Cite of Literature website: http://krakowcityofliterature.com/