Cities of Literature attended the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Conference 2024 in Braga, Portugal
Keira Brown
Communications Executive
Edinburgh City of Literature Trust
18 October 2023
35 UNESCO Cities of Literature went to Braga for the XVI UCCN Conference to share ideas, best practices and celebrate creativity across the network
Focal points, City Mayors and high-level representatives of the UCCN were invited to participate in UNESCO’s Annual Meeting in Braga, Portugal, a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, to celebrate 20 years of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
During the conference Cities of Literature Mayors co-signed the Braga Manifesto: A Culture Goal for Sustainable Development. This pivotal text outlines local-level commitment from Creative Cities implementing the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration and solidifies a shared vision of integrating culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 Sustainable Development agenda.
Cultural Programme
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. The Cities of Literature network presented many joint projects to conference delegates including work by Angouleme and Nanjing, Story Valley from Ljubljana, Leeuwarden, Nottingham, and Edinburgh as well as work on International Days such as World Poetry Day, International Mother Language Day and International Youth Day.
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.”
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 travelled around Braga during the week of the conference giving readings and performances of the books to young people in the local community.
Edinburgh City of Literature donated a copy of This Is Edinburgh by Miroslav Šašek to the mobile library.
Expanding Our International Work
Since April 2023, we’ve had over 20 opportunities come to us through the Cities of Literature network for creatives and organisations working in literature in Edinburgh. Included in these were 9 residencies, 5 commissions and promotional work, as well as 10 professional development opportunities.
Our success stories include Martin MacInnes and Nick Holdstock both being selected for writing residencies, in Wonju and Nanjing respectively. Professional development opportunities have included Ann Landmann, from Cymera Festival, and Beth Cochrane, formerly Scottish Poetry Library and Push the Boat Out, travelling to Melbourne for the Literary Programmers Roundtable. Daniel Abercrombie, programme manager for the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Scottish International Storytelling Festival, has been selected as a guest to attend the Globale festival in Bremen to develop future programming links.
Edinburgh Hosts in 2024
We are continuing our international work as we look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary of being a UNESCO City of Literature in 2024 by hosting the UNESCO conference here in Edinburgh.
Interested in our International Work?
If you want to know more about working internationally, read more on how you can benefit from our expanding global network.