“Festivals in Creative Cities”: Hanoi and UNESCO Creative Cities share experiences

On December 5, in Hanoi, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports organized the conference "Festival in the Creative City" with the theme "Building the future - Good practices and development frameworks from Hanoi and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network".

The conference was attended by international experts and representatives of cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to exchange and share experiences and jointly identify common directions for organizing creative festivals in an increasingly dynamic urban context.

This year’s event is an opportunity for Hanoi to strengthen international connections, sharing how the city is developing its creative ecosystem after joining UCCN in 2019. In recent years, the Hanoi Creative Design Festival has become a familiar cultural meeting place for the creative community, encouraging youth participation, experimenting with new art models and expanding cooperation between many industries.

Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Bach Lien Huong spoke at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Bach Lien Huong said: After more than 6 years of becoming a member of the "UNESCO Creative Cities Network", Hanoi has had many activities to concretize its commitments to building a Creative City. The city has been affirming its position as one of the dynamic and creative cities and capitals of Asia. The city has promoted creative design activities, connecting cooperation opportunities between cities in the Network.

In 2024, the City established a Council of consulting experts, built creative activity spaces, developed criteria and creative activity spaces; established the Hanoi Creative Activities Coordination Center, built a network of Hanoi Creative Cultural Spaces connecting organizations, individuals, experts, artists, and community groups operating in the field of creative design; attracted and connected local and international creative resources; introduced, shared, and supported the creative community to develop and expand, with the highlight being the organization of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival.

"The good results achieved are due first of all to the City receiving the attention, support and advice of many good experts in the field of creative design. We deeply appreciate their contributions and help. And today, at this Conference, in order to promote global exchanges on organizing Creative Design Festivals, the UNESCO Office in Vietnam continues to support and invite a number of experts representing cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network to exchange festival content in Creative Cities, together building a common framework towards impactful, inclusive and sustainable festival programs" - Ms. Bach Lien Huong emphasized.

Mr. Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam, spoke at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Jonathan Baker, Head of UNESCO Representative Office in Vietnam, said: “Hanoi’s recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Design opens a new chapter – where creativity is no longer a supporting factor for development, but a key driving force. Over the years, the city has nurtured a dynamic creative ecosystem: festivals that enliven public spaces, networks that connect communities, and initiatives that empower young designers to envision and create new futures for their city.

Creative festivals may only last a week or a season, but their impact is long-lasting. They bring people together. They invite communities to reclaim and revitalize public spaces. They give young creatives a platform to make their voices heard. And they allow cities to express their identity and aspirations for the future.

Representatives of Creative Cities receive souvenirs

“This conference is an opportunity for us to learn from each other, from cities, from effective models of public-private-community cooperation, from festivals that put youth and communities at the center, and from experiences that transform urban life with creativity,” said Mr. Jonathan Baker.

At the conference, best practices from Dundee, Bandung, Daegu, Singapore, Kobe, Nagoya, Wuhan and others helped paint a diverse picture of how cities around the world are using festivals as tools for sustainable development.

Performing arts program

Many of the presentations focused on how cities can combine resources from government, the private sector and the community to sustain festivals for the long term. Another focus was on expanding access for youth, people with disabilities and local communities, making festivals a place where all groups can participate and create.

In addition, cities also shared how they design urban experiences through leveraging public spaces, open exhibition models, interactive installations and digital platforms to innovate cultural experiences. Finally, delegates discussed how to measure the cultural, social and economic impacts of festivals, considering this an important factor to convince policymakers and build long-term development strategies.

Conference scene

The draft Creative Festival Guidelines developed after the conference will serve as a reference document for cities to organize festivals in a way that is consistent with the spirit of the Creative Cities Network: promoting collective intelligence, promoting mutual learning and strengthening cross-border solidarity./.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/le-hoi-trong-thanh-pho-sang-tao-ha-noi-va-cac-thanh-pho-sang-tao-cua-unesco-chia-se-kinh-nghiem-20251205151306374.htm