The City is Pursuing a Prestigious UNESCO ‘Creative City’ Designation for Music
Today New Orleans & Company and the City of New Orleans announced their intention to submit an application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a ‘Creative City’ of Music. New Orleans & Company is facilitating the application process, a project it began almost three years ago.
Founded by the United Nations in 1945, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) works to promote international cooperation and knowledge sharing to help foster peace and sustainable development through intercultural dialogue based on respect for commonly shared values.
In 2004, recognizing the outsized potential and value of connecting cities across the globe to work together, UNESCO created the UCCN to empower cities to support each other to innovate and prosper through the arts. Covering eight creative fields — design, film, music, crafts and folk art, literature, media arts, gastronomy and architecture — the UCCN recognizes cities that utilize culture and creativity as strategic levers for sustainable progress and growth. Today, the UCCN spans more than 100 countries and has 350 member cities, including nine cities in the United States.
On February 5, the City of New Orleans submitted its UCCN application to the U.S. State Department to be one of the two American cities represented in this cycle. Pending approval, the city will submit the application to UNESCO on March 3rd.
In New Orleans, music is more than just an art form. It is a defining cultural asset, deeply integrated into daily life and community identity. Known as the birthplace of jazz, the city also fosters diverse genres such as blues, gospel, R&B, funk, brass band and bounce. New Orleans sustains one of the most vibrant live music scenes in the United States, hosting hundreds of festivals and thousands of performances annually.
“Not only is music the key to the soul for many of us who live here, the creative industries surrounding music employ thousands of local artists, craftspeople, and support personnel, contributing significantly to the New Orleans economy,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Being selected to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network will help us further amplify the positive social and economic impacts of New Orleans’ music industry.”
UCCN member cities share best practices and develop partnerships that promote creativity and cultural industries. Their common goal is to strengthen participation in cultural life and integrate culture into urban development plans.
“We are applying to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network because we want to fortify New Orleans’ seat at the global table, to open doors and shine a light on the rich cultural landscape that makes our city a hallowed destination for music lovers from across the world,” said Walt Leger III, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company, the New Orleans tourism industry’s official destination marketing and sales organization. “In New Orleans, music doesn’t just tell our story — it is our story.”
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About New Orleans & Company
New Orleans & Company is the official destination sales and marketing organization for New Orleans’ tourism industry. Founded in 1960, our mission is to inspire, promote and encourage travel to our city for the economic, social and community benefit of New Orleans and its people. Our vision is to ensure New Orleans remains the most remarkable, unique, and welcoming city in the world. For more information, visit us at neworleans.com or on social media @VisitNewOrleans or @Neworleansandco.