UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts srengthen international collaboration in Namur

Between 21 and 25 October, UNESCO Creative Cities in Media Arts gathered in Namur, Belgium, on the occasion of the KiiK Festival, "International festival of digital & creative cultures", in a meeting that marked a new cycle of cooperation and strategic development within the network.

For the first time, the meeting was coordinated by Joana Miranda, from Braga, together with deputy coordinators Elliot Fisher and Zac Traeger (Austin, USA) and Daniela Burkhardt (Karlsruhe, Germany).

Throughout the meeting, city representatives engaged in intensive and productive working sessions during which strategic priorities were redefined and new working groups were established. These efforts further reinforced the cluster’s role as a platform for international collaboration and knowledge exchange among Creative Cities.

The programme also included participation in the official session marking the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, held at the Walloon Parliament. The delegation was additionally welcomed by the Mayor of Namur, in a meeting that strengthened institutional ties and opened new opportunities for collaboration and artistic exchange.

Furthermore, on 31 October, during the celebration of World Cities Day 2025, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced the designation of 58 new cities as members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), bringing the total number of member cities to 408. Among the newly designated cities, Varna (Bulgaria) and Malang (Indonesia) joined the Media Arts cluster, while Matosinhos (Portugal) joined the Portuguese network in the Gastronomy category.