Published in 2020 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France © UNESCO 2020 ISBN 978-92-3-100390-5 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www. unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The text of this publication has been edited by UNESCO based on the information including the qualitative and quantitative data transmitted by the member cities. (*)Images marked with an asterisk in this publication do not fall under the abovementioned CC_BY_SA licence and may not be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright holders. Cover photo: Silhouette of people walking on the street of big city © Babaroga/ Shutterstock.com* Graphic design & cover design: UNESCOACKNOWLEDGMENTS This e-publication is the result of the collaborative efforts and reflection undertaken by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNESCO would like to acknowledge the support of the many cities and people involved in the development of this e-publication and seize this opportunity to thank all the contributors for their time and work. The e-publication has been developed under the supervision of Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant-Director General for Culture of UNESCO. The editorial team was composed of the Secretariat of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to all the UNESCO Creative Cities who responded to the Call launched by the UCCN Secretariat for sharing their culture-driven measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular: Auckland, Ballarat, Bangkok, Barcelos, Beijing, Beirut, Bergamo, Biella, Bilbao, Bogota, Bologna, Bradford, Bristol, Bucheon, Buenos Aires, Carrara, Chengdu, Curitiba, Dunedin, Enghien-les-Bains, Gabrovo, Gaziantep, Gwangju, Hamamatsu, Hangzhou, Hannover, Heidelberg, Hyderabad, Iowa City, João Pessoa, Kanazawa, Katowice, Kaunas, Kazan, Llíria, Łódź, Lyon, Macao (SAR), Medellín, Melbourne, Metz, Mexico City, Montevideo, Montreal, Morelia, Nanjing, Nassau, Norwich, Pesaro, Portoviejo, Querétaro, Rome, Saint Étienne, San Antonio, Sarajevo, Seattle, Sharjah, Singapore, Slemani, Terrassa, Torino, Valladolid, Viborg, Wonju, Wuhan, Yamagata. We also thank the Creative Clusters – Design, Media Arts, and Music – for sharing with us their collective responses to COVID-19. The e-publication benefited from the advice provided by the external reviewer: Dominique Roland, Focal Point and Director of Centre des Arts, Creative City of Enghien-les-Bains, France. Finally, we also thank all the UNESCO staff members involved, for their essential participation and guidance in the preparation of this e-publication.INDEX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................. i FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 2 CULTURE & CREATIVITY LED RESPONSES TO COVID-19 ....................................................... 6 AUCKLAND .................................................................................................................................................................. 7 BALLARAT ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 BANGKOK .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 BARCELOS ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 BEIJING ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11 BEIRUT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 BERGAMO ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 BIELLA .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 BILBAO ......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 BOGOTA ...................................................................................................................................................................... 16 BOLOGNA .................................................................................................................................................................. 17 BRADFORD .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 BRISTOL ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19 BUCHEON ................................................................................................................................................................. 20 BUENOS AIRES ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 CARRARA ................................................................................................................................................................. 22 CHENGDU ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 CURITIBA .................................................................................................................................................................... 24 DUNEDIN .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS ........................................................................................................................................ 26 GABROVO .................................................................................................................................................................. 27 GAZIANTEP .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 GWANGJU ................................................................................................................................................................. 29 HAMAMATSU .......................................................................................................................................................... 30 HANGZHOU ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 HANNOVER .............................................................................................................................................................. 32 HEIDELBERG ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 HYDERABAD .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 IOWA CITY ................................................................................................................................................................. 35JOÃO PESSOA ........................................................................................................................................................ 36 KANAZAWA ............................................................................................................................................................. 37 KATOWICE ................................................................................................................................................................ 38 KAUNAS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 39 KAZAN ........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 LLÍRIA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 41 ŁÓDŹ ............................................................................................................................................................................. 42 LYON .............................................................................................................................................................................. 43 MACAO SAR ........................................................................................................................................................... 44 MEDELLÍN .................................................................................................................................................................. 45 MELBOURNE ........................................................................................................................................................... 46 METZ ............................................................................................................................................................................. 47 MEXICO CITY ........................................................................................................................................................... 48 MONTEVIDEO ......................................................................................................................................................... 49 MONTREAL ............................................................................................................................................................... 50 MORELIA .................................................................................................................................................................... 51 NANJING .................................................................................................................................................................... 52 NASSAU ...................................................................................................................................................................... 53 NORWICH ................................................................................................................................................................. 54 PESARO ...................................................................................................................................................................... 55 PORTOVIEJO ........................................................................................................................................................... 56 QUERÉTARO ............................................................................................................................................................ 57 ROME ............................................................................................................................................................................ 58 SAINT-ÉTIENNE ..................................................................................................................................................... 59 SAN ANTONIO ....................................................................................................................................................... 60 SARAJEVO ................................................................................................................................................................ 61 SEATTLE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 62 SHARJAH ................................................................................................................................................................... 63 SINGAPORE ............................................................................................................................................................ 64 SLEMANI ..................................................................................................................................................................... 65 TERRASSA ................................................................................................................................................................. 66 TORINO ....................................................................................................................................................................... 67 VALLADOLID ............................................................................................................................................................ 68 VIBORG ....................................................................................................................................................................... 69 WONJU ........................................................................................................................................................................ 70 WUHAN ....................................................................................................................................................................... 71 YAMAGATA ................................................................................................................................................................ 72 COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS ........................................................... 73 UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES OF DESIGN .............................................................................................. 74 UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES OF MEDIA ARTS .................................................................................. 75 UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES OF MUSIC ................................................................................................. 77 UNESCO INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY .................................................................................................. 781 FOREWORD Culture and creativity have been affected in unprecedented ways by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with many World Heritage properties and cultural institutions closed, and with artists and cultural professionals struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, particularly at the local level, culture and creativity have provided relief to millions of people in the face of widespread lockdown measures, school closures, and social and economic upheaval. On 13 March 2020, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) reached out to its member cites from around the world, to collect and learn from the local measures that were and are being undertaken in the face of the pandemic. Member cities have been encouraged to tap into the creative potential of culture and creativity during these challenging times, and to use the Network as a platform to find inspiration and partners, and to share experiences and knowledge. Mapping the way in which cities used their cultural and creative sectors and making these experiences available as a resource for others within the UCCN and for the public at large, was one of the first initiatives undertaken by UNESCO in the field of culture in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following UNESCO's call, Creative Cities started submitting stories of how they have been using culture and creativity as part of the larger response to the pandemic, but also of how they have supported the cultural and creative sector during these challenging times. The UCCN joins together 246 cities across the globe that work to give a central place to culture, in particular to cultural and creative industries, in their local and sustainable development. As cities have taken a lead role in the response to COVID-19, as well as with regards to the cultural sector, they have demonstrated great resourcefulness and devised numerous new initiatives. Culture and creativity have been identified as important building blocks for the future of cities, and now, amidst a global crisis, the sector is proving that it is more important than ever, providing an opportunity to shape a better future for cities that will benefit all its inhabitants. This is why UNESCO is taking stock of how, across its Member States and cities, culture and creativity have helped to shape the local response to the pandemic, and how, in turn, culture and creativity can continue to develop and flourish as we work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Ernesto Ottone R. Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO2 INTRODUCTION CREATIVE CITIES AND COVID-19 The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) joins together cities from across the world around the common objective of harnessing the potential of culture and creativity for a sustainable future. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people everywhere, and the culture sector has in many ways come to a standstill – cultural events, cinema, theatre and music performances have been cancelled, international tourism has largely ceased, restaurants and markets have closed, amongst others. This has not only impacted the sectors concerned, but also the public, which tends to turn to cultural products and services for education, entertainment, leisure, personal development, or social engagement. While this undoubtably has a serious impact on the economic viability of the cultural sector, the sector's fundamental creativity and ability to inspire social connection remains intact. The information submitted by over 90 Creative Cities from 44 UNESCO Member States shows how cities have come together to nurture new ideas and projects by connecting people to culture and creativity during the pandemic. First and foremost, the cultural and creative sectors have moved online. Like many other aspects of life, when various lockdown measures were put in place, the internet becomes one of the main ways for people to communicate, and for people to gain access to culture. Global cities have helped the sector to move online. In Buenos Aires (Argentina) the “Cultura en Casa” (Culture at Home) platform moved all cultural offerings online, aiming to reach a broad part of the population, and to also make access to culture more inclusive. Virtual museums have been opened all around the world, for example, in Bergamo (Italy), Beirut (Lebanon) and Gabrovo (Bulgaria). Libraries, too, have gone online, as was the case in Bogota (Colombia), and Seattle (United States of America), which encouraged the online sharing of poetry. In the music sector, Bologna (Italy), Kazan (Russian Federation), Mexico City (Mexico) are some examples amongst the countless cities that have organized online concerts or created online music platforms. By moving online, or in other innovative ways, access to culture and cultural participation have been ensured. By doing so, the cultural and creative sectors have worked to continue their social role. Cities have devised new forms of access to cultural activities, aiming to ease and enrich life under confinement. Central to this are efforts to ensure the continuing roles of culture in social and economic life: bringing people together and providing for leisure and learning. In Kaunas (Lithuania), Creative City of Design, performances such as music, theatre, circus, and dance were organized in the yards of apartment blocks with the aim of strengthening social ties amongst the inhabitants, who were often living in isolation. #Cinemadacasa (Film from Home) was an initiative in Rome (Italy), a Creative City of Film, where images from classic movies were projected on buildings across the city, to animate the city and to strengthen social connections. In Small Islands Development States (SIDS) such as Nassau (Bahamas), as well as in Medellín (Colombia) and Slemani (Iraq), different creative initiatives were launched to uplift the spirit of their inhabitants.3 The internet has proved to be a particularly relevant space to engage young people with culture. With schools and universities closed, UNESCO Creative Cities have looked towards the cultural and creative sectors to create virtual spaces for youth to express themselves and remain socially engaged. In Hamamatsu (Japan) the #MusicAtHome initiative offered a virtual stage for young musicians and helped connect them to the city's inhabitants. Film was another creative field that has been deemed particularly relevant for mobilizing young people to express their creativity during lockdown. For instance, in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) an online short film competition was launched, while Dunedin (New Zealand), a Creative City of Literature, worked to support young people during the COVID-19 confinement through an online writing competition. Creativity and culture allowed for continued education and learning in virtual spaces. With schools and leisure activities closed, online access to various aspects of the cultural sector has provided alternative forms of education and learning. In Bucheon (Republic of Korea), for instance, the “Online Culture Delivery” initiative consisted of online book-reading sessions conducted by theatre artists primarily aimed at children. Other Creative Cities, such as Morelia (Mexico) and Hangzhou (People's Republic of China) organized arts and crafts online workshops. In Bradford (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), a series of Screen Talks on the city's creative industries and film heritage have been made accessible online under UNESCO's #LearningNeverStops initiative. In the same field of activities, Yamagata (Japan) created a week-long online programme covering various aspects of the film sector in the city. Several Creative Cities also enabled local readers to explore literature during the period of confinement: for instance, in Gaziantep (Turkey) a series of alternative learning programmes, included an audio book, allowed visually impaired citizens to experience literature. A book drive-thru was created giving access to literature to people without leaving their cars In Wonju (Republic of Korea), while Norwich (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) initiated a Bibliotherapy Programme. The “localizing” potential of the creative sector proved to be an asset for cities during this period. When life in cities came to a halt, with no more tourists or commuters, no cultural and social events, no gatherings in urban public spaces, people at times felt estranged from urban life and the places they were accustomed to. To support creative industries and restore the spirit in the Charoenkrung district of Bangkok (Thailand), public spaces were provided for local artists to create and decorate, resulting in over 60 new artworks. Local products and services also brought residents a sense of relief and normalcy. Especially in the field of gastronomy, their has been renewed interest in local products and production patterns. From Areguá (Paraguay) to Bergamo (Italy), traditional food was promoted as part of the pandemic response. Cities have devised ways to support, financially or non-financially, creative professionals who have been significantly affected by the pandemic. Measures ranged from subsidy schemes, to innovative ways of providing work to creative professionals through numerous online platforms, such as the online theatre in4 York (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Targeted online campaigns and other initiatives to support creative professionals have been initiated in Auckland (New Zealand), Gwangju (Republic of Korea), Hannover (Germany) and Melbourne (Australia), for example. Many cities have also set up public subsidy schemes such as, for instance, the rapid relief fund in Toronto (Canada), or the financial assistance provided in Singapore (Singapore). In Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), a similar effort to empower women artisans was undertaken. Cities have also rendered support to various creative sectors such as in Macao (People's Republic of China) and Portoviejo (Ecuador) where the cities provided support to their local gastronomic sector, via free online videos tailored for catering professionals and through the implementation of a 'Promotion plan for gastronomic services at home’, respectively. In the long-term, Metz (France) is envisioning the organization of a conference gathering local representatives and experts to discuss appropriate measures for reviving the cultural and creative sectors. Furthermore, creativity provided a vehicle for solidarity and mutual aid during the pandemic. Solidarity was, for example, encouraged in Montevideo (Uruguay) where the city distributed food and hygiene baskets to vulnerable communities, including a piece of literary work from local writers and publishers to further support them and promote “bibliodiversity”. From the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Nanjing (People's Republic of China) connected with Creative Cities around the world to design and spread posters to encourage the people of Wuhan, while the “Annapurna Canteen” in Hyderabad (India) provided free food to healthcare workers and vulnerable citizens. The creative sector has worked to support the response to the pandemic by spreading messages related to hygiene and social distancing. The city of Valladolid (Spain) encouraged citizens to share video material of their social distancing experiences, thereby mobilizing a citizens-based awareness campaign. In Llíria (Spain) the social media campaign #WindowsOfMusicAndHope spread messages of hope while raising awareness on the importance of staying at home. Viborg (Denmark) and Wuhan (People's Republic of China), rallied its graphic designers to develop messages on good hygiene and other preventive measures for children and adults, amongst others. While doing so, UNESCO Creative Cities also sought to express their support to healthcare and other frontline workers, such as through the light installations in Lyon (France) that honoured healthcare staff. Design and innovation have been widely mobilized to provide creative solutions to the multiple challenges brought about by the pandemic. Within the UCCN, Creative Cities of Design and of Media Arts have been amongst the most active innovators. To provide health services to its inhabitants more effectively, Beijing (People's Republic of China) launched a dedicated Online Medical Consultation Platform for COVID-19, gathering more than 1,000 doctors and 5 hospitals across the city. This initiative reduced the risk of cross infection caused by in-hospital consultations, as well as alleviated the pressure on public medical resources and helped its citizens deal with anxiety. Montreal (Canada) fully integrated design into the development of the city, so that its future can be ecologically sustainable, economically viable, socially equitable and culturally diverse, which has further supported the city during the current pandemic. In Braga (Portugal), through the "tech4COVID19" project, and in Curitiba (Brazil), designers put their skills to devise solutions for the medical challenges created by the pandemic and, for example, developed 3D-printed masks. While in Bilbao (Spain), 3D-printers and scanners, welding stations and prototyping equipment were used to design a variety of protection materials for hospitals, police forces and other public services in need during the pandemic. The call launched by the city of Torino (Italy) to gather innovative solutions and resources has aimed to provide its inhabitants with better livelihood opportunities during the pandemic. The UCCN fostered enhanced intercity collaboration during the pandemic. Creative Cities took the initiative to fully tap into the connecting potential of the UCCN, and have devised creative actions aimed at uniting cities worldwide around common objectives for sustainable urban development. On the occasion of this year's International Jazz Day, UNESCO Creative Cities of Music, including Llíria (Spain), Ambon (Indonesia), Praia (Cabo Verde), and Mannheim (Germany), devised various virtual and creative events that allowed5 communities to reconnect to each other through music. Meanwhile, Enghien-les-Bains (France) coordinated two different joint actions with the UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts and the French UNESCO Creative Cities, both of which are aimed at developing new initiatives and supporting cultural and creative professionals. Creative Cities of Design - Detroit (United States of America) and Kortrijk (Belgium) partnered to mobilize the other Creative Cities of Design and beyond to collect good practices being implemented in their respective cities. Finally, Katowice (Poland) and Mannheim (Germany) called on member cities to take part in the “weRculture” social media campaign, spreading a message of hope from artists across the world during the pandemic. These initiatives and others from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are explored in this dedicated publication, highlighting the incredible diversity of how cities across continents and regions have made culture and creativity a core component in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no doubt that the cultural and creative sectors have been hard hit by the pandemic and need more sustained support. However, by moving online or using creative solutions, these sectors have been able to continue serving their citizens. In turn, culture and creativity have acted as a social connector, and a force for resilience. Furthermore, the examples provided in this publication demonstrate the potential and versatility of culture and creativity, which enables social transformation, economic development and technological innovation. UNESCO Creative Cities have played a lead role in this over the past months and will certainly continue bolstering the cultural and creative sectors so that they can act as a key driver of a holistic and sustainable recovery, and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This publication is therefore expected to be a rich resource and an inspiration for UNESCO's Member States on how they can support their cities in achieving sustainable development through culture and creativity.6 CULTURE AND CREATIVITY LED RESPONSES TO COVID-197 Auckland's fundraising campaign to support music professionals Owing to the cancellation of cultural events, organizations in the music industry based in Auckland (New Zealand) have joined forces to provide support to music professionals impacted by the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by an Australian initiative (Sound of Silence), the city of Auckland, a UNESCO Creative City of Music, in collaboration with ‘MusicHelps.org.nz’ has launched a fundraising campaign to assist music professionals with additional financial resources. Established by music industry partners, ‘MusicHelps.org.nz’ has also set up a new online platform advocating for public and corporate donations. The new platform has enhanced the support to music professionals alongside the MusicHelps Wellbeing Service, a 24-hour helpline providing free professional counselling service for New Zealand musicians experiencing emotional distress. Having raised over $200,000 NZD (approximately 122,000 USD) in the first week of the campaign, the initiative has been able to provide support to many music professionals. With the ultimate goal of raising $2 million NZD (approximately 1,2 million USD), people can choose to participate through a crowdfunding website, a PayPal micro site, or even by simply texting the word ‘music’ to on their mobile devises instantly donate $3 to the cause. To further encourage direct contact with artists, the website also provides links for interested participants to connect directly with them to buy artist merchandise. To build a collective response as well as support the artist community during the ongoing pandemic, the city of Auckland has invited other UNESCO Creative Cities to replicate this fundraising initiative by creating similar websites and broadening the outreach and support to the music professionals. AUCKLAND RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid • Financial and policy support8 ‘Be Kind, Be Creative’ – a city-wide cultural response to COVID-19 in Ballarat In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown measures, the UNESCO Creative City of Ballarat (Australia), launched the programme ‘Be Kind, Be Creative’ to offer its local communities with opportunities to creatively adapt to the new and evolving circumstances. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Ballarat has commissioned 8 local artists across a wide selection of genres, from music to poetry, ceramics and visual arts, to document the current global crisis and the city's place within it. The collaboration amongst artists has been taking place online, to encourage them to positively respond to the challenge through cooperation and teamwork while respecting social distancing. The outcomes of the works are foreseen to be exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in 2021. While the ‘Be Kind, Be Creative’ initiative is underway, the city also launched Ballarat Open Studios, an initiative to celebrate the art of creation by shedding light on the hidden stories and studios of Ballarat's creative community. Initially conceived as a set of activities, including exhibitions, workshops and talks, the initiative has been turned into a virtual experience. The public is invited to go behind the scenes and explore the city's cultural identity via short videos featuring artists and craftspeople directly from their studios. Virtual workshops and guided tours are also planned in the framework of the initiative. To know more: https://www.creativeballarat.com.au/covid-response BALLARAT RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid9 Bangkok brings back colours to city life Bangkok, the capital of Thailand and home to more than 300,000 creative workers, was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2019. Design drives Bangkok in many aspects, including in the area of conservation and improvement of cultural and heritage capital, community development, and the incorporation of innovation, inclusion and sustainability in the city's growth. As part of Bangkok's response to COVID-19, the city has capitalized on its arts and design capital to uplift the spirits of its inhabitants and bring back the liveliness of the city. In cooperation with the Creative Economic Agency (CEA), the city has launched the programme ‘Colour of Charoenkrung’ to relieve and support creative industries and restore the spirit of Charoenkrung district, known for its vibrant cultural life and cultural diversity. The project has provided local artists with free public spaces, such as walls in buildings and facades, to express their creative potential and skills. Over 60 artworks have been created around the district in various formats, including interactive street art, illusion art and street typography. By connecting old architecture to creative workers and businesses newly implanted in the area, the initiative also seeks to highlight the creative identity of the neighborhood. The project demonstrates how design and arts can create an interactive and revamped storytelling scenario in an urban context and stimulate local economy. The design-driven industries have been an important part of Bangkok's economy and are key to the development of a value-based economy. Once again, Bangkok bears witness to how design is a crucial tool to leverage local wisdom and dynamics, and to make cities more resilient in coping with 21st century challenges. BANGKOK RESPONSE TO COVID-19 • Access to and participation in cultureKEY WORDS:10 Local crafts and folk art are one of the main pillars of the identity of the city of Barcelos, Portugal. Designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2017, the city's crafts and folk art sector has contributed substantially to the city's international recognition in the field of traditional handicrafts and tourism. Given the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on creative economy, the city of Barcelos has created a support pack to ensure the sustainability of this sector and its practitioners. In particular, the Municipality of Barcelos has undertaken a set of measures to mitigate the loss of assets within the artisanal community, which survives exclusively of craftsmanship. The two main programmes directed at the artisanal community are the Operational Support to Artisanal Community (OSAC) and the Promotional Incentive System to the Handicraft of Barcelos (PISHB). The OSAC is an aid programme that provides supporting materials to preserve, boost and promote creativity as a structuring framework for the preservation and development of the activities of existing and future artisans. This aid further supports the development of creative tourism. Meanwhile, the PISHB aims to foster the participation of local artisans in tourism, handicraft fairs and exhibitions, which provides a relevant added value to the Barcelos brand. This programme supports up to 16 artisans and artists per year, covering costs related to their participation in relevant national and international exhibitions. The measures contribute, in the short and medium term, to the sustainability of the city's Creative Cluster, creative tourism and handicraft. Furthermore, through these various support measures, Barcelos places culture and creativity at the heart of its long-term local strategy towards sustainable development. To know more: http://www.creativetourismnetwork.org/barcelos-covid-19-measures/ BARCELOS RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Barcelos protects the sustainability of its crafts and folk art sectors KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support11BEIJING RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Beijing utilizes its design expertise for an Online Medical Consultation Platform Beijing, the sprawling capital of the People's Republic of China, is a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2012. On the strength of its many design colleges and Creative Cluster Areas, Beijing has recognized the design sector as one of its pillar industries, employing around 250,000 people. Each year, the city holds the internationally recognized Beijing Design Week and the Beijing Science and Technology Exposition, amongst many other global outreach events. To provide effective health services to its inhabitants in response to the current pandemic, the city of Beijing has launched a dedicated Online Medical Consultation Platform for COVID-19, gathering more than 1,000 doctors and 5 hospitals located in the city. While reducing the risk of cross infection caused by in-hospital consultations, the Platform alleviates not only the pressure from public medical resources but also helps its citizens deal with anxiety. Built on the city's expertise in design and innovation, the initiative provides a wide range of medical services to local citizens, ranging from consultations to follow-up visits, or even including the delivery of medicine. The Platform further provides in-depth information on several specific topics, such as infection prevention guidelines, scientific facts and knowledge on coronavirus, as well as mental health care. Each of these thematic sub-platforms gives citizens access to an array of services such as an epidemic situation map, news broadcast, free psychological consultations, COVID-19 self-test, and all-day individual video consultations, amongst many other services. More than 25 million people have visited the Platform and over 400,000 people, from both China and overseas, have received medical consultations through the Platform without leaving their homes. Through this initiative, the city of Beijing has demonstrated how technology, design and innovation can be utilized to broaden further the public health services to contain the pandemic, while improving access to urban facilities and raising awareness amongst its citizens. KEY WORDS: • Technology and innovation • Solidarity and mutual aid12 Beirut disseminates a diverse cultural offer to its confined inhabitants Beirut (Lebanon), UNESCO Creative City of Literature since 2019, promptly reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a rich and diverse digital cultural offer to its confined inhabitants, originating from both its public authorities and private sector. Museums from the city, notably the National Museum, have transformed their permanent exhibitions into virtual visits, available to all via their official websites. Every week, the National Museum provides a detailed presentation of an art piece selected from its collections, on the Cultural Agenda website. The Directorate General of Antiquities, for its part, invites inhabitants to take part in virtual guided tours to explore archaeologic sites in and around Lebanon. Beirut has also developed measures dedicated to the field of literature. Considered a basic necessity, the city's bookshops have been allowed to open for a period of two hours a day for the inhabitants to (re) discover the joys of reading books. The bookshops have also developed rapid book delivery services to support its greater outreach. Local associations such as Dar Onboz or Achkal Alaouan have also organized reading sessions and interactive activities for kids, through social media and their websites. Compounding the challenges of COVID-19, the explosions of 4 August 2020 has further damaged the cultural life of Beirut. UNESCO is committed to supporting the reconstruction and recovery of Beirut's cultural life, including through the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. To know more: https://www.conservatory.gov.lb/ BEIRUT RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Youth engagement13 Bergamo opens museums virtually in response to confinement Bergamo, Italy, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy since 2019, has stayed creative in the face of COVID-19. In line with the confinement measures, Bergamo's museums and cultural institutions have launched various online initiatives allowing inhabitants to continue experiencing the vibrant cultural life of the city, through a wide range of resources, such as virtual tours, videos and podcasts. Thanks to these creative measures, visitors are able to explore various art collections and enjoy specific events and activities. Amongst these initiatives, the Museo delle Storie (history museum) has been sharing fascinating images of Bergamo from its historical photography archive, through its social media accounts and official website. In addition, GAMeC – Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (contemporary art gallery) has launched Radio GAMeC, a new platform for live streaming on social media with radio broadcasts. With the aim to spread a message of serenity and hope, this project invites people to share stories of Bergamo. The Gallery's social media account and webpage have further provided various cultural and creative activities for children and families. The Accademia Carrara (art gallery) has further supported the ongoing initiative by providing digital access to the masterpieces from its permanent collection, which includes works by great Italian masters such as Mantegna, Botticelli, Bellini, Tiziano and Raffaello. Virtual tours are also being offered for visitors to discover insightful highlights and details of the various works of art. The Gallery's social media accounts further enhance the digital experience for guests by uploading special talks that focus on iconic art pieces. Aside from supporting its own traditional food sector, Bergamo understands and endorses the need for a more sustainable gastronomic industry. As far as possible, the city is trying to continue its policies to combat food waste, and its long-term goal for sustainable, fair and resilient food systems, both for the producer and the consumer. In recent years Bergamo has put in place gastronomy related policies and programmes in support of farmers and the local gastronomic sector. The city strives to continue its implementation in these exceptional times, and especially in planning for post-COVID-19. To know more: https://www.museodellestorie.bergamo.it/en/ https://www.lacarrara.it/en/ BERGAMO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture14 Biella opens virtual access to its museums In compliance with the COVID-19 emergency management directives, Biella (Italy), a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, collaborated with the Museum of Biella to continue providing its citizens with virtual access to the cultural contents. Entitled #museichiusimuseiaperti or ‘Closed museums, open museums’, the project is composed of a set of initiatives that offers a holistic artistic experience to all generations. Within the project framework, the museum has created a series of online publications introducing the present works of art and exhibits from its historical-artistic and archaeological collection, sharing in-depth cultural assets regarding their history, techniques and curiosities. To cater to the curious, playful nature of children, the project invites children to discover the Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet through the game #IconsiglidiTaaset (Taaset's advice) that features Taaset, the mummy of the museum, which also gives tips to combat the coronavirus. Another initiative within the project intends to encourage both adults and children to learn about art and history. In this regard, three online paths dedicated to three different themes – spices, colors, and collections – have been set up. To further enhance this virtual access and engage participants in knowing further about various cultural assets, various materials, such as detailed publications, educational cards and reading tips, are being made available to all the online visitors. To know more: https://www.comune.biella.it/web/news/book-quotidiani-on-line-gratis-utenti-polo-bibliotecario-biellese BIELLA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Youth engagement15 Bilbao capitalizes its design potential to produce health protection equipment Bilbao (Spain) joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2014 in the creative field of Design. Known for its creative architecture, industrial and interior design, and new technologies, the city has stepped up its efforts to support its cultural and creative institutions by promoting innovative solutions in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. In the framework of the ‘Maker Community against the Coronavirus’ initiative, ‘BilbaoArte’, an artistic production centre has made its advanced digital manufacturing equipment, usually offered to its resident artists and creators, available for the production of protective health equipment. Through its cutting-edge MediaLab workshop, the centre has further mobilized professionals from various backgrounds, including design, engineering and graphic design, as well as associations and educational centres to support the initiative. Thanks to the provision of 3D printers and scanners, welding stations and prototyping equipment, the initiative has been able to design protection materials for hospitals, police forces and other public services in need. Using social media platforms, the centre has also called upon individuals and companies with 3D printers to collaborate with MediaLab to produce additional COVID-19 protective equipment, including masks, face shields and respirators to support the thousands of health workers in the city. To know more: https://covideuskadi.net/ BILBAO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Technology and innovation • Solidarity and mutual aid16 BiblioRed, the Media Library of Bogota, recreates social ties among the population As a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2012, Bogota (Colombia) has undergone several urban, economic, and social transformations through the implementation of public policies that place culture as a key pillar of its development. Facing the current challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bogota, together with its public libraries, has been reflecting on various creative ways to circulate quality information and guarantee access to knowledge for its citizens. As part of its larger strategy, BiblioRed, the digital library of Bogota, has launched a new initiative - ‘Leer para la vida’ (Read for life), to further broaden the outreach of the city's public libraries through virtual channels. Amongst these initiatives, Café Literario is a virtual meeting space held every Wednesday. The space allows residents to discuss various subjects ranging from specific literary topics, such as Afro-Latin writings, to current topics such as the situation of writers in confinement. Literary playlists related to the topics covered by these discussions have been made available for its participants. The Café Literario sessions have also been uploaded on social media networks giving everyone the opportunity to listen to the discussions. ‘Experimental LAB – Family Knowledge sharing’, another platform offered by BiblioRed, has aimed to recreate social and intergenerational ties during the confinement period. Regarded as a creative laboratory, the initiative has triggered creative moments amongst families to find solutions to issues related to homeschooling, children's rights, or parenting. Related short video summaries can be found via the Media Library's YouTube channel. To know more: https://www.biblored.gov.co/ BOGOTÁ RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Youth engagement17 ‘Culture does not stop’ in Bologna Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Bologna, a UNESCO Creative City of Music in Italy, has mobilized its various cultural institutions to continue providing inhabitants with access to the city's cultural content. Leveraging its creative potential in the field of music, the city has launched a series of online initiatives to maintain its vibrant cultural environment. Thanks to the close collaboration of the leading music institutions and other cultural practitioners and organizations, the official web portal of the Municipality, ‘Bologna Agenda Cultura’, has become a genuine online cultural hub. Through this platform, inhabitants can participate in or access multiple cultural activities from home. The platform contains diverse musical content including operas for the past seasons published by the famous Teatro Comunale, and musical performances from the Orchestra Senzaspine, which is composed of 450 musicians under the age of 35. Through the inclusion of the orchestra's compositions, the city continues to help revive classical music while giving new professional opportunities to young orchestral musicians. To further promote the music sector, the city of Bologna has also launched the project ‘Canzoni sotto i Portici’ (Songs under Arcades), in collaboration with the official Tourist Board, and Spotify. The platform has already created and released a series of themed playlists featuring international, indie and jazz music. In addition to the music sector, the city's museums have also put in place several initiatives to bring culture into homes during confinement. Using the application MuseOn, the Archaeological and the Medieval Museums have opened their virtual spaces to users to explore museums and cultural institutions in Italy. The Museums of Bologna has created the video game ‘WunderBO’, that encourages players to explore the cultural heritage of Bologna. Throughout the game, players experience adventures full of puzzles, curiosities and hidden objects, while collecting ‘discoveries’ from the Medieval Museum and the Museum of Palazzo Poggi in Bologna to create a real Wunderkammer or ‘chamber of wonders’. To know more: http://cittadellamusica.comune.bologna.it/en/culture-doesnt-stop/ http://agenda.comune.bologna.it/cultura/ BOLOGNA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture18 #LearningNeverStops in Bradford Bradford (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) a UNESCO Creative City of Film since 2009, is known for its rich film heritage, inspirational movie locations and many celebrations of the moving image through the city's film festivals. Amidst the lockdown measures due to COVID-19, the city has utilized its creative potential in supporting its inhabitants. One of the major consequences of the pandemic has been the closure of schools and universities across the world. This has resulted in many school children, college and university students being away from formal study. To facilitate academic enrichments to all students from the safety of their homes, the city of Bradford launched the #LearningNeverStops initiative. As a part of this project, the city also launched the Screen Talk series that gives an insight into the creative industries that have also taken a massive hit due to the pandemic. Filmed in 2019 for the 10th anniversary of Bradford's Creative City designation, the series helps to inform interested students about future choices of study in this area. The general audience as well as other Creative Cities around the world have welcomed the project and more content are foreseen to be produced in the future. In the same line, Bradford has also created a virtual film heritage tour to encourage people to learn about the rich film heritage of the city, in spite of the closure of cultural institutions. Beyond guaranteeing quality education and cultural access for residents in lockdown, the initiative seeks to make cities more sustainable in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. BRADFORD RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Education and learning19 During lockdown Bristol calls on filmmakers’ creativity with #Shortitout The city of Bristol, a UNESCO Creative City of Film, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has launched #Shortitout, a collective movie initiative in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. To highlight the central role of film in the city's cultural identity during these trying times, the British Film Institute (BFI) Network, in partnership with the Encounters Short Film Festival, Watershed and various industry partners including Channel 4 and BBC, launched the initiative in mid-April. Filmmakers from all over the world, of every age and experience, were invited to submit a 90-second film to encourage creativity and storytelling. A dedicated #Shortitout online space has been set up to share tips and inspiration, from both filmmakers and industry experts, to enhance filmmaking skills while connecting with peers. The online digital creative space also includes Q&As and live interviews with celebrated directors, such as Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Appropriate Behavior), and Jim Cummings (Thunder Road), as well as blogs and short films on DIY filmmaking from emerging talents. More content has been commissioned and is being foreseen to be published regularly. The #shortitout hub will also host curated playlists of the most compelling submissions, selected by representatives from BFI Network, Encounters and Watershed. The most innovative and original films are planned to be showcased on the #shortitout online hub. The selected UK films will be presented on the BFI player and the National Archive, to ensure the preservation of the country's screen heritage, allowing future generations to access these creative cultural expressions in exceptional times. To ignite further discussions and collaborations, a series of watch along events are also expected to offer a sense of communal viewing, encouraging audiences and fellow filmmakers to discuss films and filmmaking amongst others. To know more: https://www.encounters.film/shortitout Twitter : @depictshorts @BFINETWORK @encountersSFF BRISTOL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Education and learning20 Bucheon involves its artists and inhabitants in the collective fight against COVID-19 Amidst the confinement measures put in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the city of Bucheon (Republic of Korea) has launched several culture-led online initiatives to maintain its vibrant cultural and literary life. Literature and literary work have played an important role in the social development of the city. Designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature in 2017, Bucheon has committed to ensuring greater access to books and education while raising awareness amongst the younger generation during COVID-19. The city has initiated a series of programmes and events to encourage reading and promote literature amongst its 870,000 inhabitants. One such example is the ‘Online Culture Delivery’ initiative launched by the Bucheon Cultural Foundation. The initiative consists of online book reading sessions conducted by theater artists for children, and are streamed via the dedicated YouTube channel. The Foundation has also offered city inhabitants the opportunity to participate in media production workshops via its Facebook page and YouTube channel. This has allowed inhabitants from diverse backgrounds to learn and discover new creative skills and remain positive during the period of isolation. The various visual contents created during these digital seminars are also included in the initiative. The Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON), a dedicated agency for the Korean comic art style, also initiated a campaign in response to the pandemic. KOMACON invited Manhwa artists and aspiring students, and comic enthusiasts, to share cheerful visual messages to encourage collective efforts for social distancing and other precautionary measures. The campaign showed gratitude to the medical staff and all the people working towards the protection and wellbeing of the inhabitants. Visit the KOMACON Facebook page to discover the visual messages shared by the participants. BUCHEON RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Youth engagement21 Buenos Aires launches online platform ‘Cultura en Casa’ in response to COVID-19 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Buenos Aires (Argentina), a UNESCO Creative City of Design, has launched an online platform ‘Cultura en Casa’ (Culture at Home) to provide inhabitants remote access to the city's cultural offerings at a single location. In line with the city's local development policy framework of promoting creative industries to address inequalities, the initiative seeks to keep the culture present, active and available to all the city's inhabitants and maintain a shared sense of social cohesion during the current health crisis. The online platform is a compendium of exclusive cultural content ranging from theaters, such as Teatro Colón, one of the most famous concert halls in Argentina, to museums, local artists, musicians, and other cultural institutions. With the aim of providing residents access to diverse and latest content, the city has been updating the website on a daily basis with new cultural activities for both adults and children in the form of virtual tours, challenges, learning programmes, podcasts, and art collections, amongst many others. With more than 170,000 people visiting the website within the first week of its launch, the online platform has allowed inhabitants to continue embracing their rich cultural heritage from home. To further enhance and broaden the access, outreach and content of this platform, the city of Buenos Aires has also collaborated with Mexico City (Mexico), a UNESCO Creative City of Design that launched a similar online cultural platform entitled ‘Cultural Capital in Your Home’. This partnership has allowed both the Creative Cities to provide the public a wide access to diverse and rich artistic expressions that reflect the cities' cultural diversity and to help people remain resilient during times of isolation. To know more: www.buenosaires.gob.ar/culturaencasa https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUd4r8B75X3Wboo-YmZFqIg BUENOS AIRES RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture22 ‘Studi Aperti’ 2020 goes digital in Carrara Carrara (Italy), a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, launched ‘Studi Aperti’ (Open Workshops), an initiative to highlight the city's rich cultural heritage during COVID-19. With the lockdown measures implemented by the city due to the pandemic, the 2020 edition of the initiative ‘Carrara Studi Aperti - Oltre il lockdown’ is being organized digitally in cooperation with the Associazione di Promozione Sociale Oltre. The initiative invites local artist community to depict through videos and interviews how their working conditions have evolved in response to the current situation. Since the end of April 2020, every week, one to two videos are being published on social media giving the opportunity to artists to present their work and ongoing research during the pandemic. Experts such as museum directors and the local councillor for culture and tourism and other related stakeholders in the cultural and creative industries are also invited to participate in these discussions. The online format of this year's edition provides artists with a platform to disseminate both their ancestral practices, innovative artistic approaches and spread a message of solidarity within their communities and beyond. In addition, the artistic community are further strengthening their support to the city by supporting local hospitals and health workers by donating components for handmade masks or by making direct donations. To participate in the initiative, interested participants are requested to use the following hashtags: #StudiApertiOltreilLockdown #CarraraUnescoCreativeCity #ItalyComestoYou To know more: https://www.carrarastudiaperti.it/it https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81ldTLbj9R38BGpehwY9lg… CARRARA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid23 Free Services for White Angels in Chengdu A renowned city for its gastronomic inheritance and creativity in People's Republic of China, Chengdu joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2010 as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Cradle of Sichuan cuisine, one of the four main points of references of Chinese cuisine, Chengdu is known for its cuisine, catering sector, and its extensive public participation in gastronomy. Each year, the city organizes many activities in this domain, such as the Chengdu International Food and Tourism Festival. As a response to the recovery process to COVID-19, the city has initiated ‘Free services for white angels’ to pay respect and show the inhabitants' appreciation for the selfless dedication and valuable work of doctors, nurses and medical staff in protecting the wellbeing and health of fellow inhabitants in the ongoing pandemic. In this regard, the local government has implemented preferential policies and incentives to support medical personnel. In addition to salary rises and other subsidies, the initiative also aims to provide medical staff free access to cultural activities. Various cultural sectors have also supported the initiative by providing free cultural experiences to medical workers. For instance, the Emei Film Group and Sichuan Provincial Film Company have created ‘White Angels Gift Card’ for medical staff to watch 100 movies of their choice for free. More than 400 restaurants from the Sichuan Hot Pot Association have also committed to providing free meals for a year to all medical personnel who supported the city of Wuhan, a UNESCO Creative City of Design. Furthermore, many major tourist attractions have also decided to provide free admission to medical personnel once operational. The initiative is widely welcomed and supported by the local population. Several corporations and private companies have come forward to join the initiative to highlight their appreciation and gratitude to the medical staff of Chengdu. To know more: https://finance.sina.cn/2020-02-21/detail-iimxxstf3133336.d.... https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1659564502700806370 CHENGDU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture24 Curitiba combines design with technology to produce 3D printed face shields Curitiba, a UNESCO Creative City of Design in Brazil, is known for its dynamic and modern design scene and is considered as an international and national standard-setter in innovation and urban culture. The city has diversified and strengthened its economic development through strategic investments in the cultural and creative industries. In addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Curitiba has mobilized its expertise in design and innovation to start producing 3D printed face shields to support health professionals working in the city. With collaboration between the various agencies of the municipality such as the Curitiba Agency of Innovation, the Social Action Service, the Secretariat of Education, together with private sector institutions, the city collected the necessary resources that resulted in the production line of the 3D printed face shields. With a participatory and multi-stakeholders approach, the initiative is a synchronized effort between public and private agencies in the production of the face shields. One of such standout efforts has been from Maha 3D, a startup from Curitiba that specializes in providing technical solutions in 3D printing. By making technical adjustments to the existing shield model, the production process was simplified and expedited. Meanwhile, the Municipality undertook the responsibility to acquire the transparent front plate of the face shield, and the 3D printers, which were being used for the ‘Lighthouses of Knowledge and Innovation’ project to teach prototyping and 3D printing to students, were made available to produce the face shields. The Municipality's fabrication laboratory – Fab Lab – has been manufacturing around 220 units of shields per day. The initiative further calls on all companies, laboratories, individuals who have a 3D printer to join this common effort and contribute towards helping medical professional to be safe while treating the hospitalized patients. To know more: https://www.citiesforglobalhealth.org/initiative/curitiba-uses-3d-printers-produce-face-shields CURITIBA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Technology and innovation25 Teen writing competition in Dunedin gets creative during lockdown In spite of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, Dunedin (New Zealand), a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, continues to provide space for writers and poets to express and share their creative and imaginative world. To support teens in adjusting to the period of isolation, the city of Dunedin launched a teen creative writing competition. Organized in partnership with the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the city's Public Libraries, the contest coincides with the public art exhibition ‘A Land of Granite: McCahon and Otago’, one of New Zealand's key 20th century painters. Drawing inspiration from the exhibition, the competition invited teen writers to share a piece of fiction of up to 750 words inspired by some of Colin McCahon's artwork depicting Otago landscapes. The writing competition was opened to all students aged 9 to 12. One of Dunedin's well-known writers, Robyn Maree Pickens, judged the competition. Home to many significant national libraries and book collections, the city, with its beautiful landscape, has inspired many poets and writers in the past including poet Thomas Bracken, author of New Zealand's national anthem, to delve into the literary world. The competition has allowed budding young writers to get inspired and express their thoughts and vision in a creative manner. To know more: https://dunedin.art.museum/exhibitions/present/a-land-of-granite/ https://dunedin.art.museum/art-at-home/teen-writing-competition/ DUNEDIN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Youth engagement • Access to and participation in culture26 MOOC and podcasts on digital creation in Enghien-les-Bains ease confinement A UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, the city of Enghien-les-Bains in France has a coordinated strategy around media arts in the fields of education, tourism, economy, cultural artistic and social development that includes revitalizing urban spaces thanks to the ambitious video-mapping projects and the outreach and influence of the international biennial Bains Numériques. During the period of confinement, thanks to its cultural institutions, Enghien-les-Bains has provided access to a variety of digital services. The ‘Centre des Arts’ (Arts Centre), a space for digital creation subsidized by the Ministry for Culture and Communication that spearheads the implementation of the urban policy in Enghien-les-Bains, has been sharing cultural and digital resources digitally to maintain a close link with the public during the closure of its premises. A place of creation, research, production and dissemination, and known for its rich annual programme targeting all audiences, the Centre des Arts has turned to its artistic and technical expertise and platforms for exchanges on the links between arts, science and technology, to respond to the coronavirus confinement. Every day, the ‘Centre des Arts’ shares on its social media a sequence of its MOOC ‘Art and digital creation’, launched in September 2019 in collaboration with the Orange Foundation. This first MOOC produced by the ‘Centre des Arts’ invites the public to understand how technology has changed our perceptions of space and time but also how it has influenced our relationships with a constantly evolving society. The second MOOC focused on special effects. The ‘Centre des Arts’ also coordinates, with the Plaine Vallée urban community, the Numeric Lab - an incubator for innovative start-ups dedicated to cultural and creative industries. Every two months, the ‘Numeric Lab meetings’ pinpoint the content and uses of the digital environment and allow participants to discover and discuss the immersive technologies of tomorrow. As these meetings have been a learning tool for its interested participants, the ‘Centre des Arts’ has made them available online as podcasts. To know more: https://www.youtube.com/user/fondationorange/videos https://soundcloud.com/user-616691784 ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Technology and innovation27 Museums in Gabrovo offer virtual tours to explore cultural heritage during COVID-19 Gabrovo (Bulgaria), a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, has mobilized its museums to provide residents digital access to various art collections, archives and original exhibitions. A series of initiatives by different actors in the city have contributed to the continuation and appreciation of the city's cultural heritage, as well as the craftsmanship of their artisans. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum (ETAR) is a leading actor in promoting Gabrovo's craft culture. One of the main events organized by the museum is the annual ‘International Crafts Fair’ that encourages artisans from all over the country and abroad to display their artwork and exchange skills on traditional knowledge. To allow residents to explore Gabrovo's art and culture during the ongoing pandemic, the ETAR Museum has opened virtual visits to its gallery with 360-degree images. The gallery captures key areas of the city such as the old craftsman street, traditional facilities based on hydropower, and other architectural sites. The National Museum of Education, located in the city, is also providing access to more than 200,000 documents, photographs and materials from its digital archives related to educational works from the tenth century to the present day. Through virtual access to the Regional Historical Museum, residents were able to dive into numerous research materials and key information on past historical events and initiatives. Since 25 March, the museum has displayed a new online exhibition titled ‘Embroidered by Gabrovo’, the first edition of the project ‘Created by the hands of Gabrovo’. Dedicated to the 160th anniversary of Gabrovo's declaration as a city, the exhibition further highlights the local tangible cultural heritage and the city's designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2017. In such trying times, Gabrovo's initiatives affirm its support to cultural and creative industries and has used its creative potential as a key factor to enhance the local and regional competitiveness and sustainable development. GABROVO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture28 Gaziantep supports its residents through culture and distance learning To support inhabitants during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gaziantep, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in Turkey, has implemented a wide package of measures that capitalizes on the creative and cultural potential of the city. Through digital technologies and social media, the Municipality has been able to continue its various operations namely in the fields of culture, education and innovation. To provide cultural and creative contents and experiences to all generations, the city, in cooperation with the Art Centre, has organized online workshops related to marbling, painting, mosaic, music, design and cooking. An audio book application has also been set up to allow citizens with disabilities to experience the rich literature of the city and beyond. To cater to the specific needs of children, the Children's Library and Science Center have broadcasted ‘Fairy Tale Time’ and ‘Book Reading Time’ through social media. Furthermore, to support women and youth, training in artificial intelligence and block chain as well as innovation competitions are foreseen to be organized through the city's social media and YouTube channel. COVID-19 has also widely impacted the education system in the city. To protect the health of the children and their families, while continuing their education, a distance-learning system has been developed to allow them to continue learning at home. Furthermore, in the framework of the GASMEK (Gaziantep Arts and Vocational Trainings Center), more than 6500 students have been assisted in the preparation for their university exams. Enriching the experiences of its inhabitants has been one of the major objectives of the city. In this regard, the Gaziantep Digital City Archives that gathers over 60,000 pieces, has been made accessible to all its inhabitants online. GAZIANTEP RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Youth engagement29 Gwangju uses media arts to create online arts exhibitions Recognized as a cultural and artistic hub, the city of Gwangju (Republic of Korea) is also known for its creative and innovative approaches in the field of media arts. Designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts in 2014, the city has engaged in numerous public projects that reflect the artistic value of media arts in everyday life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Gwangju has further connected its contemporary art talents with cutting-edge technologies and turned most of its cultural exhibitions into digital forms for the enjoyment of everyone. Thanks to its affiliation with several museums located in the city, the Gwangju Culture & Art Centre has offered a diverse cultural programme that spans from the ancient to the modern era. Numerous artistic exhibitions and other cultural experiences have also been shared through its YouTube channel and Naver TV (a Korean search engine). To help its citizens better cope with the confinement measures, the city has offered, on a weekly basis, free dance and theatre performance videos. The city has also provided live broadcasting of performances when possible. Gwangju also supported the ‘weRculture’ social media campaign and produced two video messages illustrating the daily lives of artists during the pandemic as well as spreading the message of hope and solidarity. As a result of these initiatives, the city of Gwangju has managed to provide professional development space to its local creative talents and expand their horizons and visibility, whilst ensuring the continuity of the city's cultural and artistic life for the benefits of all its residents. The videos can be viewed using the following links: Video I: https://youtu.be/i-WtTIWrEyk Video II: https://youtu.be/skiGUc8PRF8 GWANGJU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture30 Hamamatsu supports its music sector during the COVID-19 pandemic The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the interruption of cultural activities such as visiting museums and theatres, suspensions of concerts, restriction on organizing cultural events, amongst others. The lockdown has profoundly impacted the cultural sector and its professionals across the world. To support music talents and the music sector, Hamamatsu (Japan), a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2014, together with the city's Cultural Foundation has launched the initiative #MusicAtHome. The initiative aims to offer a stage to young local musicians to perform while providing cultural experiences to its residents. These videos are made available through the Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation YouTube channel. In addition to the musical performances, the initiative also provides content for young budding musicians via online lessons related to musical instruments, musical grammar and many other contents. The videos are mostly available in Japanese. To further support the initiative and gain broader outreach, the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition that welcomes brilliant musicians every year, has also taken part in the initiative. Through its own Youtube channel ‘HIPICofficial’ messages from jury members, as well as award winning performances from previous competitions, are regularly uploaded for public access. HAMAMATSU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Youth engagement • Education and learning31 Online craft and art classes in Hangzhou One of the seven ancient capitals in the People's Republic of China, Hangzhou is a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art known for its diverse handicraft traditions, including silk and tea production, as well as porcelain and bronze sculptures. Recognized as the ‘National Cultural and Creative Centre’ by the Government of China, the city has transformed its secondary and tertiary industries through the development of its cultural and creative industries. Hangzhou's rich history and culture have proven to be particularly vital in this transformation, which has helped the city to preserve its traditional craft industries. Facing the global pandemic, Hangzhou has encouraged institutions and practitioners from various arts and crafts sectors to use their knowledge to carry out COVID-19 awareness raising activities, and to continue providing access to the city's intangible cultural heritage. These activities have enabled inhabitants to improve their knowledge on the ways to fight the virus while continuing to benefit from cultural life. In this context, the Hangzhou Museum of Arts and Crafts has set up a series of online cultural courses entitled ‘Crafts and Arts cloud classroom’ dedicated to sharing the city's rich heritage. Through the medium of storytelling, the initiative aims to make inhabitants aware of the city's rich heritage and increase visibility and access to intangible cultural heritage through digital means. Followed by more than 30,000 people, the online classroom has been a great success. The Museum Studios, represented by the provincial Arts and Crafts Masters, have also created anti-pandemic themed works to improve awareness on preventive measures and promote a positive spirit. In addition, the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Association has launched the online learning project ‘Master & Apprentice’, that gives the opportunity to national arts and crafts masters from various sectors, such as woodcarving, pottery, porcelain, embroidery and bronze, to share their creative skills with the public. More than 1000 arts and crafts lovers have subscribed to these videos. To know more: http://www.zgdjss.com/#!/app/main/introduction HANGZHOU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Access to and participation in culture32 Hannover offers creative opportunities to local independent musicians Hannover (Germany), a UNESCO Creative City of Music, has continued to pursue its long-standing work towards supporting the local music industry and independent artists during the pandemic. In close collaboration with the Hannover MusikZentrum, the city has launched the project ‘Local Players in Concert’, a live music streaming initiative for freelance professional musicians from Hannover. Since mid- April, hour-long concerts have been live streamed from the recording studio of the MusikZentrum and other partner venues. In line with the restrictions implemented to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, no more than three musicians were allowed in the studio at the same time. In addition to these concerts, the website also offers a collection of various cultural initiatives from Hannover, thanks to ‘kre|H|tiv’, the local cultural and creative industries network. 'Local Players in Concert' aimed to provide support to local musicians by ensuring a fair and equitable remuneration for their performances. With the expanded outlook of the initiative, the city also provided support to numerous live venues located in the city that were impacted due to the cancellation of cultural events. By allowing them to choose the artists and introduce the performances, the initiative provided these venues with a platform to gain visibility. To mitigate further the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the city of Hannover had also developed a catalogue of measures to support local industries and businesses, including creative companies and freelancers. The first constituted fund amounts to 10 million euros, whilst the creation of new dedicated funds are foreseen for the near future. To know more: www.cityofmusic-radio.de HANNOVER RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support33 Heidelberg launches solidarity programme for freelance artists The city of Heidelberg (Germany) a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, has launched ‘Solo Fantastico’, an initiative to draw the public's attention to the city's diverse freelance scene of artists and to help lessen the burden of their financial losses induced by the COVID-19 crisis. Launched in collaboration with the city's theatre, the local Department of Cultural Affairs and the regional newspaper Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (RNZ), the project aims to supports affected independent artists from all creative fields, who continue to face economic difficulties and challenges to perform and display their creative works in public. Building on its experience in intergenerational and cross-cutting projects, the city has invited writers, dancers, artists, musicians, actors, and designers, amongst others, to portray in a one-minute video their work and situation during the pandemic period, as well as share their hopes for the future. With the aim of compensating their reduced income resulting from the cancellation of cultural events, each artist who contributes a video also receives a financial aid of 500 euros, funded by both the Theater and the city. Since 15 April, each day a new video from a local artist is published on the dedicated YouTube channel, together with an article introducing the ‘artist of the day’ in the regional newspaper. In so doing, ‘Solo Fantastico’ has aimed to place more than 80 regional professional artists in the limelight and highlight the richness and significance of the creative scene during these trying times. To know more: https://www.heidelberg.de/hd,Len/300652.html https://www.theaterheidelberg.de/solo-fantastico-solidaritaetsaktion-mit-lokalen-kuenstlerinnen/ (in German) HEIDELBERG RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support34 Hyderabad fights against hunger in the face of the pandemic The city of Hyderabad is the second largest metropolitan region in India with over 9 million inhabitants. Known for its rich cultural heritage, in 2019, the city was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the city has provided free healthy meals to residents, placing its rich historical food culture at the service of its disadvantaged populations impacted by the pandemic. Entitled ‘Annapurna Canteen’, the initiative has continued to fight against hunger and has shielded thousands of people from the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. Many inhabitants have also supported the initiative by donating food and other materials. To better assist people in need, several shelters have also been opened by the municipal government in collaboration with civil society organizations to house a large number of Indian labor migrants from various parts of the country who were stranded in Hyderabad due to the lockdown measures. HYDERABAD RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid35 ‘100 Days of Decameron’ in Iowa City Iowa City (United States of America) has used books and literary works to help its inhabitants find solace and diversion from the isolation and uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, the city, along with its influential literary institutions and other creative assets, has explored new ways of sharing literature and supporting writers under the current situation. On 1 April, the city launched the initiative ‘100 Days of Decameron’, named after the famous book ‘The Decameron’, a collection of one hundred short stories written by Giovanni Boccaccio during the Black Plague of the 14th century. Taking place in a Tuscan villa, ‘The Decameron’ follows the story of 10 young people self- quarantined while the plague was ravaging Florence. The book narrates the adapted lifestyle and routine of these young souls that included walks, storytelling and singing to each other for 10 days to stave off boredom. Inspired by this literary piece, more fitting and relatable than ever, the city has invited its inhabitants to gather virtually to read this classic and participate in an online discussion. The project aims to create a strong sense of community and belonging by reading one tale a day and finishing the entire book in 100 days. Anna Barker, an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa, leads the project. Participants could join the project and discussions via the city's social media channels. To know more: http://www.iowacityofliterature.org/decameron/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/210763420191807/ IOWA CITY RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid36 Criativos 2020: João Pessoa's Creative Economy Award João Pessoa, a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in Brazil, organized the first Creative Economy Award to recognize the best ideas and innovative products and services, created during the COVID-19 confinement period. Titled ‘Criativos 2020’, the project aims to highlight the important role that the creative sector plays in supporting the national and global economy mainly through generating income and wealth, providing employment opportunities, and enhancing social and environmental commitments. Under the global theme ‘Solidarity in times of isolation’, the award recognized local talents who were able, in times of isolation and introspection, to think about the common good and create innovative and human centered solutions for addressing everyday problems. Reflecting on the great diversity of creative sectors present in the city, the award covered the 7 creative fields covered by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, namely Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. Therefore, the award targeted a large audience, including over 10,000 formal creative workers from the region, informal workers, associations, NGOs, cooperatives, micro and small companies, amongst others, located in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa. Following the selection of the submitted proposals based on various criteria including creativity and innovation, values of solidarity and belonging, as well as, economic relevance, a virtual exhibition is foreseen in October to submit the shortlisted creations for a public vote. Successful applicants will be granted a Certificate of Recognition for their creative merit. While stimulating creativity and innovation in coping with the crisis, João Pessoa seeks to foster exchanges of good practices and learnings to devise solutions to global issues. The city has also encouraged other member cities of the Network to implement similar initiatives. JOÃO PESSOA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid37 Kanazawa supports its local artisans through new technologies From museums and art galleries to theaters and concert venues, it is an unavoidable fact that some of the most moving experiences of art and crafts were subjected to restrictions and closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during this period, several innovative and creative ways are being explored by creative professionals and non-professionals to connect with art and culture across the world. In Kanazawa, a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in Japan, the city has continued to combine traditional crafts with innovation and new technologies to further support artists and artisans during COVID-19 pandemic. Recognized for its many artisan workshops, Kanazawa has launched a programme that provides grants for performance groups and artists who are currently facing a situation of hardship due to the current crisis. The programme further supports the artists and their efforts in promoting and disseminating art and culture. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to fewer opportunities available for creative workers to display their artistic creations. To address such challenges, the city along with the Kanazawa Craft Council has organized a special digital craft exhibition, inviting local craft artists to showcase their work virtually and display the beauty of Kanazawa's traditional crafts. The project focuses on artists specializing in ceramics, lacquerware, fabric dyeing, metal works, bamboo and woodcrafts, Japanese dolls, paper, glassworks, and other crafts. The exhibition and the online website are being gradually updated with pictures of artworks, the personal profiles and shops of the artists, and information of solo exhibitions. To help promote art and folk crafts to the public and further make the online experience interactive, the website also contains video clips elaborating on the artistic process or explaining the applied skills. To know more: https://kanazawa-dkogei.com/about/ (in Japanese only) KANAZAWA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support38 Katowice supports its culture and creative sector during the pandemic Katowice (Poland), a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2015, has been using its cultural and creative industries as a lever for the city's urban regeneration and sustainability. Committed to further nurturing its creative industry, the city has launched its five-year Cultural Zone programme - the largest investment in cultural infrastructure in Poland to date. This includes the recent adoption of a financial package amounting to 500,000 PNL (approximately 120,000 USD) to support its cultural and creative sector during the ongoing pandemic. The city believes that there is a positive correlation between the quality of life of its inhabitants and the strength of its leisure industries. Therefore, amidst the ongoing health crisis, the city has undertaken several consultations with local artists and cultural industries to design a tailor-made assistance to alleviate their loss of income and support them in resuming their work and livelihood. The new package supports different stakeholders, including artists but also NGOs and businesses working in cultural sectors including music and theatre. The support packages include measures ranging from specific grants for artists and creators, rent exemption, 50% reduction in rent for municipal office space, and property tax exemptions, amongst others. In addition, the city has also encouraged its property owners lending space to artists and creative professionals to show solidarity and flexibility and reduce rents for the lockdown period. To further regenerate and revitalize culture and creativity particularly affected by the pandemic, the city also plans to offer direct financing to selected cultural projects. These projects are foreseen to be conducted in the second semester of 2020 or via digital means, to be determined by the evolving situation of the pandemic. To know more: http://www.katowice.eu/ngo https://koronawirus.katowice.eu/katowicki-pakiet-dla-kultury KATOWICE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid • Financial and policy support39 ‘Culture to the Yards’ in Kaunas: enjoying performances from the balcony Kaunas (Lithuania), the European Capital of Culture 2022, is also a UNESCO Creative City of Design. In collaboration with the community programme ‘Fluxus Labs’ and other projects, in mid-April, the city of Kaunas had launched the initiative ‘Culture to the Yards’ that delivers cultural experiences and activities to its inhabitants directly from their courtyards. With the aim of recreating social ties, and triggering new experiences during the period of confinement, professionals from various artistic fields including theatre, dance, contemporary circus, and music were being invited to perform in yards encircled by apartment blocks around the city while respecting social distancing norms. The 20-minute live performances were also streamed through both the Media Library Lithuanian Radio and Television, and Kaunas 2022 Facebook page to allow all the city residents to partake in the initiative. Local residents enjoyed different types of shows from their windows or balconies, including poetry, classical, jazz and pop music and were encouraged to dress up for the occasion. Inhabitants were also given the opportunity to invite a performance into their own yard by registering their apartment building through a dedicated platform. This improvised cultural festival has supported local artists particularly those affected during the period and has helped them to reach a wider audience. At the same time, residents were able to embrace their culture and fulfill their entertainment cravings by spending meaningful moments that boosted their positive outlook. The project was foreseen to continue for the entire duration of the enforced quarantine in Lithuania. KAUNAS RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture40 Music and virtual reality unite local communities of Kazan The city of Kazan (Russian Federation) joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Music in 2019. Confinement measures put in pace to curtail the spread of COVID-19 has led to isolation and social distancing around the world. To support inhabitants during this period as well as create a communication path between inhabitants and the local authorities, the city of Kazan launched the online initiative #aidadomoy (#Let'sGoHome). The initiative targets supporting social groups of Kazan including famous artists and ordinary residents, professional collectives and student groups, children and adults. Bringing together renowned local performers, national ensembles, dance bands, jazz, rock, pop and punk musicians, DJs and comedians, more than 45 online concerts for free have already been provided to support the city's inhabitants, enriching their cultural experience at home. In addition, the project has also been publishing online training modules related to cultural activities as well as conducted live interviews with heads of departments to answer question raised by the city inhabitants. A unique online platform was also created, where cultural institutions continued to work in an online format and offer free access to their rich collections. Communication with famous musicians were established for the preparation of archival and modern orchestra performances and theatre productions. Virtual excursions, master classes and lectures were also prepared to provide a rich experience to the city's inhabitants. As a result of the project, more than 40 state theatres, orchestras, ensembles and museums have been brought together to support residents during the pandemic. To know more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWlrvwdIwQ&list=PLIu-LmyZssDUmm2y1sJ-Bzp8hs8kaDRdZ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX93VfH4bhk Kazan RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture41 #WindowsOfMusicAndHope in Llíria Llíria (Spain) a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2019, has a long-standing musical history that dates back to the 3rd century BC. Today, Llíria is recognized around the world for its music, a fundamental part of its cultural identity. Throughout the year, Llíria hosts a variety of music events including the ‘Gastronomía y Música de Llíria’. This popular jazz festival combines music with local gastronomy, as well as with Llíria's cultural and historical heritage. The event provides artists a platform to showcase their music while spectators enjoy local and regional cuisine. The city also holds a number of competitions to encourage new and emerging performers and provides support to music professionals and young artists in the industry. In response to the confinement measures that were implemented in Spain to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Llíria, through its social media campaign #WindowsOfMusicAndHope, had spread a message of hope while raising awareness on the importance of staying at home. The campaign optimized the music potential of the city to unite people during the troubled times and helped alleviate the difficulties faced due to social distancing measures. As part of this campaign, on 19 March, the day of St. Joseph's Feast, the ‘Federación de Sociedades Musicales de la Comunidad Valenciana’, its presenter Eugeni Alemany, professional musicians, students from the Conservatori Municipal, and other music enthusiasts gathered on their balconies and gave a unique musical performance and celebrated the day. They played ‘Paquito el Chocolatero’, a popular and festive song associated to the ‘Fallas’, a Valencian traditional festival. A few days later for the anniversary on Beethoven's death, the city's musicians once again gathered to play the Ninth Symphony ‘Ode to Joy’ from their homes (link). The campaign has been supported with great enthusiasm and rapidly expanded throughout the Valencian Community with the ‘Federació de Societats Musicals’ and the ‘Confederación Española de Sociedades Musicales.’ The music travelled beyond boundaries and was being echoed in many UNESCO Creative Cities in Spain such as Dénia, Terrassa, Burgos, and Bilbao, as well as in Chennai (India), Katowice (Poland), Leira (Portugal), and Mannheim (Germany). The campaign gathered significant attention from local and national media who broadcasted live the campaign events through digital and traditional media channels. Being popular amongst the youth, hundreds of videos interpreting Beethoven's Ninth Symphony can be found on popular social networks. To follow the initiative on social media: https://www.facebook.com/LliriaCityOfMusic/ LLÍRIA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Intercity collaboration • Access to and participation in culture42 Łódź supports the film sector during the pandemic In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Łódź (Poland), a UNESCO Creative City of Film since 2017, has drawn upon its strong local film institutions to implement further its strategic Culture Development Policy that aims to boost access to film culture, improve film literacy and foster cooperation between schools and film education structures. Under the patronage of the Łódź Film School, the students of its Directing Department has conducted a collaborative documentary film to portray the lives of its inhabitants in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The project seeks to compile short videos recording by residents that shows the uniqueness of their lives in isolation due to the implemented confinement measures. Residents were encouraged further to share their videos using ordinary life prose and in the form of an entry in a diary or reportage. With the receipt of several videos, the school has been regularly posting these videos through their dedicated YouTube channel. In addition to encouraging its inhabitants to share creatively their period of confinement, the Łódź Film School also participated in the #stayathome campaign. Through this campaign, the school had encouraged its students to stay home by giving access to watch films available on the website of the school archives. Similarly, the Education Film Studio have also provided free access to films from its extensive online archives, gathering over 5,000 videos, that allowed its students and inhabitants to not be subjected to boredom and isolation during the confinement period. To know more: https://www.filmschool.lodz.pl/en/news/1648,pandemiafilmowa-zrobmy-razem-film.html http://www.wfo.com.pl/zostanwdomu ŁÓDŹ RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Youth engagement43 Lyon's cultural institutions go digital during confinement Since the designation of Lyon (France) in 2008 as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, numerous projects have been launched to complement the digital revolution in the artistic and cultural fields and facilitate the development of Media Arts in the Metropolis. Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Lyon has leveraged its expertise in Media Arts and mobilized its cultural institutions to provide numerous online resources in various domains, such as cinema, music, performing arts and archeology, amongst others. Drawing on its extensive experience in Media Arts, notably illustrated by the famous Fête des Lumières, an annual event that illuminates the city's monuments and squares, Lyon designed a dynamic blue light installation to accompany the spontaneous thanks from inhabitants to the medical staff, who has been at the frontline since the outbreak of the pandemic. Every evening, over the confinement period, the city lit up the two iconic buildings of Lyon – ‘L’ancien Palais de Justice’ (the former courthouse) and the Part-Dieu tower fondly known as ‘le Crayon’ (the pencil) to spread the message of hope and solidarity. Building on the existing flagship project - the Digital Library of Lyon (NUMELYO), created by the Municipal Library of Lyon, has offered free access to its rich and varied collections, retracing 16 centuries of the city's history, through manuscripts, photographs and virtual exhibitions. In addition, during the confinement period, the Municipal Library also made its digital resources available free of charge and without subscription, including educational and leisure materials for kids and online press. The performing arts sector was also mobilized and has adapted its various offers in the face of the confinement measures. For example, the ‘Opéra de Lyon’ website has transformed into an integral tool for cultural mediation by screening shows and performances free of charge. The ‘Théâtre du Point du Jour’ also created a series of newsletters entitled #Confin’&Créative in collaboration with the artistic teams of the canceled or postponed shows, using various materials such as interviews, concerts, video mapping and radio programmes. To know more: https://www.bm-lyon.fr/les-offres-numeriques-de-la-bibliotheque/s-informer-se-former-se-d... (only in French) https://numelyo.bm-lyon.fr/ (only in French) https://www.opera-lyon.com/en (English) LYON RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Technology and innovation • Solidarity and mutual aid44 Macao supports its cultural and creative industries MACAO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Macao Special Administrative Region (People's Republic of China) identified gastronomy as a key lever for nurturing cultural diversity and supporting sustainable economic growth. In 2017, the city was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. In lieu of rendering support to creative industries during COVID-19, Macao has launched several supporting and financial aid measures to assist its creative professionals. Free online learning videos were launched tailored for catering professionals to enhance their knowledge in the gastronomic sector. The videos cover a diversity of practical topics including food and occupational safety for the catering industry, fundamental service skills in restaurants, star-rated service skills, as well as culinary knowledge about ingredients and cuisines. In terms of providing support to creative and cultural companies, Macao has also operationalized a one-year deferment for the repayment of loans for the 75 projects funded by the city. This has enabled companies to negotiate the repayment period and reduce the amount for each installment while extending the period of the project implementation. In addition, these cultural companies were also eligible for receiving the subsidy payments in advance or alternating the use of the funds. Beneficiaries of the ‘Subsidy Programme Series for Macao's Cultural and Creative Industries’ also received an extension for the implementation of the diverse projects related to feature films, original song albums, and fashion design samples allowing project holders to complete their plans including its implementation. With the aim of creating favorable working conditions for local cultural and artistic practitioners, the city also launched ‘Welfare-to-Work’ programme. Moreover, to augment their capacities as well as promote Macao's handicraft, the local Government supplemented the programme by ‘Online Handicraft Teaching’, a platform that provided learning and video tutorials. Tenants of properties under the Cultural Affairs Bureau were also being exempted from rental for three months. With a view to continue promoting the creative sector post pandemic, the city has aimed to launch a special funding programme to explore further new opportunities in diverse creative fields including cultural tourism, community creativity, and promotion of cultural performances in the Bay Area and overseas markets. To know more: https://www.icm.gov.mo/en/News/detail/18447 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Education and learning • Financial and policy support45 ‘Donatón For Medellín’, solidarity concerts during the pandemic In combatting COVID-19 and its multifaceted implications, Medellín (Colombia), a UNESCO Creative City of Music, has continued its culture-led urban regeneration efforts towards social change through the implementation of a series of strategies involving the music sector. ‘Donatón For Medellín’, a solidarity initiative designed to provide financial resources and non-perishable food to people in need during the mandatory lockdown has been one of the key measures undertaken by the city. Conceived as a two-day itinerant fundraising show, the initiative has mobilized several local musicians to tour around different neighborhoods in the city. With the aim to enhance the outreach of the fundraising event, the concerts held on the second day was also broadcasted on the Telemedellín Channel, accompanied with messages from artists and comedians. Examples of local music were also shared with Medellin's inhabitants to encourage residents to generously donate to the initiative, in order to reach the goal of 2,5 million USD and support the disadvantaged. To provide its inhabitants with alternative means of making financial donations, the city also created a dedicated online fund entitled ‘Embracing Love Fund’. Thanks to the large participation of musicians, both known and unknown, as well as the generosity and commitment of the city's inhabitants, more than 3 million USD has been collected and up to 100,000 food packages were distributed to the most disadvantaged people living in Medellín. MEDELLÍN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support46 ‘Poet Laureates of Melbourne’ supports creative sectors during COVID-19 To support and promote the resilience of local literary community and provide income-generating opportunities for its writers during the ongoing pandemic, Melbourne (Australia), a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, has initiated several creative strategies and initiatives. In this context, the city has launched the ‘Poet Laureates of Melbourne’, a weekly newsletter where various poets from Melbourne are challenged to write a poem reflecting on their past week's experience. Through the newsletter, the city seeks to support local creatives by providing them with an income while enhancing a reflection on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic especially on the cultural and creative sectors. The initiative is foreseen to continue until December after which the city will encapsulate the most defining and remarkable moments and provide a timepiece for this unprecedented situation. 34 poets from various backgrounds and stages of their career are currently participating in this project. Started in May 2020, the newsletter has already received more than 3,000 subscriptions, which illustrates the cosmopolitan essence of the city. Through the ‘Poet laureates of Melbourne’ initiative, the city aims to improve access to and participation in cultural life as well as the enjoyment of cultural offers, notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals. To know more: https://us9.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=03529f55fcb7ee3aea28ef369&id=9f76046efa https://www.instagram.com/cityofmelbourne/ MELBOURNE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid47 The city of Metz reflects on cultural life beyond COVID-19 Metz (France), a UNESCO Creative City of Music, has initiated an in-depth reflection on the future of cultural and associative sectors in view of the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. Metz cultural institutions have been mobilized to offer digital innovative and interactive contents to its citizens during the confinement, and the city has ensured assistance to actors from cultural and associative areas. This has been possible thanks to the continuation of subsidies in spite of the temporary suspension of activities. Understanding the impact of the health crisis on the economy and the operation of community life actors, namely in the socio-cultural field, the city has planned to convoke a general conference (états généraux) during the second semester of 2020 to discuss on appropriate supporting measures. The event will be the occasion to bring together different local representatives and experts on various topics ranging from youth to culture, participative democracy and sports. In the framework of this projects, UNESCO Creative Cities will also be invited to share their experiences and enrich debates, while inspiring good practices from other areas. METZ RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Intercity collaboration • Access to and participation in culture48 Digital concerts unite citizens in Mexico City Mexico City (Mexico), a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2017, has transformed into a world-renowned centre of art and a hotspot for creativity. The constantly growing and developing megalopolis, home to 22 million inhabitants, has been recognized for its innovative approach to design and was awarded the title of the World Design Capital in 2018. Design and creativity are widely acknowledged as levers for social, economic and cultural changes, and are at the heart of the city's social development strategy. Mexico City has an array of design festivals, including the 'Abierto Mexicano de Diseño' (Mexican Open Design), Design Week Mexico, and City Mextrópoli. To provide city inhabitants with regular access to cultural service as well as to strengthen social ties and foster cooperation between communities during the COVID-19, the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City has launched a dedicated and innovative website Cultural Capital in Your Home. The website has allowed inhabitants to participate virtually in scheduled cultural events and activities, thereby supporting artists and cultural professionals, in spite of the restrictions imposed on public gatherings. The online platform gathers and provides access to all the digital cultural activities provided by both the city and other city based cultural institutions. One of the flagship events that was facilitated through this innovative platform was the digital concert ’Spring Night’, held on 21 March 2020, to celebrate the beginning of springtime. Many acclaimed Mexican musicians of diverse genres and backgrounds participated in this concert. The event was broadcasted from the Teatro de la Ciudad and gathered 1.5 million online spectators - making it a great success. Thanks to this dedicated website, the ‘Great Festivals’ – composed of 17 festivals usually organized throughout the year, is foreseen to be streamed online. To know more: http://www.capitalculturalennuestracasa.cdmx.gob.mx/ MEXICO CITY RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture49 Montevideo supports households affected by COVID-19 through distributing necessity baskets and literary works Like most cities worldwide, Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay and a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, has also been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. The hometown of many renowned writers, including Mario Benedetti and Juan Carlos Onetti, literature has been a main driver and enabler of the city's creative economy, and its intercultural and intergenerational dialogue. During this challenging time, the city has utilized culture, and in particular literature, to serve as means of interactive digital communication of ideas and provide supportive and innovative solutions to isolation and access to information. In view of this situation, the city has also distributed more than 10,000 food and hygiene baskets to economically disadvantaged inhabitants, such as street artists and other vulnerable communities. Within these baskets, the city provides a piece of literary work from local writers or publishers to further support them and promote the ‘bibliodiversity’ present in the city. During the lockdown period, twice a month, inhabitants have received the necessity basket along with a new book, allowing them to get inspired and dive into the imaginative world of literature. The initiative has involved and supported various authors, artists and organizations in different ways and means during these trying times. In this regard, the Municipality partly purchased the books from ‘Un libro un abrazo’ (One book one hug), a non-profit organization that provides work opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities. By doing so, the city of Montevideo also helps the organization to pursue its work concerning the care for the disabled. The other collection of books for the baskets comes from the city's annual literary competition ‘Juan Carlos Onetti Literary Prize’. The prize promotes, via publication, four literary works, respectively in the genres of fiction, poetry, children and youth literature, and plays. This literary prize has allowed many emerging and unpublished authors to publish their first work and gain visibility. The baskets along with these books, have not only allowed authors known and unknown to broaden their outreach but also offered the inhabitants solace and a sense of escape in times of the lockdown. To know more: https://montevideo.gub.uy/ MONTEVIDEO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture50 Montreal strengthens its support to artists during COVID-19 Montreal, a UNESCO Creative City of Design, is the largest metropolis in the Province of Quebec, Canada. With over 25,000 professionals working in the design sector, Montreal emphasizes the role design plays in ensuring the development of the city, which is ecologically sustainable, economically viable, socially equitable and culturally diverse. Given the significant impact on the COVID-19 pandemic on the creative and cultural economy, the city of Montreal launched new support measures for artists and cultural practitioners. These initiatives have been implemented in line with the city's ongoing strategy to fulfill Montreal's creative potential, as well as ensure better recognition for designers, raising awareness of the talents of Montreal designers and architects, and developing their creative markets. In light of the exceptional circumstances, the Conseil des arts de Montréal (Arts Council of Montreal), which funds and promotes nearly 500 artistic companies and collectives, announced its intention to maintain its financial commitments and accelerate the payment of grants under several of its programmes. Recognizing the significant pressures faced by the arts and cultural sector, the Council has advanced funds for an amount of 13 million CAD (approximately 10 million USD), representing 76% of the grants planned for the year 2020. This has provided support to the entire value chain from creation, to production and dissemination. Through such measures, the Council has provided financial assistance to cultural professionals who are beneficiaries of its various support programmes, such as the tax sponsorship, the grant programme for visual arts and fine crafts artists in the city. In addition to the above-mentioned measures, the Council has been encouraging organizations and collectives under the programme to meet the commitments signed with artists. To know more: https://www.artsmontreal.org/en/news/2020-03-31/covid-acceleration-of-grant-payments MONTREAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid • Financial and policy support51 Morelia tackles lockdown by offering online arts workshops Morelia is a UNESCO Creative City of Music in Mexico. Having identified music as a priority sector, the city has been using it as a lever for urban development. To further promote and develop its creative industries, the city also established a local Secretary of Culture. In line with the city's strategic development plans that emphasize cross-cutting initiatives and events, the city of Morelia had launched a new campaign #CulturaEnTuCasa (Culture in your home) amidst the confinement measures put in place due to the COVID-19. The initiative aims to create further synergies between art teachers and cultural institution and offer a week-long music programme dedicated to families. With the hashtag #CulturaEnTuCasa, the initiative invited art teachers and artists from the city to record micro-workshops from their homes and share them via ‘video capsules’. They were subsequently posted on the city's social media platforms, daily at 11am and 6pm for a week. During the second phase of the initiative, teachers and other cultural practitioners were provided with the opportunity to follow specific tutorials on video making, so as to enable them to continue developing more micro-workshops, in case of the extension of the confinement measures. The submitted workshop videos bear witness to the diversity of Morelia's cultural life and include topics in relation to folk guitar, ballroom dancing, mural painting, literary creation, storytelling and mime, amongst many others. In order to further assist cultural practitioners during the crisis, the city had guaranteed the participating artists and craftspeople an average financial reward in return. The city, through this project, has found an original way to support its cultural practitioners while providing a diverse cultural programme to its inhabitants. MORELIA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support52 Nanjing encourages Creative Cities to use literary power to support Wuhan Nanjing, a UNESCO Creative City of Literature from the People's Republic of China, launched a solidary initiative to support Wuhan, also a UNESCO Creative City of Design. Coordinated by the Nanjing Literature Center, the city invited Creative Cities from China and abroad to design and spread creative posters as well as include a literary message of hope and encouragement to Wuhan. The Center was responsible for the collection, translation, and transmission of the various posters received to further increase the impact and outreach of the initiative. With participation of the Chinese Creative Cities, alongside over 20 Creative Cities of Literature from around the globe, such as Norwich and Edinburgh (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), as well as Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation), more than 30 posters were collected. Through famous quotes or original contents, the posters conveyed thoughts and regards to the city of Wuhan highlighting the power of literature in such difficult times. Member cities from other creative fields, such as Chiang Mai, City of Crafts and Folk Art in Thailand, and Terrassa, City of Film in Spain, also joined the cities of literature in this thoughtful initiative. This joint solidarity action undertaken by the Creative Cities has further demonstrated the importance of international collaboration. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network highlights the importance of an international platform for stimulating collective actions and synergies to cope with the global crisis. To know more: https://cityofnanjing.com/ NANJING RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Intercity collaboration53 Nassau uses arts and culture to brighten its inhabitants' life during COVID-19 Nassau (Bahamas) joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Crafts and Folk Art in 2014. To uplift the spirit of its inhabitants during the COVID-19 lockdown, the city has launched a set of creative initiatives using audio and visual tools and platforms. One example of the projects undertaken by the city is the development and dissemination of the music video clip that displays ‘Junkanoo’, a famous local street festival, which is amongst the most outstanding Bahamian creative and cultural traditions. Created by the award-winning band ‘Colours’, a renown Junkanoo group based in the city, and performed in line with measures of social distancing, the video showcases the vibrancy and unique creativity of Nassau through music, colourful costumes and joyful dance. The festival ‘Junkanoo’ displays the positive contribution that it has served for the development and preservation of the country's indigenous arts and crafts. The video entitled ‘How COVID-19 Changes Bahamian Lives’ was produced by the D’Aguilar Art Foundation (DAF) in response to the health crisis and in line with the ResiliArt movement initiated by UNESCO. It aims to shed light on the impact of COVID-19 on the creative sector and creators. Owner of the largest art collection in Nassau, the Foundation seeks to preserve local arts, promote appreciation and education of fine arts, and provide support for Bahamian-based artists. The video is illustrated with artworks from the Foundation and spreads an inspiring message of hope amidst the current situation. NASSAU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture54 Norwich brings literature to its residents Facing the Covid-19 pandemic, Norwich (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, reaffirms its role in literary innovation by conducting a set of measures supporting its literature infrastructure whilst keeping an active connection with its inhabitants. The National Centre for Writing, a cultural institution dedicated to creative writing based in Norwich, had launched ‘Bibliotherapy Programme’ allowing local readers to explore literature during the period of confinement. Through the programme, each week, a handpicked selection of books were made available on the Centre's website. In addition, the initiative also provided a list of recommended independent bookstores across the country that were providing online delivery services during the lockdown. With the aim of sparking career interest amongst the young generation and strengthen the skills of professional writers, the National Centre for Writing has also offered online courses, accessible to all through its website. Entitled ‘Time to Write’, a two-hour online course conducted by local poets or performers target teen writers aged 13 to 17. During these sessions, young participants are encouraged to use their imagination and spontaneous writing skills to express how they feel. The interactive format presents a great opportunity for teen writers to utilize creative writing for self-expression during their absence from the formal classroom curriculum. The Centre has also developed, in collaboration with a local writer, a number of free self-study courses entitled ‘Writers Toolkit Online’, to help budding writers improve their skill sets. The toolkit includes an interactive film and audio course on writing and productivity which people can access for free from anywhere in the world. In addition, the Centre also invites early stage writers to a free course on ‘Knowing your publishing options’ to better understand the current publishing landscape. To know more: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/online-writing-courses/ NORWICH RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Youth engagement55 Pesaro helps its artists and inhabitants address COVID-19 impacts In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the confinement measures, the city of Pesaro (Italy), a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2017, has undertaken actions to address various impacts of the crisis. These range from providing digital access to cultural contents, to offering support and assistance to artists and cultural practitioners. One of the measures launched by the city was to use social media to recreate social ties amongst its inhabitants under lockdown. Through the Facebook groups ‘Casa Pesaro’ and ‘#iorestoacasa con Pesaro Cultura’, the Municipality has provided a rich programme of original activities and content related to sports, cuisine, education, music and culture. Thanks to the various digital content, showcasing the cultural vibrancy of the city, the inhabitants have been able to experience moments of joy and amusement. The city has also catered to over 100,000 inhabitants by providing free subscription or renewal of their local media library card, or MLOL card (MediaLibraryOnLine). By doing so, residents were able to access thousands of media and cultural content including 7,000 national and international newspapers and magazines, 12,000 audio files, 42,000 e-books, and 350,000 printed books as well as Spotify services. Having assessed the strong impact of COVID-19 on the culture sector, the city of Pesaro, together with the Consorzio Marche Spettacolo (Regional Consortium), has opened a new information desk for artists and cultural operators in the Marche Region. The information desk helps artists and cultural practitioners get information about the specific technical assistance and support available from the government. The city of Pesaro aims to recover from the pandemic through encouraging various dialogues between artists, start-ups, and both public and private backers. A series of events and competitions are foreseen to be organized to further promote and provide opportunities to young talents in the city. PESARO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture • Financial and policy support56 Portoviejo promotes its culinary sector during the COVID-19 Given the measures of social distancing, restriction of public gathering and health precautionary practices, the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador), a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, has launched the campaign ‘Portoviejo counts on you’ to support its population in these trying times. With the hashtag #QuédateEnCasa (Stay at home) and a dedicated video, local artists and cultural companies are invited to share their creations and hopeful messages to inspire and uplift spirits of its inhabitants as well as show them ways and means on how to take full advantage of spending time at home. As part of this campaign, the city of Portoviejo has paid special attention to its rich culinary sector by setting up a ‘Promotion plan for gastronomic services at home’. Through the campaign, the city has identified and promoted local gastronomic sites that apply good hygiene controls and health protective practices and that offer delivery services or take-away using mobile applications and other electronic means. In addition, local food producers have carried out dedicated work to ensure food safety from the supply to the commercialization of the products. While supporting entrepreneurs and providers of gastronomic services during this challenging period, this promotion plan also aims to generate new job opportunities, bolster Portoviejo's resilience and promote its economic development through gastronomy. To know more: https://www.facebook.com/PortoviejoNaceDeTi/ https://www.portoviejo.gob.ec/ PORTOVIEJO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid57QUERÉTARO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 An innovation hub and creative ecosystem, Querétaro (Mexico), a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2019 is known for its major events aimed at promoting design innovation, animation and digital art. The city has also been encouraging debates and questioning presupposed elements of design and architecture. Amongst these events, DeHache is an important graphic design event, inviting international lecturers and specialists to present their work. The event encourages designers to innovate and develop their talent through collaboration and collective expression. Facing the COVID-19 crisis, Querétaro mobilized stakeholders and partners from creative sectors to rethink the ways in which large events are held. The city, in close cooperation with the Creative Social Civil Organization, organized from 20 to 30 March a 10-day digital programme entitled ‘Creative Cloister 2030’ (Encerrón Creativo) with the slogan ‘Not going back to “normal” because normal is the problem’. The event aimed to convene the creative community to define actions addressing coronavirus in the short and medium term, but also to contribute to the sustainable development of the city, in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The digital programme with a participatory and innovative format consisted of 36 different events, including conferences, roundtables, creative challenges and digital concerts, amongst other activities. With the active involvement of more than 20 civil society organizations, the programme was warmly welcomed and attracted more than 18,000 online participants. The innovative online initiative highlighted the crucial need to foster the creative capacity of individuals and organizations to think outside the box and trigger meaningful conversations to improve the social and economic development of the city even in times of confinement. To know more: https://www.facebook.com/events/643708706453301/ https://www.facebook.com/queretarosedisena/ KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid ‘Creative Cloister 2030’ in Querétaro: the power of creativity to rethink sustainable development in face of COVID-1958 Rome unites citizens during COVID-19 crisis through film Rome (Italy), a UNESCO Creative City of Film since 2015, has a rich legacy in motion pictures dating back to the early 20th century with the creation of the Cinecittà Studios. Home to the largest film production facility in Europe, Rome and its citizens are closely tied to Rome's film festivals. Every autumn, Rome welcomes the International Rome Film Festival, one of the most renowned film festivals in the world. It is organized and curated by Fondazione Cinema per Roma and is well-loved by Romans and cinema fans all over the world. Another of Rome's film festivals is Alice nella Città, dedicated to youth and produced by ‘Associazione Culturale Playtown Roma.’ In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and in line with the social media campaign #iorestoacasa (I stay at home), the city launched a new film-based initiative #Cinemadacasa to bring movies into people's homes. The initiative aimed to recreate and animate the city and replenish social ties amongst fellow citizens. During the project period, every evening at 10 pm, sequences and images of a diverse range of films (feel-good movies, classic cinema, vintage films, etc) were projected on urban building facades throughout the city. Rome's inhabitants had actively participated in this innovative film programming by projecting sequences and scenes of their favorite films from their windows and balconies. Requests for film projections were also being made via social media and included in the #Cinemadacasa programme. #Cinemadacasa is an innovative and participative initiative that highlights Rome's steadfast commitment in making the film sector a key driver for social inclusion and cohesion, especially in the current challenging situation where culture and creativity have become more important for well-being than ever. The project has further inspired many other cities both in Italy, such as Turin and abroad. For know more: https://www.romacinemafest.it/rome-city-of-film/ https://www.facebook.com/romecityoffilm/ ROME RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture59 Saint-Étienne launches multiple creative initiatives during confinement During the confinement period, Saint-Étienne (France), a UNESCO Creative City of Design, has mobilized its cultural institutions, notably within the design sector, to offer its inhabitants access to various creative content and activities. The ‘Cité du design’, a platform for higher education, research, and promotion of design and arts, as part of the project ‘COVID-19 solidarity and support between UNESCO Creative Cities of Design’, had launched a call amongst graphic designers to create posters that highlighted solidarity and support. The 'Cité du design' has also adapted its ‘Innovation Residency’ programme to allow projects with a strong innovation potential to develop a dynamic and participatory way to support enterprises in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase. The Designers+ Association have also been working to support local design professionals by disseminating official information, particularly concerning assistance provided to companies and freelancers. The Association in addition have organized webinars to foster exchange and discussions amongst its members. Led by the city, other arts sectors were mobilized to compensate for the closure of the various cultural venues. On top of offering free digital books, the Media Library of Saint-Étienne has for instance collaborated with the Consultative Committee on Arts and Culture, a body created by the Municipality, to set up a music playlist. This has allowed residents to discover the city's musical talents and increase their visibility. To know more: Cinematheque Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMC+) SAINT-ÉTIENNE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture60 #EatLocal campaign in San Antonio Amidst the outbreak of COVID-19, which has impacted the culinary sector around the world, the city of San Antonio (United States of America), a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy initiated the campaign #EatLocalDining to support its local culinary industry. Through the campaign, the city has aimed to support its local restaurants and vendors experiencing economic challenges. The campaign is a public-private initiative that strengthens the city's gastronomic legacy as a confluence of cultures and promotes the food and beverage industries present in the city. EatLocal, a webpage supports this campaign by sharing and promoting restaurants that provide alternative dining options while allowing social distancing such as take-away, delivery and drive-thru services. Originally designed by the San Antonio Visitor's Bureau to serve their members, it was made open to all local food and beverage establishments. In addition, the platform has provided supplementary information on different elements related to gastronomic services for residents and community members to continue enjoying local gastronomy. In collaboration with local partners and stakeholders, the city has also collected and centralized on its city webpage relevant information and resources related to the evolving situation and regulations applicable to the sector. San Antonio's culinary community has demonstrated its resilience through continuous innovation and creativity, and its collective efforts have been able to secure food access to its first responders and the most vulnerable groups. SAN ANTONIO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Technology and innovation61 Sarajevo uses films and creativity in addressing COVID-19 challenges Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, joined the UNESCO Creative City Network in 2019. Designated in the creative field of film, one of the main cultural attractions of the city is the Sarajevo Film Festival. Through the organization of the film festival, the city aims to keep citizens interconnected and reinforce the cosmopolitan spirit of the city. To support teenagers and youth in the period of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sarajevo Film Festival along with the city has launched the initiative ‘TeenAction’ to address the particular situation of young people during the pandemic. With the hashtag #spring2020, the initiative called on teenagers aged 13 to 18 years old to submit their short films covering topics that depict their experience of a different kind of spring whilst staying at home and undergoing physical distancing. Teenagers from the neighboring countries of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia are also being invited to participate. Through this initiative, the young participants and future audience were able to access creative content, while enabling them to also participate at the next edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival currently foreseen for August 2020. While promoting regional cooperation, ‘TeenAction’ has supported young people and has provided them with a space to express their creativity during the challenging period of self-isolation. To know more: https://www.sff.ba/en/page/teenarena2 SARAJEVO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Youth engagement • Access to and participation in culture62 Seattle poetry brings solace and hope during confinement The city of Seattle (United States of America), is a UNESCO Creative City of Literature since 2017. Its strong identity as a literary city has coalesced around a 10,000-year history of indigenous storytelling traditions. Seattle's writing traditions are guided by a sense of place, especially in regards to the willingness of embracing diverse viewpoints and technologies. Many events sustain Seattle's striving literary ecosystem, including the Short Run Comix and Arts Festival, featuring indie comics and the self-published comics, as well as the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Conference, amongst many others. In response to the spread of COVID-19, the city of Seattle, in close cooperation with the author Claudia Castro Luna, Seattle's inaugural Civic Poet, used its literary potential to counter the growing challenge of confinement and the resulting decrease of access to cultural activities. Through the creation of an online forum ‘Poems to lean On’, city dwellers have been invited to share a link to a poem accompanied by a two or three lines message explaining how this particular poem resonates with them and how it brings to them comfort and joy. The initiative aims to revive and recreate social ties amongst the community, while respecting the rules on social distancing implemented to contain the spread of the virus. The contributions are showcased on virtual space ‘Poems to Lean On’ hosted on the Laureate Poet's website. Digital submissions were also welcomed using the same online platform. The project highlights the enabling role of literature and poetry to connect people and to offer solace and hope during such difficult times. The initiative has offered fortitude, hope, resilience and humor during such trying times. To know more: https://wapoetlaureate.org/poetry-to-lean-on/ SEATTLE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid63 Crafts and Folk Art Continuity and Recovery Programme in Sharjah Sharjah is one of seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates and is also a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art. Home to diverse cultural heritage sites, museums and traditional crafts, Sharjah has been committed to ensure the protection and safeguarding of its cultural capital during the coronavirus pandemic. To safeguard its traditional craft heritage, the city, together with the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, has launched the initiative ‘Crafts and Folk Art Continuity and Recovery Programme’. Building on the ongoing ‘Bidwa initiative’ that provides vocational training and support to Emirati female craft artists, the new initiative ensures the continuity of the work of artisans while protecting their safety and health. Following the closure of its premises, the Bidwa Centre has coordinated the implementation of a set of innovative measures to assist the artisans to work from home, enabling them to continue enjoying full employment. As part of the programme, the Bidwa Production Team has organized home delivery of sterilized ‘Craft Kits’, containing raw materials and tools for craft production, as alongside a sanitizer spray. To better support the artisans during such unprecedented working conditions, the Centre has also created video tutorials explaining the sterilization methodology and various craft techniques integrated in the ‘Craft Kit’. The videos are regularly uploaded onto a dedicated WhatsApp group, which is accessible to all artisans. The initiative has designed and implemented appropriate actions for production, collection, and distribution of crafts, so that female artisans are able to generate a sustainable source of income by capitalizing on local handicrafts tradition and knowhow. The project has further enabled communities and women in particular to develop their skills and break into new local and international markets, even during the current situation. To know more: http://irthi.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irthicouncil/ SHARJAH RESPONSE TO COVID-19A KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Education and learning64 Singapore implements relief measures for artist and cultural practitioners SINGAPORE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Design plays a significant role in its urban development of Singapore (Singapore), a UNESCO Creative City of Design. Its urban designs incorporate smart solutions to meet the needs of its citizens in terms of housing, healthcare, education and transportation, amongst others. In response to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the Government of Singapore has committed a total of 59.9 billion SGD (approximately 40 billion USD) to support individuals, businesses and industries particularly impacted by the crisis. The relief measures also include a series of dedicated actions to support the arts and the culture sector. In the field of design, the DesignSingapore Council has adjusted its existing schemes to better sustain and provide appropriate assistance to designers and design companies affected by the pandemic. Apart from financial aid and other subsidies, the Council has also launched the initiative ‘Good Design Research’ that encourages design practitioners to set up new systems and processes that are more sustainable and resilient against external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Designers are thus encouraged to research and experiment with new materials, services and experiences that will help tackle such global issues. To assist the artist and art organizations, the National Arts Council (NAC) also established the Digital Presentation Grant for the Arts, a time-limited scheme aimed at supporting artists and arts organizations to present their work digitally during the COVID-19 period. Through this grant, the NAC not only aims to create work opportunities for art practitioners but also develop industry capabilities in producing digital art content. In addition, the city has also put in place a set of measures targeting freelance artists and self-employed persons (SEP). For instance, the SEP Income Relief Schema assists eligible freelance artists with three quarterly payouts of 3000 SGD (approximatey 2000 USD) in May, July and October 2020, respectively. In addition, the SEP Training Support Scheme has also been enhanced and extended allowing freelancers to receive a training allowance while attending courses under the SkillsFuture Series - a package of short online training programmes focusing on emerging skills for the future, such as data analytics, digital media or urban solutions. To know more: https://www.designsingapore.org/what-we-do/resources/covid-19-support-schemes.html https://www.nac.gov.sg/whatwedo/support/sustaining-the-arts-during-covid-19/Sustaining-the-arts-during-COVID-19.html KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Technology and innovation • Financial and policy support65 Literature and arts help Slemani cope with COVID-19 Slemani, a city in Iraq, became a UNESCO Creative City of Literature in 2019. Literature plays an active role in the cultural and economic development of Slemani - a regional cultural center. Literature and literary creation hold sway over the city, which is also a regional translation capital and home to seven major publishing houses. Today, the city hosts major literary festivals including the annual Galawezh Festival, founded in 1996, that invites Kurdish, Arab, Persian, Turkish and Iraqi writers to participate and contribute with their work. Slemani focuses on designing and implementing policies and measures to support both the creators and the creation of new literature. Facing the outbreak of coronavirus, the city of Slemani had launched an initiative entitled 'Literature and Arts as Helpmate and Therapist’ to help people practicing social distancing in confinement to stay resilient and united. The initiative has aimed to support the COVID-19 patients in particular by providing them with creative and inspirational literary works and materials. Writers, authors, artists and journalists from other Creative Cities of Literature were called upon to share their optimistic creations and visions, as well as positive life experiences to help people cope and recovery. Several Creative Cities of Literature including Durban (South Africa), Melbourne (Australia), Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation), Óbidos (Portugal) and Odessa (Ukraine) have shown their interest and contributed to this initiative. The collected literary works have been integrated and digitalized in a collection entitled ‘You will remain’ is made available online and disseminated among the participating Creative Cities. To know more: http://slemani.gov.krd/so/newsDetail.php?newsID=1736&secID=36 Book Link: http://slemanicityofliterature.com/pdfepub/You_Will_Remain.pdf SLEMANI RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Access to and participation in culture • Intercity collaboration66 ‘Young at Home Films’ initiative launched by Terrassa TERRASSA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Terrassa, a UNESCO Creative City of Film, is one of the pioneer cities for film industry in Spain. Focusing on developing an educational ecosystem for consolidating its film industry, the city has developed several provisions for audiovisual training and activities. With the opening of the Centre for Conservation and Restoration of the Catalonian Film Archive, the city has become a significant hub for audiovisual creation in Spain. Facing the spread of coronavirus, the city of Terrassa has mobilized its film potential and used its strengthened international cooperation to reaffirm its strategic commitment to training and supporting young artists. In this regard, the city has launched a collaborative creative project entitled ‘Young at Home Films’, which aims to provide ‘voice to talent, creativity and ingenuity in the fight against COVID-19’. The initiative aims to highlight how creativity and cinema can be used to combat the pandemic. Young creators from the Creative Cities of Film and elsewhere are invited to create and share their seven- minute videos on various topics such as precautionary measures, physical distancing, palliative care etc., to be undertaken amidst the ongoing pandemic. The videos also highlight the experiences of youth facing monotony and challenges of self-isolation. In order to better assist and guide the young participants of this contest, the city of Terrassa has also provided useful tools such as online teaching materials and a free video editing software. One of such available online resources is the Basic Manual ‘Fent Cinema’ on filmmaking created by the Catalonia Audiovisual Park (Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya), a major production centre, and an incubator for the creative industries in Terrassa. Videos have been posted on Instagram and Twitter by tagging the city of Terrassa (@trs_cityoffilm) and using the following hashtags #TRSFilmACasa, #UNESCOYoungAtHomeFilms, and #WashHandsCameraAction. To know more: https://www.terrassacityoffilm.com/en/young-at-home-films/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B980P1jAz3S/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_lin KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Youth engagement67 Torino encourages innovative solutions for better livability Torino (Italy), a UNESCO Creative City of Design, introduced the initiative ‘Torino City Love’ to support its citizens and businesses during the COVID-19 emergency. The initiative has called upon businesses, as well as public and private organizations, to come together and provide city users in various domains with innovative solutions and resources to provide better living conditions and respond to challenges during the pandemic. These solutions address school, health, information and digital services, training and many other areas of interest. For instance, the city has encouraged projects focusing on tools and devices supporting remote work and study, or on solutions facilitating access to goods and services at the local level. Interested institutions and organizations have been invited to send in their creative proposals, in Italian or English, to the ‘Torino City Lab’, a local platform assisting companies to conduct the testing of innovative solutions for urban living. Promoted by the city, the Lab involves a vast partnership of the public and private sectors working towards the support and growth of the local innovation ecosystem. The Torino City Lab Team will be assessing submitted proposals and those selected are envisaged to be published on the dedicated website for public consultation. Through this initiative, the city of Torino has continued its proactive engagement to raise awareness amongst all citizens about the capacity and benefits of design knowledge, and strengthen solidarity and cooperation to improve social, cultural and environmental conditions in the city through design. TORINO RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Technology and innovation • Solidarity and mutual aid68 Online creative contests in Valladolid VALLADOLID RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Historic capital of the Kingdom of Spain and home to one of the oldest universities in the world ‘Universidad de Valladolid’, Valladolid, a UNESCO Creative City of Film since 2019, enjoys an outstanding cultural heritage anchored with over 20 centuries of history. The city annually organizes the Valladolid International Film Festival (Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid or SEMINCI), one of the oldest film festivals in Europe. With the strategic agenda that integrates culture and cinema along with the broad outreach gained through the Film Festival, the city has successfully been able to develop a wide range of programmes for artists and cinema practitioners. Valladolid has mobilized its rich creative potential to preserve and animate the city's passion for culture and art during the ongoing confinement established to contain the spread of COVID-19. With the aim to maintain optimism and to encourage citizens to stay at home, the city has launched a creativity-based campaign, entitled ‘Valladolid stays at home’. Within this campaign, several contests and social media promotions have been set up by the Municipality, which utilizes and illustrates the diverse aspects of the city's cultural capital. The campaign included the photography contest ‘Valladolid from the Window’, which invited inhabitants to look out of their windows and share the landscape or scenic views that they can experience during the challenging period. Following this context, an exhibition displaying the most vibrant and rich photographs are foreseen to be curated in future. To cater to the cinematic and audiovisual followers, the city has also launched a contest entitled ‘Creativity Cures’. Participants are invited to share short videos illustrating their social distancing experience as well as how this situation has influenced their routine, ideas and feelings. The videos have being shared on Facebook and Instagram using hashtags #CreativityCures and #LaCreatividadCura. The ‘Superheroes at Home’ contest, dedicated to children of all age groups, has further promoted and emphasized the importance of saving lives by staying at home to contain the spread of coronavirus. Just like how superheroes save lives, the contest invites children to share drawings of themselves, their family and friends, disguised as superheroes. On the occasion of the International Museum Day (May 18), the city organized an online programme that included virtual tours in the many cultural institutions based in the city, live talks with professionals, quiz and other educational activities. To know more: www.facebook.com/culturayturismoVLL www.instagram.com/info.valladolid KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid69 Viborg uses creative tools to disseminate good hygiene practices against COVID-19 As a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts and a recognized national hub for innovation, Viborg (Denmark) has used its creative assets to raise awareness on the outbreak of the COVID-19. The city has mobilized its creative representatives to use animation videos as a means to communicate clear and simple information about health protective measures against the spread of the coronavirus. Building on its expertise in media arts and health, Visikon, located in Viborg, created a short, simple and informative animation movie on good hygiene measures and practical health information for both children and adults. The video entitled ‘How to reduce risk of coronavirus infection (COVID-19)’ is available in English on the company's Youtube channel. Play Doctor, another company based in Viborg, known for its animation and innovative communication tools also developed an educational and playful hygiene poster. Available online in 14 different languages, the poster aims to teach children about good hygiene practices and give simple recommendations to better combat the COVID-19 disease. In line with the city's urban development strategy, animation and storytelling are positioned as multifaceted tools for sustainable and effective communication. The city uses these creative and powerful means to address various issues and challenges ranging from education, health, and environment. VIBORG RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Technology and innovation • Youth engagement70 COVID-19 book drive-thru in Wonju With the closure of libraries caused by COVID-19, Wonju (Republic of Korea), a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, launched the initiative ‘Book drive-thru’, designed to continue lending books to citizens and insatiable readers. Based on the concept of ‘drive-thru’ services, the initiative enables people to have access to books and literature without leaving their cars and respecting physical distancing measure. Via the Wonju City Central Library website, inhabitants can select up to six books to borrow at a time. Residents could drive to the Central Library and pick up these books from the staff present at the library entrance. Towards greater inclusiveness, those aged 65 and above, and persons with lack of digital access or knowledge were also offered the option to phone the library to reserve their books. Instituted in mid-March, this reader-friendly initiative has continued until the recent reopening of the libraries. The local government of Wonju, through this initiative, highlights the importance and contribution of literature in not only helping people find tranquility during the trying times but also new ways to revitalize its intangible cultural heritage. The initiative is greatly appreciated by the citizens, who have been able to keep enjoying reading. To know more: https://blog.naver.com/wonju_city/221875787928 https://www.facebook.com/creativecitiesnetwork/ WONJU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Access to and participation in culture • Solidarity and mutual aid71 Wuhan's call to fight the COVID-19 pandemic Famous for its 3,500 years of cultural history, Wuhan (People's Republic of China) joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017 as a Creative City of Design. It is known for its expertise in resilient urban planning and high-tech industries and creative industries that are important pillars of the local economy. Creative design is at the core of Wuhan's cultural agenda. For example, the large-scale Wuhan Design Biennale focuses on crosscutting approaches between art and technologies. The city has also effectively implemented a plan using its design potential to transform Wuhan, accelerate the development of creative industries and give new momentum to economic growth based on culture and innovation. Wuhan has leveraged its design expertise towards the development of various innovative measures to reduce the spread of virus and strengthen the cooperation amongst Creative Cities. Among the implemented measures, a global Call titled 'Fight the Pandemic, Wuhan We Can' was launched on 1 February 2020, by the Wuhan Design Industry Promotion Centre in cooperation with Hubei Design Committee of Packaging Design and Wuhan Industrial Design Association. The Call was opened to all and invites interested members, designers and others to share graphic design works that strengthen public knowledge of precautionary measures and build confidence in fighting COVID-19. The designs were welcomed in a wide range of formats: posters, illustrations, videos, children's paintings and other digital works. The Call resulted in a great variety of works submitted from the 13 UNESCO Creative Cities in China and from cities from other countries (Afghanistan, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, Republic of Korea, Thailand and United States of America). In total, it includes over 5400 posters, 1200 illustrations, 431 children's paintings, 170 videos and more than 130 other works. Some of these posters and paintings have been installed in hospitals and other medical facilities to inspire people and spread a message of hope and solidarity. A jury composed of charity organizations, medical experts, scholars in journalism, professors, designers and institutes selected the best works from amongst the creations. The selected works are foreseen to be presented during an award ceremony, displayed in an exhibition, and printed in a publication. WUHAN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and mutual aid • Intercity collaboration • Access to and participation in culture72 Yamagata offers online film course to cope with COVID-19 Yamagata, located in Northeastern Japan, has been a UNESCO Creative City of Film since 2017. As a major hub for films in Japan, the city organizes ‘the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival’ (YIDFF). Attracting over 24,000 visitors, this is one of the most renowned and longest running international documentary film festival in Asia. Yamagata considers film and documentary genres as tools for rethinking societies and nurturing collective memory. To tackle the lack of employment opportunities for the young population, the city encourages its youth to engage in the film sector. The YIDFF plays an instrumental role in providing opportunities for youth via organizing film workshops, internships, and international residency programmes by partnering with universities. In response to COVID-19, Yamagata initiated the ‘Yamagata Film School Online Course’ in collaboration with a diverse set of partners including the Yamagata's Creative Cities Network team, the YIDFF staff, the Yamagata University and film academies, digital consulting agency, cinema groups, film producers and directors, and non-profit organizations. The initiative has focused primarily on students studying at home due to the closure of schools in Japan. However, thanks to its educational and didactic format, the course has catered to all kinds of audience, regardless of their age and background. The week-long online program is composed of seven specific courses covering various aspects related to the film sector in Yamagata. These include the history of film, basic of filmmaking, economic and social values related to cinema, and presentation of international cooperation platforms, including the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The courses also feature interviews of cinema professionals and experts based in the city. After the completion of each online thematic lesson, students can voluntarily submit short reports, questions or impressions reflecting upon the topic. Students who submit five or more reports receive a certificate of participation and a token of recognition. Currently, the courses are offered mainly in Japanese, however courses in English are foreseen for the near future. To know more: https://www.creative-yamagata.jp/en/e-school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFv-8FC-8YI&feature=youtu.be YAMAGATA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 KEY WORDS: • Education and learning • Youth engagement • Access to and participation in culture73 COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS74 Detroit and Kortrijk launch a new database to track innovative projects initiated during COVID-19 Detroit (United States of America) and Kortrijk (Belgium) are both UNESCO Creative Cities of Design. Responding to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the cities of Detroit and Kortrijk joined hands to launch a collaborative initiative to track programmes and projects from the UNESCO Creative Cities of Design that leverage design and innovation to cope with the trying situation, and help citizens and creators alike. In line with the UNESCO Creative Cities Network's objectives, this initiative highlights the crucial need to further enhance and strengthen cooperation amongst cities by sharing good practices. The initiative recalls the need to initiate new partnerships, as well as promote co-creation and design thinking to inspire and better respond to the ongoing situation. Cases from the 40 UNESCO Creative Cities of Design across the five continents have been progressively collected and integrated into the newly created database. Member cities have been further encouraged to submit online their design-led projects aimed at supporting their creative economy and communities, by clicking here. COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS KEY WORDS: • Inter city collaboration • Solidarity and mutual aid75 UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts share good practices in response to COVID-19 COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS The UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts, coordinated by the city of Enghien-les-Bains (France), consolidated many of their good practices and innovative actions undertaken to fight the current COVID-19 pandemic. In line with their commitment to reinforcing the creation, production and dissemination of media arts, these Creative Cities have been implementing a wide range of measures to further nurture hubs of creativity and innovation, and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals of the sector during COVID-19. In Austin (United States of America), the ‘HOPE Campaign’ initiated by a non-profit organization has allowed local artists to maintain health, well-being, and their careers and livelihood during the lockdown. While commissioning artists from the city to paint positive messages on public buildings, 200 necessity bags have also distributed to artists and other creative workers. The city of Braga (Portugal) has mobilized its tech community to participate in the collaborative platform ‘tech4COVID19’, which aims at finding solutions to the needs of the most vulnerable people, such as health professionals. In addition, the city has instituted new collaborations and partnerships with representatives from the local cultural and creative sectors to offer online talks, workshops, and webinars in their respective areas of expertise. Guadalajara (Mexico), alongside the British Council and the Promoting Council for Innovation and Design, organized the ‘Creative Sprint Guadalajara’ (27-28 April 2020), a virtual space for conversations and dialogue. Dedicated to the creative economy in the post-contingency context. The event emphasized the role of creative professionals as strategic allies in the development of a new normality in the city. In Košice (Slovakia), the audiovisual center Kino Úsmey has launched a new campaign with the slogan ‘Give a Smile and Support your local cinema’ to target its visitors. The idea is to use online purchases in various forms, including subscriptions, to support the cinema staff during the pandemic period. The campaign has also contributed towards the future reopening of the cinema premises. Linz (Austria) has taken actions to provide emergency aid, particularly to affected people, including those working in the cultural and creative sectors. The city has also mobilized its civil societies to launch the campaign ‘No refund for culture’, calling upon the inhabitants not to claim refund of tickets for cancelled cultural events. KEY WORDS: • Intercity collaboration • Technology and innovation76COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS KEY WORDS: • Intercity collaboration • Technology and innovation To address the challenges raised by the current situation, the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo (Israel) held its first international virtual hackathon, in collaboration with the Global Network of Resilient Cities (GNRC). Entrepreneurs and students of all ages and backgrounds were invited to pitch virtually new and innovative ways to support communities and businesses in distress. Toronto (Canada) has been committed to supporting the most vulnerable workers in the cultural sector. The city introduced a Rapid Relief Fund for artists and creative workers that provided compensation for income lost due to the COVID-19 related cancellations. Under the City Hall live banner, the city has also assisted artists and art organizations in seeking to make a quick pivot to digital distribution, with a special focus on musicians to reach new opportunities in online arts education due to widespread closure of schools. In York (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Pilot Theatre has decided to continue to employ the actors of its current production, Crongton Knights, which was halted in the middle of its national tour. By creating a web version of the production, the theatre has continued to stream it on the same tour dates.77 In response to COVID-19, the UNESCO Creative Cities of Music Mannheim and Katowice launch ‘weRculture’ campaign COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS The city of Mannheim (Germany) and Katowice (Poland) were designated as UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2014 and 2015 respectively. As Creative Cities of Music, the cities have been committed to further nurture their cultural and creative industries, and regard music as a driver of their city's artistic, economic, educational and urban policy development. Supported by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the cities of Mannheim and Katowice, with the participation of Music Export Poland and the German festival - Enjoy Jazz, joined their efforts to initiate a social media campaign ‘weRculture’. The campaign has aimed to provide hope and messages of solidarity from artists, in particular musicians known and unknown during the ongoing global pandemic. This collective action called on international artists and creative professionals to share a one-minute video message explaining why, more than ever, culture is of utmost importance, during such challenging times. Participants can express and convey their messages by using various verbal and non-verbal means, such as reciting poems, singing or by playing an instrumental piece. Above all, the initiative encourages the participants to spread the message of respect and responsibility that inhabitants should adhere to via creative means at such times. Many renowned and diverse artists have participated in this initiative, including the Goodwill Ambassador for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Ms Maria Francesca Merloni. Other artists and creative workers that have participated and contributed to the campaign come from cites in Portugal, Greece, Spain, Germany, Norway, Czechia, Italy and Chile. While further strengthening cooperation and solidarity amongst Creative Cities, the campaign also highlights how cities can provide innovative solutions that leverage creativity and culture and address the challenges that populations are facing during this unprecedented situation. Artists, creative workers, as well as representatives of Creative Cities from all over the world are welcome to take part in this ongoing campaign to further spread the importance of culture and its rejuvenating power in such trying times. To know more: https://www.instagram.com/werculture2020/ KEY WORDS: • Intercity collaboration • Access to and participation in culture78 UNESCO Creative Cities of Music celebrate International Jazz Day virtually COLLECTIVE RESPONSES WITHIN CREATIVE FIELDS UNESCO Creative Cities of Music: Llíria (Spain), Ambon (Indonesia), Praia (Cabo Verde), and Mannheim (Germany) revamped ways to celebrate the International Jazz Day amidst the outbreak of COVID-19. Through different virtual and creative means, the 2020's celebration also aimed to send a message of hope and recovery and allow communities to reconnect to each other through music in times of isolation. Llíria upholds music as a source of inspiration and means to overcome such trying times. On 30 April, the city turned its traditional annual jazz street festival ‘El Desenjazz’ into a virtual festival to pay ‘homage through jazz to the workers such as health workers workers’, of the food sector and security forces, amongst others, who are at the front line and taking care of the world’ during COVID-19 crisis. The initiative aimed to bring prominent musicians, in particular jazz musicians, from different cities and continents together to compose a unique piece based on the classic ‘Work Song’. The piece was jointly premiered on April 30, through the social networking sites. Many UNESCO Creative cities of Music from Spain and abroad participated in the initiative. Ambon has a deep-rooted music culture, and considers music not only as source of entertainment, but a way of life. To celebrate the International Jazz Day, and pay respect to Glenn Fredy, a well-known and inspiring Ambon jazz musician who had recently passed away, the city launched the initiative #UnescoJazzDayChallenge. The challenge invited musicians and music community to upload videos on social media related to one of the songs written by Glenn Fredy. Participants were encouraged to be as creative as possible and perform in various formats such as acapella or instrumental amongst others. The city of Praia launched an online initiative ‘Cabo Verde toca Jazz’ (Cabo Verde Plays Jazz), in partnership with the producers of the Kriol Jazz Festival, that is held annually in the city. For the 2020 edition, the city invited local musicians to reinterpret and record creole music and cape Verdean sounds from home. The creative contributions were compiled in a video and was released on April 30 through social media channels to celebrate Jazz Day. The city of Mannheim, in cooperation with Mannheim jazz club Ella & Louis, organized an online jazz concert with the moto ‘Solidarity now – together with culture’. The celebration aimed to also promote solidarity for freelance artists and musicians and offer them a platform to express their creative talent in the face of COVID-19 pandemic. The concert also acted as a fundraising event to support the participating musicians. KEY WORDS: • Solidarity and Mutual aid • Intercity cooperation79 PHOTO CREDITS p.1 Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture © UNESCO p.3 Smiling kids with city carpet, Savenay, France, 2020 © Qiaobo Ni p.5 Musical fountain in Santos, Brazil, 2020 © UNESCO/ Qiaobo Ni p.7 A kapa haka performance from a Maori cultural group, Auckland, New Zealand, 2017 © Auckland Council p.8 Ballarat Arts Festival in Historic Streetscape, Ballarat, Australia, 2018 © City of Ballarat p.9 Illuminating Doves_BKK Design, Bangkok, Thailand, 2019 © Creative Economy Agency p.10 Rooster of Barcelos, Portugal © The Municipality of Barcelos p.11 Beijing city, China © Zheng Ji p.13 Storytelling in the librairy, Beirut, Lebanon, 2015 © Samir Editeur p.12 The longest hug relay, Bergamo, Italy, 2016 © Comune di Bergamo p.14 Biella's artistic performance, Biella, Italy, 2012 © Piero Biason p.15 BIAAF Fashion, Bilbao, Spain, 2018 © BIAAF p.16 District Institute of Las Artes IDARTES, Bogota, Colombia, 2017 © Carlos Mario Lema p.17 A gaze over Bologna, Italy © BolognaWelcome p.18 Bradford Big screen event, Bradford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelands, 2016 © Bradford Film Office p.19 ‘Guernsey’ Films on Princess Wharf, Bristol, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, © Image Courtesy of Bristol Film Office p.20 Children's book reading events at Bucheon Public Library, Bucheon, Republic of Korea, 2016 © Bucheon-si p.21 Caminito neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina © Buenos Aires City Government p.22 Suulpture Laboratory, Carrara, Italy, 2002 © Luigi Biagini p.23 Jinjiang River, Chengdu, China © Chengdu Municipal Commission of Commerce/ Chen Min p.24 FabLabs converted into face shield manufacturing lines, Curitiba, Brazil, 2020 © SMCS/ Curitiba p.25 Dunedin Central Library, Dunedin, New Zealand © James Wrigley/ Flickr.com p.26 Floating scenes on the lake, Enghien-les-bains, France, 2017 © Nicolas Laverroux - City of Enghien-les-Bains p.27 Wood churing, Gabrovo, Bulgaria, 2016 © Rosina Pencheva, Ethnographic Open air Museum ETAR p.28 MUSEM's Atelie, Gaziantep, Turkey, 2014 © musem p.29 View of Gwangju City from Sajik Tower © Amankgupta/ Shutterstock.com* p.30 Sound design Festival in Hamamatsu, Japan © Mitsuo Suzuki/ Satoshi Yoshizumi80 p.31 Craft Workshop, Hangzhou, China © Hangzhou Office of Cultural and Creative Industry p.32 Kröpcke Uhr John Winston Berta, Hannover Germany © Tom Althaus/ Kröpcke Uhr John Winston Berta p.33 Old bridge in Heidelberg © mapman/ Shutterstock.com* p.34 The ramzan festival, Hyderabad, India, 2019 © Syeed Omer p.35 An African woman reading a book in a bookstore © LStockStudio/ Shutterstock.com* p.36 Station Cabo branco, João Pessoa, Brazil, 2017 © Cacio Murilo p.37 Beautiful Cherry blossom trees along the street at Kyoka No Michi, Kanazawa, Japan ©Lifebrary/ Shutterstock.com* p.38 Polish National Radio Symphony Ochestra, Katowice, Poland, 2015 © Fred Romero/ Flickr.com p.39 Kaunas Biennial exhibition, Lithunia, 2015 © Remis Ščerbauskas, Kaunas Biennial p.40 Festival tat cult fest, Kazan, Russia, 2018 © tatcult.ru p.41 Andrés Simeó, trumpeter and Valencian Music Conservatory's Director, Llíria, Spain, 2020 © Julio Tárrega p.42 The film museum, Łódź, Poland, 2017 © Fialkowska p.43 Palais de justice, Lyon, France, 2020 © Ville de Lyon/ Frederic Guignard -Perret p.44 Cultivating high-quality talents in hospitality and food related sectors, Macao SAR, China, 2016 © MGTO p.45 Cable car of the city of Medellin, Colombia © EGT-1/ Shutterstock.com* p.46 MWF event, Melbourne, Australia, 2018 © Timothy Herbert p.47 The children's orchestra, Metz, France, 2018 © Olivier Lievin p.48 Urban Artifact. Laboratory for the City, Mexico City, Mexico, 2014 © Laboratory for the City p.49 City streets in Montevideo downtown and historic center © Martina Pellecchia/ Shutterstock.com* p.50 ‘Loop’, Oliver Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve, in collaboration with Ottoblix, Luminothérapie 2016- 2017, production of Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles in Montreal, Canada, 2016 © Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles/ Ulysse Lemerise – OSA p.51 Jazz festival, Morelia, Mexico, 2014 © Ramon Merino p.52 Window to world Literature, Nanjing, China, 2019 © Nanjing Literature Centre p.53 Unveiling of Nassau's UNESCO Creative City logo in Pompey Square, Bahamas © Neko Meicholas p.54 Books © Billion Photos/ Shutterstock.com* p.55 La Gazza Ladra, played in the Adriatic Arena theater, Pesaro, Italy, 2015 © Rossini Opera festival p.56 Regenerated area of the historic center of the Portoviejo, Ecuador, 2019 © Municipality of Portoviejo p.57 QRO creation, Querétaro, Mexico, 2019 © Consejo Querétaro Creativo p.58 Cinecitt set, Rome, Italy © Lux Vide Moris Puccio p.59 Platine, LIN Agency, Cité du design de Saint-Etienne, France, 2009 © Cité du design de Saint- Etienne/Christian Richters p.60 The San Antonio Paella Challenge, USA © Johnny Hernandez Founder, Paella Challenge p.61 Filming of the short film, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2019 © Obala Art Centar p.62 Seattle Public Library, USA © Nicola/ Flickr.com p.63 The ‘talli’ weaving, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2019 © Amirah Tajdin p.64 Defining a new Asian architecture, President's design Award 2013, Singapore, 2015 © Jo Celest Photography p.65 The public park's central avenue features Sheikh Raza Talabani, a nineteenth-century poet, Slemani, Iraq, 2018 © M LaBrosse81 p.66 A Creativity Festival for Young Filmmakers, Terrassa, Spain, 2014 © Parc Audiovisual de Catalogne p.67 Porta Susa, Torino, Italy 2017 © Città di Torino p.68 Projection of 'Safety Last' and simultaneous musical interpretation by the Castilla y León Philharmonic Orchestra, Valladolid, Spain, 2018 © SEMINCI p.69 A video mapping on the catherdral facade, Viborg, Denmark, 2017 © Viborg Municipality p.70 National Youth writing contest, Wonju, Republic of Korea, 2017 © Wonju City Hall p.71 The historical yellow crane tower, Wuhan China, 2017 © Chen Tao p.72 Award ceremony of Yamagata International Film Festival, Japan, 2015 © yidff p.74 Modern glass facade office building around Digital Media City, Seoul, Republic of Korea © Moomusician/ Shutterstock.com* p.75 SINGAPORE -MARCH 31: Asia's First Sustainable Light Art Festival, Singapore © i359702/ Shutterstock.com* p.77 World Jazz festival. Saxophone, a musical instrument played by saxophonists and the band musicians on stage at the festival © BlurryMe/ Shutterstock.com* p.78 Concert of the band Primitiva de Llíria on the bicentennial of its creation, Llíria, Spain, 2018 © Universitat Politècnica de València (*)Images marked with an asterisk in this publication do not fall under the abovementioned CC_BY_SA licence and may not be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright holders.UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES' RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Cities offer the most comprehensive facilities and services for significant actions that contribute towards people-centered sustainable urban development. The COVID-19 pandemic halted this fundamental function of cities, in economic, social and cultural terms. With cities serving as hubs of human activities, the pandemic reveals once again their vulnerability as complex and interlinked ecosystems, but more profoundly highlights their unique ability to adapt themselves to the ever-changing global and local environment. It has also shown their capacity to implement effective immediate and long-term actions, by tapping into culture, creativity and innovation. The current publication is an illustration of these innovative and creative culture-driven actions. It aims to further inspire cities and to add to the existing collective reflection on how to shape cities that are resilient, sustainable and future proof. 9 789231 003905