Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, speaks at the conference. —  VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — After six years of being part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of design, Hà Nội has been actively pushing forward with its commitments through concrete actions, making creativity a crucial driver of its development.

This was highlighted at the conference Festivals in Creative Cities held at the Hà Nội Museum on December 5. The event was co-hosted by the UNESCO Office in Việt Nam and the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, gathering international experts and representatives from UCCN member cities.

In her opening remarks, Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports Bạch Liên Hương affirmed the city's continuous efforts since joining the UCCN. These efforts include launching numerous programmes to build creative spaces, connect domestic and international resources, develop the Hà Nội Creative Culture Spaces network, and establish a coordination centre for the city's creative activities.

Hương noted that the Hà Nội Creative Design Festival is becoming a significant highlight, demonstrating the city's commitment to innovation and fostering cooperation in the field of creative design. The conference, supported by UNESCO and international experts, aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences in organising such creative festivals.

Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative to Việt Nam, emphasised that Hà Nội's recognition as a creative city for design has opened a new phase of development, with creativity serving as a key impetus.

He highly commended Hà Nội's success in building a vibrant creative ecosystem through festivals, community-connecting networks, and initiatives that empower the younger generation of designers.

Baker stressed that while creative festivals are short in duration, they generate a lasting and ripple effect as they help connect communities, revitalise public spaces, and express the unique identity and development aspirations of cities.

This conference, he added, was a timely opportunity for UCCN members to share effective cooperation models and festival organisation experiences, working towards a common and adaptive creative festival guidance framework that respects local cultural identities.

Discussions at the conference focused on four key areas including Hà Nội's good practices in holding the Hà Nội Creative Design Festival as a model for a creative and innovative urban festival; festival organisation strategies, challenges, and solutions for community engagement; creative festivals' role in urban development, youth empowerment, and cultural startup and international cooperation facilitation; and a flexible festival organisation framework that is aligned with the UCCN values and the local context.

The conference was a continuation of the successful cooperation programmes between Hà Nộiand UNESCO, aiming to build sustainable and inclusive creative festivals that will further elevate Hà Nội's standing within the global UCCN. — VNS/VNS