The new marketing initiative from the Victorian Creative Cities Network will highlight Melbourne (Literature), Geelong (Design), Ballarat (Craft & Folk Art) and Bendigo city and regions (Gastronomy).
Introducing Creative State of Mind – the new marketing campaign launched today by Victorian Creative Cities Network (VCCN) set to spotlight the four UNESCO Creative Cities in Victoria.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
As the only state in the world to hold four UNESCO Creative Cities; Melbourne under the Literature umbrella, Geelong for Design, Ballarat for crafts and folk arts and Bendigo city and regions in Gastronomy; the representative arm, the Victorian Creative Cities Network, is moving toward further elevating Victoria’s profile as a hub for artists, makers and creatives. Under the Creative State of Mind initiative, the VCCN will champion the four UNESCO Creative Cities, building the narrative of Victoria as a global creative leader.
Under the international UNESCO program, leader cities are recognised for their culture and creativity that contributes to sustainable development. The VCCN works collaboratively to progress local, regional and international opportunities that provide economic, social, environmental and cultural benefit to the cities of Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, with the Creative State of Mind campaign set to further each cities intention.
Melbourne was named a UNESCO Creative City in 2008, the second city in the world to be recognised as a City of Literature, thanks to the breadth, depth and vibrancy of its literary culture as evident from the world-class libraries, book stores, events and publishing industry.
Geelong became the second Victorian city to receive the UNESCO title in 2017. As the City of Design Geelong is recognised for its commitment to creating a thriving, prosperous and socially inclusive city through its reimagination of urban spaces. Geelong Design Week highlights these features every year, with spaces like Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Platform Arts involved in the activation.
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Two years later Bendigo and Ballarat received recognition for their creative contribution. Bendigo and its surrounding regions joined the network as the City of Gastronomy for their leadership in areas of sustainability, food production, climate change, primary production, First Nations food and fibre, and innovation. Ballarat was named the City of Crafts and Folk Arts in response to the cities celebration of traditional crafts and protecting lost and forgotten skills with the opening of Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades furthering this development.
Each UNESCO Creative City has contributed to the wider economic and reputational status of Victoria’s creative industries. Overall, Victoria’s creative industries contribute more than $38 billion to the state’s economy with creative workers making up almost 9% of Victoria’s total workforce. The Creative State of Mind campaign aims to growth on these figures with an aim to capture the Victoria’s creative spirit and encourage visitation and engagement within the Creative Cities Network.
Further information on the UNESCO Creative Cities can be found here.
