Bamiyan

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

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Bandar Abbas

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Bandar Abbas, located on the southern coast of Iran, serves as a gateway to other nations, characterized by its handicrafts, local art, seafood, and music. The city’s creative industries prominently feature handicrafts, divided into three categories: practical and marine crafts, local clothing, and musical instruments.
Each year, numerous exhibitions and conferences highlight artworks created by local makers and students, fostering a new generation of artists and preserving traditional crafts. Bandar Abbas will host the International Handicrafts Fair and the Persian Gulf International Festival to share local experiences and enhance women’s participation in the creative economy.

To support the sector’s growth, the city has implemented various plans, including simplifying business permit processes and organizing home-based artisans. Weekly markets have also been introduced to provide greater exposure for craftsmen, particularly women in the industry. Bandar Abbas envisions integrating cultural industries into local development and becoming a center of excellence for creative industries in the region.

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Bukhara

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Bukhara, renowned for its cultural and architectural heritage, has a long-standing tradition of craftsmanship that plays a crucial role in the city’s development. The craft industry supports economic growth, job creation, and increased tourism, while promoting social inclusion and preserving cultural heritage. Skilled artisans in Bukhara practice traditional techniques in golden embroidery, ceramics, jewellery, and woodwork, which are integral to the region’s history along the ancient Silk Road. These artisans also contribute to cultural preservation through workshops and training programs.
With growing global interest in Bukhara’s crafts, international recognition has opened new export opportunities, boosting the local economy and reinforcing the city’s cultural identity.

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Cairo

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, is the largest metropolitan area in the Middle East and has long been a major cultural hub. Known for its rich craftsmanship, the city’s historic center features neighborhoods named after various craft practices. The local creative economy heavily relies on the crafts and folk art sector, which represents 80% of its cultural activities.

Communities in the historic center support crafts by establishing guilds for pottery, glassblowing, coppersmithing, ceramics, and jewelry. Cairo organizes events like the Diarna Fair and the Heritage Forum to promote craft heritage and raise awareness of the creative sector. The International Festival of Drums and Traditional Arts showcases traditional folk art and music. To revive the inactive historic center, the Urban Regeneration Project identifies culture and creativity as key elements for restoration. Cairo aims to strengthen artisans’ skills, create a multipurpose urban square for craft exhibitions, repurpose public buildings as Community Craft Centres, and engage in partnerships for professional development within the cultural sector.

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Jaipur

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan in India, has a population of 3 million and a rich history as a trade center known as the House of the 36 Industries (Chattis Karkhanas) in the early 18th century. This historical identity is preserved through dedicated streets and markets for crafts like painting, carving, and jewelry, which employ about 175,000 people across 53,500 workshops. The city views creative industries as vital for sustaining its cultural heritage, actively promoting local traditions through festivals such as the Jaipur International Heritage Festival, which highlights both traditional and contemporary crafts. Initiatives like Heritage Walks aim to revitalize ancient streets, improve artisans’ working conditions, and support direct selling. Jaipur also plans to establish a Global Art Square and promote international showcasing through a museum and gallery at the airport, fostering knowledge exchange with other Creative Cities.

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Lubumbashi

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a population of 1.7 million, is located in the Copperbelt mining region. Historically reliant on copper and malachite industries, the city aims to revitalize its development by leveraging creativity to celebrate its industrial legacy.

With over 50 workshops focused on malachite carving, Lubumbashi’s policies prioritize this trade as a means to stimulate employment. Artistic expressions stemming from local copper miners, such as street performance and music genres like karindula, enrich the city’s cultural identity.
The Copper Eaters Festival, celebrating artisan work for 15 years, and the Picha Encounters, an innovative visual arts biennale, underscore Lubumbashi’s commitment to cultural vitality. Although much of the cultural landscape has developed informally, the Municipality seeks to create a comprehensive policy framework to support cultural organizations and creative industries, aiming for sustainable urban renewal through creativity.

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Ouagadougou

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is a political, administrative, and cultural hub with a population of 2 million, housing over 80% of the central region’s inhabitants. The city has a rich tradition of bronze-working, particularly in the Niongsin neighborhood, where it originated through the expertise of three major families specializing in lost wax casting. This craft has evolved to become a primary source of income for many families and significantly impacts the local economy, employing 13% of informal sector workers across 375 businesses. Various training centers, such as the National Centre for Arts and Crafts and the Craft Village, ensure the transmission of this artisanal knowledge.
The city also hosts two major cultural events, the Ouagadougou International Craft Fair and the Pan-African Cinema and Television Festival. The municipal government actively supports local cultural industries by improving working conditions and promoting the bronze craft through initiatives like the Bronze Display.

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Perth

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2021

City presentation

Perth, a vibrant city in central Scotland with a population of nearly 160,000, thrives on industries such as farming, tourism, and low-carbon energy. The city boasts a rich cultural scene with two major theatres and international-standard museums, many highlighting local craft production. Perth College supports the creative sector with 650 students in culture-related fields. The city’s creative industry has grown, employing over 3,000 people with an annual GVA of USD 55,517 per job. Perth is also part of the Tay Cities Deal, which aims to invest in culture and innovation.
Key upcoming projects include the Perth City Hall Museum, focusing on crafts and folk art. The city plans to enhance its cultural footprint by fostering international collaborations, creating accessible spaces for artisans, engaging the public through workshops, and promoting sustainable tourism through a crafts and folk art trail.

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San Cristóbal de las Casas

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

San Cristóbal de las Casas, located in Chiapas, Mexico, has a population of 186,000, with a strong presence of indigenous communities who contribute significantly to the city’s crafts and folk art sector. This sector is the main driver of the local economy, with traditional crafts like blacksmithing, pottery, woodcarving, amber jewellery, and embroidery showcased across ten neighbourhoods.

Deeply connected to ancestral traditions, crafts foster social cohesion and intercultural dialogue. The city’s long-standing Spring Fair and Peace, held every April, celebrates local art and empowers indigenous women. In 2012, San Cristóbal launched the Maya World Textile AC Centre, benefiting 800 artisans from 30 indigenous communities, becoming a national model for promoting and protecting crafts.

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Tunis

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Tunis, the capital of Tunisia since the 13th century, is home to 638,850 inhabitants and boasts a rich cultural and historical legacy. Positioned strategically in the Mediterranean and at the crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes, it has long been a trade and cultural hub. The Medina of Tunis, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, is a living symbol of 18th-century urban planning and a center for craft creation, with about forty souks showcasing artisans’ work.

Key cultural events in Tunis include the Salon de l’Artisanat, Tunisia’s most popular crafts fair, attracting 140,000 visitors in 2017, and the Medina Festival, launched in 1982, celebrating the city’s heritage. Since 2000, the Municipality and the Association for the Protection of the Tunis Medina (ASM) have spearheaded efforts to rehabilitate slum areas, restore historic buildings, and revitalize the city’s traditional urban landscape, involving both residents and artisans in the process to promote and preserve craft professions.

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