Areguà

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Areguá is a crafts city located on the shores of Lake Ypacarai and 30 km from Asunción. Although principally renowned for producing pottery, the city also offers a great range of popular arts including music and dance. Home to over 450 pottery workshops, Areguá is regarded as one of the three key pottery cities of Paraguay. Due to its Urban Cultural Heritage, Areguá was recognised as a national Cultural Heritage site in 1997.

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Ayacucho

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Founded in 1539, Ayacucho is known as the “Capital City of Folk Art and Peruvian Craftsmanship.” This Andean city fosters cultural diversity and artistic creativity, developing 16 types of crafts, including retablo, tapestry, Huamanga stone carving, pottery, textiles, and embroidery.

Ayacucho’s local crafts and folk art are celebrated during festivals like Easter and Carnival, which blend music, cinema, theatre, and dance. Events such as the First Regional Meeting of Craftsmen in 2019 aim to promote growth by addressing issues in the industry.

The city also supports crafts through a symposium that led to the creation of a folk art museum, interpretation centers, and a dedicated budget. Ayacucho aims to improve the handicraft sector, promote crafts in local and international markets, teach folk art in schools, recover its cultural heritage, and provide youth internships in partnership with local universities.

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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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Bida

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2021

City presentation

Bida City, situated in Niger State, Nigeria, is a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, recognized as a City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2021. Its rich cultural heritage dates back to the 11th century, encompassing various crafts such as glassmaking, iron and brass smithing, wood and raffia weaving, and traditional music and songs. These crafts are created using traditional methods and tools, reflecting the city’s deep-rooted cultural traditions. The major ethnic group in Bida is of Nupe descent, coexisting peacefully with other ethnic groups. Bida is renowned for its folk festivals, including the Durbar Festival and Nupe Day, showcasing its vibrant culture and heritage. Historically, Bida has been a center of trade in glass, brass, silver, and iron works since the 14th century, engaging with empires such as Mali, Songhai, Ashanti, and Kanem-Bornu.

As a leading city of crafts and folk art in Nigeria, Bida remains committed to preserving its cultural legacy through its vibrant festivals, traditional crafts, and historical landmarks.

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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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Gabrovo

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Gabrovo, in central northern Bulgaria, was a major craft center in the 19th century, known for woodcarving and wool weaving. Today, it remains a vibrant hub for crafts, with 33 craft enterprises and 111 independent artisans. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum (ETAR), established in the 1960s, showcases the region’s rich craft traditions.

Gabrovo hosts the annual International Crafts Fair, the largest of its kind in the region, featuring artisans from around the world. The event includes a master competition and scientific conferences on global craft trends. Gabrovo’s lively carnival also highlights local humor, traditional songs, and folk culture. The city aims to attract young artists through its Culture Development Strategy, promoting crafts as a driver of sustainable development.

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Hoi An

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Hoi An places great emphasis on preserving traditional crafts and folk art as part of its sustainable development strategy. The city is renowned for Bài chòi, a folk art form that blends dance, theatre, and song, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Following the city’s cultural resolution (2018-2022), Hoi An integrates culture into its economy, ensuring culture remains central to growth.

Key initiatives include support for the “Hoi An Memories Island Culture Show,” employing 500 local craftspeople and artists, and establishing training programs for young people in traditional crafts and folk arts. The city fosters inter-generational knowledge transfer and provides over 40 specialized folk art classes for high school students.

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João Pessoa

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba, in the northeast of Brazil. The third oldest city in the country, founded in 1585, it is also known as the “Gateway to the Sun” because it is located on the easternmost point of the Americas. A UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017, it has been implementing various initiatives aimed at incorporating the concepts of creativity and innovation, as well as the transversality of segments, fostering the local economy and meeting the commitments made when the municipality joined the UCCN.

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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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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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Porto-Novo

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Porto-Novo, Benin’s capital with a population of 300,000, has a unique cultural identity shaped by its colonial past and diverse migratory influences. The city is known for its rich artisanal traditions, organized into 42 craft guilds, with families specializing in crafts like blacksmithing, pottery, and musical instrument making. Artists and artisans, particularly women, play a crucial role in shaping the city’s sustainable development.
Porto-Novo hosts cultural events like the International Festival of Arts and Culture and Urban Outbreak Festival-Workshops, which showcase contemporary art and urban renovation. The city aims to further strengthen the role of culture in urban planning, foster regional and international cooperation, and enhance youth training in crafts and folk art. Through these efforts, Porto-Novo seeks to position itself as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, making culture a key driver for human and urban development.

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Srinagar

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2021

City presentation

Srinagar, renowned for its handicrafts and handloom products, boasts a rich arts and crafts heritage dating back to the 14th century. The city is home to tens of thousands of artisans skilled in various crafts, creating a vibrant market that connects them directly with consumers and showcases their products. The handicraft sector plays a vital role in the local economy, generating income, fostering community well-being, and creating employment opportunities. Enhanced marketing initiatives have further amplified this sector’s impact on Srinagar’s development.

As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Srinagar aims to improve the local living environment and infrastructure for creatives, with a special emphasis on supporting local artisans. The city also seeks to empower youth, women, and vulnerable groups by developing their craft skills, while promoting knowledge exchange, innovation, and information dissemination within the creative field.

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