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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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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Sharjah

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Harjah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, spans 235 square kilometers along the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The city celebrates its cultural heritage through traditional crafts like ‘Talli’ weaving, which plays a vital role in supporting female artisans. Though niche, this craft sector is growing and contributes to Sharjah’s cultural identity.

Sharjah actively promotes its heritage through festivals like Sharjah Heritage Days and workshops organized by the Sharjah Art Foundation, which preserve and transfer traditional skills to future generations. The Bidwa initiative further supports this sector, providing vocational training to over 60 artisans, empowering women, and opening new market opportunities.

With Emiri Decree No. 5 of 2017, Sharjah ensures long-term preservation of its cultural heritage in line with international standards. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Sharjah plans to foster collaborations with UNESCO cities, create exhibition spaces, offer vocational training, and establish an awards scheme to recognize artisans’ contributions.

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Sheki

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Sheki, one of the oldest cities in Azerbaijan with a population of 172,000, is renowned for its rich architectural heritage, sericulture, and traditional crafts. Historically significant as a stronghold on the Silk Roads, Sheki showcases well-preserved monuments and is known for its unique crafts, particularly shebeke (wooden-framed stained glass) and pottery. The city remains a major silk production center in the Caucasus, with crafts accounting for 14.4% of its income and employing 253 craftsmen, including 59 women.

To support the crafts sector, the Sheki Crafts Association was established in 2006 through the World Bank’s Azerbaijan Cultural Heritage Project. The association organizes craft fairs, conferences, and training sessions to enhance working conditions, develop entrepreneurial skills, and raise awareness of traditional crafts among youth. Recent initiatives by the municipality have promoted employment and social security for artisans, contributing to a 22.3% increase in craft sector employment from 2013 to 2014. Efforts to protect intellectual property rights have further empowered Sheki’s craftsmen by establishing a new legislative framework for their creative works.

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Sokodé

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Sokodé, Togo’s second-largest city with 95,070 residents, is celebrated for its weaving tradition, crucial for producing daily clothing and ceremonial garments like embroidered boubous for Tem knights. Weaving represents over 35% of the city’s craft sector, significantly boosting the local economy. Major events, such as the Togo Sokodé International Fair and Gadao-Adossa Festival, promote the arts, while the Inter-Professional Grouping of Craftsmen and Women of Togo (GIPATO) trains new weavers in traditional techniques.

The 2015-2019 Communal Development Plan prioritizes culture for sustainable urban growth, focusing on local tourism, workshops for artisans, and plans for a communal museum. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Sokodé aims to implement the SOS Crafts Project to engage youth and marginalized women, establish a crafts and folk art farm, and foster collaboration among artisans to tackle challenges and enhance their skills.

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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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Surakarta

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Surakarta, a city rich in cultural assets and a vibrant creative economy, boasts 387 ateliers and 1,081 artists across various artistic disciplines, including music, dance, theater, painting, and sculpture. The city’s commitment to nurturing talent is evident through established training spaces for crafts and folk arts. Since 1910, Surakarta has organized folk art performances, notably the Wayang Orang Opera, at the Sriwedari Wayang Orang Building, making it a hub for folk art. Neighborhood pavilions facilitate regular training and performances, while larger venues host grand productions like the Ramayana Dance Drama.

Renowned for its traditional batik textile production, Surakarta is home to 192 batik workshops and two significant batik villages. The government supports this creative sector by providing instruments for local music activities. Rooted in the history of the Mataram kingdom, Surakarta maintains strong ties to Javanese culture, thriving in performing arts, crafts, culinary, and fashion, despite pandemic challenges. Between 2020 and 2022, the city hosted 84 creative economy events and plans at least 48 for 2023.

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Tambasasayama

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

Located in Japan’s Hyōgo region, Tambasasayama is renowned for its rich diversity of over 4,700 crafts and folk art expressions, most notably tanba-yaki pottery. This ancient craft, passed down for over eight centuries, is one of Japan’s “Six Old Kilns” and remains a source of local pride. The Tanba-yaki Pottery Festival, held annually at the Museum of Ceramic Art, attracts over 140,000 visitors worldwide, showcasing the best of this pottery. Tambasasayama also hosts the Dekancho Festival, celebrating the traditional bon-odori folk dance.

To support its crafts sector, the city has implemented various training programs and cooperative associations, promoting sustainable urban development. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Tambasasayama aims to pass on tanba-yaki skills to future artisans, establish a school for innovation, foster artistic exchanges, and strengthen ties with other Creative Cities to explore connections between crafts and gastronomy.

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Tétouan

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

With a population of 400,000, Tétouan is Morocco’s second-largest economic hub in the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region. The city’s craft traditions date back to its 15th-century founding, and its urban planning reflects its craftsmanship, with specialized craft neighborhoods for Zellige, Taajira embroidery, and wood and ironwork. Drawing from its Arab-Andalusian heritage, Tétouan’s arts and crafts are known for their masterful craftsmanship, supported by nearly 6,000 craft units and 150 young artisans entering the market annually.

Crafts in Tétouan play a significant role in community-building and contribute to the local economy. Events like the Rencontres des Artisans and the Marché au fil du temps, held alongside the Women’s Voices International Music Festival, showcase local artisans, particularly women. Tétouan’s Urban Development Programme and Regional Development Plan have upgraded community spaces, modernized craft infrastructure, and supported the federation of craft guilds to promote networking and training opportunities.

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Trinidad

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Trinidad, located on the southern coast of Santi Spíritus, Cuba, boasts a rich history of craftsmanship, especially in fiber fabrics, which continues to be a vital source of income for its residents, generating nearly US$500,000 annually. Local craft traditions are passed down through generations and preserved within homes. The city organizes numerous exhibitions, fairs, and seasonal markets, offering artisans platforms to display their work, such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day events. Permanent exhibitions, like those by artists Magalis Ramírez and Lucía Jiménez, also invite public interaction and offer summer courses.

Trinidad’s handicrafts sector aligns with Goal 8 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focusing on gender equality by promoting female artisans. Craft schools and workshops, as well as the School of Trades of Restoration, teach traditional techniques and introduce new technologies, while helping marginalized youth enhance their skills and integrate into the city’s social fabric.

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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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Ulaanbaatar

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

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Umngeni Howick

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Umngeni Howick, located along the Midlands Meander tourist route in South Africa, is home to over 170 craftspeople working in diverse fields such as ceramics and sculpture. The city and the nation actively support its artisans through initiatives like the Zulu Mphopomeni Tourism Enterprise programme, which is community-led and aims to ensure the economic sustainability of craftspeople while revitalizing Zulu culture. In collaboration with the Midlands Meander association, Umngeni Howick and the nation have trained 50 craftspeople and are planning to launch an online platform to help artisans sell their products.

As a UNESCO Creative City, Umngeni Howick is focused on elevating local crafts through events like the planned Indaba craft festival, modeled after Cape Town’s Indaba design festival. This initiative aims to highlight local talent and foster intercultural dialogue by inviting craftspeople from other Creative Cities. Another planned festival will celebrate craftspeople preserving Zulu cultural heritage, aligning the city and the nation with UNESCO’s efforts to support indigenous communities.

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