The inaugural York UNESCO EXPO welcomed more than 3,000 visitors
to celebrate the 10th anniversary of York's
designation as a City of Media Arts.
, Mayor of York and North
Yorkshire took a central role by opening the Reignite VI: Culture
Makes Places event and the UNESCO EXPO last week.
He used the celebration to champion the region's creative and
digital strengths and build partnerships with representatives
from other UNESCO creative cities including Braga in Portugal,
Linz in Austria and Oulu in Finland.
The event coincided with the 14th annual Aesthetica
Film Festival, which showcases and brings together the world's
independent film, VR and gaming industry.
The UNESCO designation, which the city earned in 2014 as a global
leader for the work it produces, puts York on the same footing as
just 26 cities across the world including Austin in Texas,
Sapporo in Japan and Toronto in Canada.
The event was part of a week of celebrations, designed to be a
catalyst for York's creative and digital industry, providing a
national and global stage to celebrate the region's existing
strengths and drive investment opportunities.
, the Mayor of York and North
Yorkshire, said:
“York is the only city in the UK to get this recognition from
UNESCO for its impact on the media arts scene. We are right on
the cutting edge, with York at the heart of many of the films,
shows and games that are so popular across the world.
“It is time we work together with the creative and digital sector
to leverage this, so we can attract investment, retain more of
our graduates and create more high-quality jobs. This is a
thriving industry with high growth and economic potential.
“Industry leaders from across the world are already here in York,
so they know it's such an attractive place to explore, live and
work. My role is to speak with them and ask a simple question:
can you picture yourself here?”
The pitch for creative and digital investment builds on One
Creative North, which is designed to grow the North's creative
industry.
Mayors from across the North of England met in York earlier this
year to launch the programme, as part of the Convention of the
North.
The partnership focuses on the development of the North's
creative skills and talent pipeline, establishing a networking
platform for creatives and providing financial support through a
£50m investment fund offering loans to creative businesses.
