Twenty-six delegates from 17 cities across the world are about to descend on Geelong for the UNESCO City of Design Subnetwork Meeting 2023 next week.
In 2017, Geelong was designated a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a City of Design.
“We are the only Australian city to be a City of Design and one of 43 in the world,” City of Greater Geelong said in a statement.
UCCN countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Belgium, USA, China, Scotland, Lithuania, and Canada will be represented at the international event which will run between Monday 27 to Friday 31 March 2023 in Geelong.
“Geelong is thrilled to welcome delegates to our region and showcase our design credentials to the UNESCO Cities of Design and their communities,” said Mayor, Trent Sullivan.
“The reach of the subnetwork meeting extends further than the 19 countries being represented in person, with an online component livestreamed to all UNESCO Cities of Design.
“This is an exciting opportunity for communities from these design cities to participate-in and learn about the range of projects taking place across the network.
“The gathering is set to provide our local economy with a welcome boost through the support of local businesses,” he said.
Delegates are set to be immersed in everything Greater Geelong has to offer, gain a feel for our heritage and design-driven future and meet, network, and identify opportunities to collaborate with one another, the Mayor said.
The five-day meeting will explore design across a range of domains, including education, creative industries, business and industry, policy, urban design, sustainability, innovation and social design.
“Geelong’s UNESCO Creative City of Design designation was an honour and continued to inspire the region to embed smart design principles into every project and initiative,” said Chair of the Economic Development portfolio, Councillor Peter Murrihy.
“We have a lot to be proud of in terms of our long history of innovation and ongoing clever and creative efforts, and showcasing this on the international stage will no doubt strengthen our reputation as a leader in design.
“I encourage community members to register for the free Lunch and Learn Series, as they’ll offer valuable insights and ideas into how we can design a better future through creative industries, urban design and design and manufacturing.”
Community members from Geelong and across Australia interested in hearing from local experts and international delegates on their experiences and latest design projects can livestream three public panel sessions for free.
The Lunch and Learn Series will be livestreamed between 12pm and 1pm AEST on Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 March 2023 about:
- Future agents of change: designing creative industries and cultural organisations through youth participation;
- Urban Design initiatives across the UNESCO Creative Cities; and
- Manufacturing for sustainable outcomes: enablers and mechanisms.
For more information about the subnetwork meeting, visit Geelong City of Desigtn’s Unesco sub-network meeting page. Click the ‘Register your interest’ button to receive livestream links.
