Become a UNESCO Creative City

The Accreditation Process

• Introduction

  Established in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) aims to strengthen cooperation with, and among, cities that have recognised creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development as regards economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects.

  The global network is made up of over 350 cities in more 100 countries. Each city in the network is currently accredited in one of seven creative fields: Crafts & Folk, Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, or Music.

  Any city that joins the network must work to preserve and enhance their unique creative field through public initiatives, local development strategies, and better access to, and greater participation in, the city’s cultural life.

  The UK National Commission for UNESCO works closely with the UK members of Creative Cities Network and a range of independent experts to ensure that any applications from the UK put forward to UNESCO for consideration have been fully peer-reviewed, quality assessed, and endorsed.

• Take the first steps

  Download and read the UCCN 2025 Application Guidelines and other documentation available in our Resource Centre or via the links below.

  Make contact with the UK National Commission for UNESCO. We will answer any initial queries you have and explain the application process in more detail.

• Considerations

  Please note that the full application process to become a UNESCO Designation can take several years, and not all applications are successful. There is also a limit on the number of applications the UK submits to UNESCO each year, and each Designation type has its own application cycle within a calendar year. In this respect, we recommend you making initial contact with us as soon as possible.