Latest news with #UnescoCreativeCitiesNetwork
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
River City to the City of Love: Whanganui AI initiative presented in Paris
AI BizHub founders Stephen Lee (front left) and Lisa Lightband (back left), pictured with fellow WriteFund Collective directors Tanya Harnett (back right) and Sonja Davenport Petersen, were invited to the Unesco Creative Cities conference in Paris in June. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown Whanganui-based artificial intelligence service AI Bizhub has captured international attention. AI BizHub founders Lisa Lightband and Stephen Lee were invited to the Unesco Creative Cities Network annual conference in Paris on June 23-24. The conference aims to promote co-operation between cities that recognise creativity and cultural industries as drivers for
Irish Examiner
12-07-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Books are my business: Dublin Unesco City of Literature director Anne-Marie Kelly
Anne-Marie Kelly is director of Dublin Unesco City of Literature. How did you become a librarian? I was a big reader, but there weren't many books in my house growing up in the 1970s and '80s, like most people of that generation. When I was about seven or eight, my dad took me down to the local library in Malahide; it was closed at the time for renovations, and there was a mobile library service instead, in a van beside the tennis club. I could not believe that a truck had books on it. I used to go in to the library after school, I would run up the stairs to see if I could get a Nancy Drew or Enid Blyton. When I left school, I didn't know what I wanted to do and I fell into the library service. I realised I liked it, especially dealing with the public. I worked in the busiest library in the country, the Central Library in the Ilac Centre in Dublin; I was sent there as a relief library assistant to sign up people when it opened to the public 40 years ago. In 2021, I was assigned to my current role. I had previously worked as a library manager assigned to the development section of the city libraries, with responsibility for programming events. I had experience of working with many partners, practical skills, in terms of understanding budgets and processes, and also an understanding of the cultural impact our services have on the local community, as readers, but also as users of public library spaces. What does your current role involve? I help to promote Dublin as a city of literature, support the literary community, and strengthen links between the partners. I also represent the city on the Unesco Creative Cities Network. The office celebrates our great writing traditions and heritage, but also brings the talents of writers to the readers as well. I'm well placed within the libraries, but I also have a city-wide bird's eye view of what's happening in other organisations, such as Poetry Ireland, the Irish Writers' Centre, the Museum of Irish Literature, and the National Library, which we involve in initiatives like the One Dublin One Book programme. Another one of my briefs is overseeing the Dublin International Literary Award. There is a lot of time involved in terms of events, organising programming, venues, capacity, ticketing, and so on. We try to identify themes that will make a programme interesting and attract an audience. We will select a book for One Dublin One Book during the summer, so I will always find time for reading, on the bus or train, on the way to work or going home. Today, we were linking in with the deputy lord mayor of Lyons in France, which is another Unesco City of Literature team. We are always looking at potential contacts and how those can benefit our own literary community. We also use our online platforms to promote what is available to our own writers and poets internationally, in terms of residencies and so on. What do you like most about what you do? Giving opportunities to writers. At the end of the summer, I will be contacting someone about being selected as the One Dublin One Book author next year. That is something that comes out of the blue for them and I love to see their reaction. What do you like least about it? What can be quite frustrating is when you get a programme together, people have booked in for events and they don't show up. It has made me more aware that when I book something, I will email if I can't make it. Three desert island books My favourite book of all time is a tiny paperback by Carson McCullers called The Member of the Wedding. It took her six years to write and there isn't a word out of place. It is set in the Deep South in the 1940s, and the main character is a young girl, who sees her older brother getting married and thinks that she can go off and live with him and his new wife. It is sweet, but also very knowing, capturing the turbulence of neither being an adult or a child. The next one would be Walk the Blue Fields, the collection of short stories by Claire Keegan, which are jewels of writing. I cannot believe her talent. The third one would be Solar Bones by Mike McCormack, another writer that I really love. The character is talking about his own life from the other side of the grave, and it's just wonderful, really original. Read More Books are my business: Librarian Mary Conway
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Time of India
Big jump in foreign tourist arrivals in Madurai
Madurai: Tourist inflow to Madurai saw an impressive rise in 2024, with both international and domestic footfall growing steadily compared to the previous year. The district welcomed 98,770 foreign visitors, up from 57,564 in 2023 according to the district tourism department. Domestic tourist numbers touched 2.74 crore, up from 2.5 crore in 2023, reaffirming Madurai's position as one of the major travel destinations in Tamil Nadu. While Meenakshi Amman temple and Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal remain key crowd-pullers, tourism stakeholders say the narrative is gradually shifting from purely spiritual to one that emphasizes culture, cuisine, and heritage. "Earlier, most tourists would only visit temples and return. Now, many ask about historical walks, old markets, traditional art performances, and even archaeological sites like Keeladi," says Nagendra Prabhu, a senior govt-recognized tourist guide. There's a clear demand for deeper, experience-based travel, he added. Travel operators say a large number of domestic visitors arrive from states like Maharashtra, Delhi, and West Bengal, while European travellers form the bulk of international arrivals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chrissy Metz Is So Skinny Now And She Looks Like A Model Cleverst Undo There has been a modest increase in tourists from North America and Australia. Hoteliers are witnessing the impact firsthand. K P S Kannan, president of Madurai Lodge Owners' Association, said the demand for hotel rooms has remained consistently high, with occupancy peaking during weekends and holidays. "Over the past few years, people's spending patterns have shifted more towards travel," he said. "Madurai has emerged as a central hub, especially for those looking to cover destinations like Rameswaram, Karaikudi, Kanyakumari, and Kodaikanal. With better road and rail connectivity, many prefer to base themselves here and plan onward trips," he said. An emerging highlight of the city's tourism profile in the post-pandemic period is food-based travel. Tour packages now often include local food trails, with visitors eager to sample iconic dishes like kari dosai, mutton biryani, and jigarthanda from long-standing eateries. "There's a lot more interest in exploring the city through its cuisine," said Vasanth Rajan, a city-based travel consultant who now offers culinary tours too. "Most of our clients specifically ask for places that locals frequent. Food vlogs and social media reviews have made a big difference in drawing this crowd," he said. Recognizing this trend, the district administration's draft tourism master plan proposes positioning Madurai as a gastronomic destination under Unesco Creative Cities Network. Plans include hosting annual food festivals in temple precincts. Madurai corporation had, in its recent annual budget, included a food street near Mattuthavani.
Free Malaysia Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
KL eyes Unesco Creative City status
Mayor Maimunah Sharif said Kuala Lumpur's bid to join the Unesco Creative Cities Network has passed the initial screening. (Envato Elements pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has officially submitted its application for the capital to join the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN), aiming to cement its status as a regional hub for creativity and innovation. Mayor Maimunah Sharif confirmed the development during a media briefing on the Warisan KL project, saying the application had passed the initial vetting process. 'We have already submitted our application to be in the Unesco Creative Cities Network,' she said. 'I have just received an email from Paris two days ago confirming that our application is in order. All the recommendations have been well received, and now they are going to the next stage.' If accepted, Kuala Lumpur will join a select group of global cities recognised for using creativity as a key driver for sustainable urban development. Earlier today, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim launched Warisan KL, a project to revitalise Kuala Lumpur through physical upgrades, cultural preservation, historical conservation, and strengthened community values. Anwar had previously announced the RM1 billion project to preserve the capital's historic landmarks. Maimunah said the March application differs from Malaysia's current Unesco World Heritage recognition, such as for George Town and Melaka, which are heritage-based listings. She said Kuala Lumpur's bid focuses on the city's vibrant creative landscape, which includes design, arts, music, gastronomy, and digital innovation. 'One of the criteria of the Creative Cities Network is the creativity we have in Kuala Lumpur that we want to promote and convey to people,' she said. Established in 2004, the UCCN is a flagship city programme that promotes cooperation among cities which have recognised culture and creativity as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development. As of 2022, there are almost 300 cities from about 90 countries in the network.
