Is there any extra funding available as a result of achieving the UNESCO City of Music title?
No, the award is purely a title, it doesn’t have any funds attached. However, if Liverpool wins this title it may help to support applications to funders.

What is UNESCO?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation was formed in November 1945 “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.” Click here to visit the UNESCO site.

Why should Liverpool bid to become a UNESCO City of Music?
Around the world Liverpool is widely known for two things: football and music. Our contribution to the world’s music probably began through shipping and trade, but continued in the 19th century with the establishment of the UK’s oldest surviving Philharmonic Society – the RLPO is now regarded as one of the finest orchestra’s in Europe, winning the title “Ensemble of the Year” at the 2009 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards. Of course Merseybeat and The Beatles put the city on the world map in the 60s and are celebrated every August at Mathew Street Music Festival, but clubs like Eric’s in the 70s and Cream in the 90s have sustained our national and international reputation. The current scene is vibrant and supported by two of the freshest and most exciting music festivals in the UK; Liverpool Music Week in November and Liverpool Sound City in June. If Liverpool shouldn’t bid to become a UNESCO City of Music what city in England should?

What will Liverpool get out of the title UNESCO City of Music?
Primarily the award is simply a title, which will certainly be used to drive cultural tourism. People already visit Liverpool because of our musical history and international reputation, this award would serve to officially recognise that status. There’s also an opportunity for our city’s music industry, education and support networks to rally together as part of the bid to plan a vision of the city’s future music offer. Also, as part of the Creative Cities Network, UNESCO encourages members with common interests to share their experiences and ambitions.

Why was music chosen as the category for Liverpool’s bid?
There’s a lot more to Liverpool than music, we’ve got one of the best visual art scenes in the UK with venues like the Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool as well as the Liverpool Biennial. However, ask people around the world what Liverpool’s famous for and they’ll usually say one of two things: football and music. We’ve already been recognised by the Arts Council as England’s “Most Musical City” as well as being awarded the title “World Capital of Pop” by the Guinness Book of Records.

What are the seven categories under which we could join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network?

• Literature

• Cinema

• Music

• Craft & Folk Arts

• Design

• Media Arts

• Gastronomy
  
  

What are the judging criteria for the seven categories in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network?

Literature

• Quality, quantity and diversity of editorial initiatives and publishing houses;

• Quality and quantity of educational programmes focusing on domestic or foreign literature in primary and secondary schools as well as universities;

• Urban environment in which literature, drama and/or poetry play an integral role;

• Experience in hosting literary events and festivals aiming at promoting domestic and foreign literature;

• Libraries, bookstores and public or private cultural centres dedicated to the preservation, promotion and dissemination of domestic and foreign literature;

• Active effort by the publishing sector to translate literary works from diverse national languages and foreign literature;

• Active involvement of media, including new media, in promoting literature and strengthening the market for literary products.

Cinema

• Important infrastructure related to cinema, e.g. film studios, film landscapes/environments, etc.;

• Historic links to the production, distribution and commercialization of films;

• Experience in hosting film festivals, screenings and other film-related events;

• Collaborative initiatives at a local, regional and international level;

• Film heritage in the form of archives, museums, private collections and/or film institutes;

• Filmmaking schools and training centres;

• Effort in disseminating films produced and/or directed locally or nationally;

• Initiatives to encourage knowledge-sharing on foreign films

Music

• Recognised centres of musical creation and activity;

• Experience in hosting musical festivals and events at a national or international level;

• Promotion of the music industry in all its forms;

• Music schools, conservatories, academies and higher education institutions specialised in music;

• Informal structures for music education, including amateur choirs and orchestras;

• Domestic or international platforms dedicated to particular genres of music and/or music from other countries;

• Cultural spaces suited for practicing and listening to music, e.g. open-air auditoriums.

Crafts and Folk Art

• Long-lasting tradition in a particular form of crafts or folk art;

• Contemporary production of crafts and folk art;

• Strong presence of craft makers and local artists;

• Training centres related to crafts and folk art related occupations;

• Effort to promote crafts and folk art (festivals, exhibitions, fairs, markets, etc.);

• Infrastructure relevant to crafts and folk art, e.g. museums, handicraft stores, local art fairs, etc.;

Design

• Established design industry;

• Cultural landscape fuelled by design and the built environment (architecture, urban planning, public spaces, monuments, transportation, signage and information systems, typography, etc.);

• Design schools and design research centres;

• Practicing groups of creators and designers with a continuous activity at a local and/or national level;

• Experience in hosting fairs, events and exhibits dedicated to design;

• Opportunity for local designers and urban planners to take advantage of local materials and urban/natural conditions;

• Design-driven creative industries, e.g. architecture and interiors, fashion and textiles, jewelry and accessories, interaction design, urban design, sustainable design, etc.

Media Arts

• Development of cultural and creative industries triggered by digital technology;

• Successful media arts integration leading to the improvement of urban life;

• Growth of electronic art forms seeking the participation of civil society;

• Wider access to culture through digital technology development;

• Residency programmes and other studio spaces for media artists;

Gastronomy

• Well-developed gastronomy that is characteristic of the urban centre and/or region;

• Vibrant gastronomy community with numerous traditional restaurants and/or chefs;

• Endogenous ingredients used in traditional cooking;

• Local know-how, traditional culinary practices and methods of cooking that have survived industrial/technological advancement;

• Traditional food markets and traditional food industry;

• Tradition of hosting gastronomic festivals, awards, contests and other broadly-targeted means of recognition;

• Respect for the environment and promotion of sustainable local products;

• Nurturing of public appreciation, promotion of nutrition in educational institutions and inclusion of biodiversity conservation programmes in cooking schools curricula.