PURPOSE: The World Art Day is celebrated each year, on 15 April to help reinforce the links between artistic creations and society, encourage greater awareness of the diversity of artistic expressions and highlight the contribution of artists to sustainable development. Art has long played an integral role in conveying messages of evolution, revolution, freedom and creativity, and a messenger to the masses of global issues. World Art Day is a timely reminder that art can unite and connect us even in the most difficult of circumstances. Indeed, the power of art to bring people together, to inspire, heal and share, has become increasingly clear during recent conflicts and crises, including COVID-19.

FORUM: “Art & Human Dignity: Human Rights and Healing Arts for a Culture of Peace.” World Art Day 2024. "The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is – it's to imagine what is possible" – Bell Hooks. Art has long played an integral role in conveying messages of evolution, revolution, freedom and creativity, and a messenger to the masses of global issues. Art has the transformational power of taking macro ideas of worldwide transformation and communicating them in a digestible manner for society. The opportunities it presents highlight possibilities for change, and bring to the forefront the urgency of working towards accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Like everyone in society, Artists also have a responsibility for using the work they put out into the world for a greater purpose. Art is not just a pretty painting, it is the pulse of society, the heart of the change they want to see in their local and global communities.On this an occasion; we invite you to shine a light on arts education in schools, as culture can pave the way for inclusive and equitable education. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #worldArtDay, #15April, #Arts.

EVENTS: A webinar to mark World Art Day 2024 will be organized by the UNESCO. The challenges we face today can only be met through far-reaching cultural policies aimed at helping creative communities overcome this crisis and protecting and improving the status of artists. In February 2024, Culture and Education Ministers from around the world came together in Abu Dhabi with the goal of adopting this new Framework for Culture and Arts Education. IFLA was closely involved in the consultation process during 2023 [see our input during the Multistakeholder Dialogues here] in order to secure a place for libraries in this framework. The current draft makes historic progress in recognizing libraries. It calls on countries to broaden their concept of learning environments by establishing more sustained cooperation with libraries. Get Involved with Cultural Policy and Advocacy in 2024!

The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025) edition will be held in Barcelona. During this ministerial forum, UNESCO will present the first-ever global report on the state of culture, the fruit of three years' work. MONDIACULT 2025 will be an opportunity to develop common solutions to ensure that the use of AI is fully respectful of artists rights, both in terms of intellectual property and compensation. In early 2025, UNESCO will launch a call for projects dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on culture. The winners will present their innovative solutions for artists at MONDIACULT 2025. The conference brought together the world’s culture ministers 40 years after the first MONDIACULT in 1980. It ensure that the voices of artists and civil society are fully heard as countries set the agenda for culture for the years to come. To date, thousands of artists and professionals have participated in more than 300 debates around the world.

PUBLICATIONS: In 2023, Compendium of Cultural Policies & Trends have been conducting a research campaign on Freedom of Artistic Expression. They have published four reports and held a conference in Malta where artistic freedom played a major role, and conducted a survey on artistic freedom in Europe. It is now time to publish an overview of these findings in the first half of 2024, to officially close the research campaign and move on to another topic.

PODCASTS : The challenge of keeping art alive, now and in the future, is therefore twofold: we must support culture professionals and cultural institutions, and promote access to art for all. Listen to the audio-podcasts!

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS : The aim of UNESCO’s ResiliArt movement is to affirm the resilience of art in this period and prepare for the future. Get the campaign materials!