PURPOSE: The United Nations General Assembly designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development, to promote creative thinking, cututural, scientific and technological innovation. According to the UNESCO report on culture and sustainable development, the creative industry is among the most dynamic sectors in the world economy in terms of income generation and job creation.
FORUM: “Leading the way for creative thinking.” World Creativity and Innovation Day 2024. The day will provide an opportunity to embrace the idea that innovation is essential for harnessing the economic potential of each country and that, innovation, creativity, and mass entrepreneurship can provide new momentum for economic growth and job creation. As a result, expanding opportunities for everyone, including women and youth. The creative economy – which includes audiovisual products, design, new media, performing arts, publishing and visual arts– is a highly transformative sector of the world economy in terms of income generation, job creation and export earnings. Culture is an essential component of sustainable development and represents a source of identity, innovation and creativity for the individual and community. At the same time, creativity and culture have a significant non-monetary value that contributes to inclusive social development, to dialogue and understanding between peoples. Follow the conversation with the hastags #21April, #WCID; #WorldCreativityandInnovationDay; #InnovationDay.
EVENTS: Join us for the celebration of the World creativity and Innovation Day 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters on and around the April 21st. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.
PODCASTS: Although creativity and innovation can bolster international development goals and the achievement of the MDGs, and provide solutions to address the needs of the poor and the marginalized, their potential is still not fully explored. Industrial design for instance is still viewed as being part of the luxury industry, that addresses the needs of only 10% of the earth’s population. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: “Leading the way for creative thinking.” will be the slogan of the 2024 Campaign; “The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10% of the world’s customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90%.” Let’s change that!. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CLEBRATE THE DAY?
There may be no universal understanding of creativity. By celebrating the Day on April 21th; we raise awareness on the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.
Let’s working on the Development and Dissemination of Innovative Design Solutions to address Extreme Poverty; On that day we focus also on how partnerships in Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture can impact on economic and social development, and environmental conservation.
Join the Network and enhance your city’s creative potential for sustainable urban development, exchange know-how and cooperate on an international level!
ACTIONS
Contribute to the wealth of innovative ideas and experiences.
Highlight the concept of Creativity around you and Invite people to interpret artistic expression.
Promote Culture for Sustainable Urban Development.
Explore how innovative industrial design, that allies science and creativity, can effectively and at low cost, contribute to answering the needs of communities that live in extreme poverty.
Open a debate on problem-solving in the context of economic, social and sustainable development.
PARTNERS
The World Creativity and innovation Day is hosted by the UNESCO Office Worldwide; The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN); The UNESCO: Protecting Our Heritage and Fostering Creativity; The UNESCO: Heritage and Creativity; The UNCTAD Creative Economy Network; The United Nations Technology Innovation Labs, the World Intellectual Property Organization.
With the participation of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the creative industrial designers, artists, architects, engineers, environmental specialists, agronomists, educators, industrial design enterprises and academics.