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On June 20-21, representatives from UNESCO Creative Cities participated in the Kutaisi International Forum’s Cultural Session, ‘Unleashing the Cultural Power of Cities’.Since its inception in 2019, the Kutaisi International Forum (KIF) has served as a dynamic platform for empowering second-tier, medium-sized, and small-sized cities (StMSCs) to achieve sustainable development. Established through a powerful collaboration between the Kutaisi City Municipality, the European Union, and USAID initiatives, KIF has since garnered steadfast support from the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (MRDI) of Georgia and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG).
Not far away, Kutaisi was recognized as a UNESCO City of Literature, and thus, the KIF2024 agenda placed special emphasis on the cultural sphere and its role in the sustainable development of cities.
The speakers included Mr. Kjartan Már Ómarsson-Director of the City of Literature within the Department of Culture and Sports at the Reykjavík Municipality, Mr. Damjan Zorc-Coordinator of Ljubljana UNESCO City of Literature, Ms. Elżbieta Foltyniak-Head of Kraków UNESCO City of Literature, and Ms. Krista Ojasaar-Board Member of the Estonian Literary Society from Tartu. They prepared presentations on their cities, cultural policies, and ongoing projects. Ms. Hannah Trevarthen, Director of Nottingham City of Literature, moderated the session.
Kutaisi Mayor Mr. Ioseb Khakhaleishvili and the representatives from the UNESCO Cities discussed future collaborations between Kutaisi and other Cities of Literature.