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Tallinn is preparing a city of music strategy

May 3, 2021

tallinn_music_strategy — Photo Credit: Tallinn Convention Bureau, Karel Koplimets

This year, Tallinn is running a candidacy for becoming a city of music of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and in this connection, a sectoral idea gathering is ongoing to compile the city of music strategy.

During April, the working group for candidacy for the UNESCO City of Music, led by the Tallinn Culture and Sports Department, invited music industry specialists to come up with ideas on what initiatives, projects or programs could be implemented when Tallinn became the city of music. The ideas presented will form a 4-year city of music strategy.

Deputy Mayor Vadim Belobrovtsev said that by becoming a city of music, Tallinn undertakes not only to support and amplify the capital’s functioning music life but also to take care of the continuity of its music culture. “We are convinced that our music story alone is powerful enough to be worthy of a place on the honourable list of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. At the same time, much needs to be done to take care of what has been achieved. Therefore, for the strategy, in addition to the usual events, festivals and activities in the field of music, we also gather new initiatives and ideas in the fields of concert organization, music business, folk culture, as well as children and youth,” said Belobrovtsev.

The ideas for the strategy are expected to offer proposals that provides a comprehensive and long-term solution to some of the challenges facing the music industry, increase overall inclusion and accessibility of music in all social groups, include at least some of the horizontal issues – supporting offspring, digital revolution and new technologies, green revolution and environmentally conscious music management, international cooperation, international marketing of Tallinn – and contribute to the overall development of the city and to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

tallinn_estonia — Photo Credit: Tallinn Convention Bureau, Kaupo Kalda

Tallinn is applying to become the city of music of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for the first time. Currently, 47 cities around the world belong to the category of music cities, 19 of them from Europe. Applications for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network take place every two years, most recently in 2017 and 2019. This year’s application round has been announced, and whether or not Tallinn becomes a city of music, will be revealed in late autumn.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was launched in 2004 with the aim of highlighting the role of culture and creativity in the sustainable development of cities. The network currently includes 246 cities around the world. In recent years, interest in the network has been very high – in 2017, 64 cities became members of the network; in 2019, 66 cities. There are seven categories in the network: crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music. One city can only belong to one category. From Estonia, UNESCO Creative Cities Network includes Tartu as the city of literature and Viljandi as the city of crafts and folk art.

Ideas can still be submitted until May 1, 2021 at the link: https://forms.gle/P5VEdAGiF2v3kQ2U9 or at ragnar.siil@creativitylab.ee.