Malang City Qualifies for the Top 4 of the UCCN National Selection

Malang (malangkota.go.id) - Malang City has accomplished a remarkable feat by securing a spot in the top four stages of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) National Selection in 2025. This announcement was made directly by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenparekraf RI) and the National Selection Committee (Panselnas) of the world's Creative Cities to the Acting (Pj.) Mayor of Malang Iwan Kurniawan, ST, MM and Head of the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of Malang City, Dwi Rahayu, Monday, (23/9/2024).

This accomplishment is the result of the hard work of all parties in Malang City, from the city government, creative industry players, to the community. By qualifying to the top four stages, this further opens opportunities for Malang City to be recognized internationally as a creative city with its own uniqueness and attractiveness.

Malang City Bappeda Head Dwi Rahayu, who is also the Chairperson of the Malang City Creative Economy Committee (KEK), expressed her gratitude for this achievement. “This achievement is clear evidence that Malang City has great potential in the creative industry. We will continue to strive to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Malang City's creative products, thereby enabling them to compete on a global scale,” she stated.
UCCN is a UNESCO initiative that aims to promote cooperation among cities worldwide where creativity plays a pivotal role in the advancement of economic and social development. Cities that are members of this network will share their knowledge and experience in developing the creative industry.

After achieving the top four stage qualification, Malang City will proceed to the subsequent selection stage which will be conducted by UNESCO. This stage will involve a comprehensive assessment of various aspects, including government commitment, community support, and the potential for creative industry development in Malang City.

With the announcement of the qualification of the top four leading representatives of the World Creative City, the National Selection Committee and Kemenparekraf will once again visit the cities that have been selected as the top four, including Malang City. This visitation is scheduled to take place in Malang City on September 25-27, 2024.

By advancing Malang City to the top four stages of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network National Selection, it is expected to have a positive impact on various sectors, such as increasing the growth of the creative industry and creating new jobs to improve the quality of life of its people, increasing the tourism sector, and increasing the image of Malang City in the eyes of the world as a creative and innovative city.

In addition to Malang City, other regions that qualified for the top four were Makassar City, Ponorogo Regency, and Tangerang Regency. Malang City has expressed its willingness to be designated as a World Creative City 2025 in the Media Art category. This category was proposed by Malang City reflecting the great potential of Malang City's creativity in Media Art, such as the abundance of programs, initiatives, and events related to media art. Starting from the Mbois Festival, Malang Flower Carnival, Posko Visual, to various creative public spaces that can support collaboration and synergy from media art actors.

Malang City is also known as the 'City of Talent', which means that Malang City has a myriad of potential talents who can create and innovate in this city. Furthermore, aided by diverse shared creative spaces that can be utilized, it is anticipated that Malang City will serve as a hub for creative individuals collaborating to establish a global Creative City.