Parma is the first Italian city designated UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. For Parma entering the UNESCO world means to invest in international relations and projects, implement the reputation of excellence of made in Italy abroad, and, at the same time, promote urban development, every citizen can become part of the creative community and make the difference by participating in promoted initiatives.
Parma is growing as part of a global system. International meetings are a great opportunity for sharing skills and launching projects with other cities in the UNESCO Network. Moreover, thanks to the constant participation in meetings and its profound commitment, Parma has become a point of reference for the other cities of the UNESCO Network, so to be elected in 2016, only one year after the designation, City Coordinator of Projects and International Partnerships.
The synergy with the land is fundamental to promote the excellence of Parma UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. The Bergen MatFestival in Norway, the DNA Festival in Dénia, Spain, have been the occasion to represent the excellence of Italian cuisine and of the agro-food Made in Italy. In the center, there are people and stories, and experience consolidated through generations: an inimitable heritage inextricably linked to the land.
The first 5 Italian UNESCO Creative Cities – Bologna, Fabriano, Parma, Roma and Torino – on October 29, 2016, have created a “Coordinamento” to strengthen the role of Italian cities within the Network, promoting their development both on national territory and at the international level. 5 cities that consider creativity and innovation as key tools for cultural, social and economic development in their area: Bologna for Music, Fabriano for Crafts and Folk Arts, Parma for Gastronomy, Roma for Film, Torino for Design.
The “Coordinamento” has among its objectives to become a point of reference for creativity at national level.
From January to June 2017 high school students from Parma participated in a project alternating school-work in cooperation with the UNESCO office of the Municipality of Parma. The aim was to promote UNESCO’s knowledge in schools and to involve young people who actively participated to the Gola Gola Food & People Festival, nominating them “Young Ambassadors” of Parma UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. The students involved in the project have realized visual arts representative of Parma UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy working with Parma Illustrata cultural association. The purpose of the visual is to narrate through the eyes of students what we mean today with Parma food city recognized by UNESCO.
