Angoulême wishes to join the 180 creative cities of UNESCO and in particular those of the “Literature” category in order to have this identity recognized comic which is its own, built on an ancient and innovative experience.
Almost 18 months will have been required to ripen Angoulême’s candidature to the UNESCO creative cities network. Intense local mobilization was undertaken around established bodies for the occasion:
- a technical Committee which associates the operational organisations of the comic strip angoumoisine (festivals, schools, development centre, representatives of the authors, museums…) as well as representatives of the public institutions in order to build the plan multi-year shares for 2019-2023
- a strategic Committee responsible for guiding and validating the approach
- a scientific Committee composed around the Mayor of the directors of the international comic strip Festival, the international city of comic strip and the image (CIBDI) and the European high school of the image (EESI) which advises the general strategy of the gait.
Moreover, in relation to the local mobilization of the forces, a close work with the French National Commission of UNESCO has been committed to build this nomination according to the main objectives of sustainable development of UNESCO and the Network’s expectations.
The Mayor of Angoulême also met the member cities of the network to take advantage of their experience within the CCNU but also to present the 9 proposals of the Angoulême action plan to the network. The French cities (Enghien-les-Bains, Limoges, Saint-Etienne), European (Barcelona, Prague, Milan, Ljubjana, Krakow and Edinburgh) and even Quebec and Montreal were very sensitive to the complementarity of Angoulême’s proposals with the actions of the network. A number of projects have already been planned with some of these cities!
Co-productions and exchange of exhibitions will be possible here with the Musée de la Civilization de Québec
The reception of international BD artists in residence will contribute to enrich the creation
As soon as you arrive in Angoulême station, you enter the world of comics
Statue of Corto Maltese, famous character of cartoonist Hugo Pratt in front of the Comic Strip Museum
The route of the 28 walls BD plays with the architecture here with the designer Yslaire: Memories of the XXth Heaven
Franck Riester inaugurates the Odyssée project to raise awareness among young people about heritage through comics
With the City of Quebec, it is the stake of the Francophonie which is approached
Angoulême supports the creation of the 1st International Comics Festival in Sousse (Tunisia)
The candidature of Angoulême was built in connection with Daniel Janicot and the French National Commission of UNESCO
Good exchange with the community of Scottish comic writers
In Krakow, the creation of a comic strip museum and participation in the Festival are planned
The City of Edinburgh is sensitive to Angouleme’s candidacy