Adelaide bidding to be next UNESCO City of Music

Adelaide is biding to be UNESCO City of Music – with the backing of Seville, Spain, the world’s first City of Music.

A successful bid would not only position internationally Adelaide as a place to make and hear great music but open up many industry and tourism opportunities for South Australia, according to Arts Minister Jack Snelling.

"Adelaide has a long and proud history in music and generating world-class musicians, we have terrific and growing music festivals and the international recognition that would come with being an internationally recognised city of music would be invaluable," he said.

"It would provide exchange opportunities for our budding musicians and increase tourism potential from the music sector around the globe."

To be considered as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) City of Music, Adelaide has to prove a strong and long-time background in music-making, education and community involvement.

Applications close this month, with the Paris-based organisation announcing the winner in late October. Aside from Seville, also having that honour are Bologna, Italy; Hamamatsu, Japan; Glasgow, Scotland; Gent, Belgium; Mannheim, Germany; Bogota, Colombia; Brazzaville, Congo; and Hannover, Germany.

Earlier this month, Snelling led a delegation to Seville and had “fruitful discussions” with María del Mar Alfaro, Secretary General for Culture for the Andalusia region, of which Seville is the capital.

The delegation also met Francisco Bernier, Artistic Director of the Seville Guitar Festival. An agreement was struck “to increase the exchange opportunities” between that festival and the biennial Adelaide International Guitar Festival. The next Adelaide festival is held August 11-14 2016.

Snelling and Sarah Bleby, Executive Producer of the Adelaide guitar festival, also met with members of the new Government in the City of Cordoba, and Juan Carlos Limia, Director of the Cordoba Guitar Festival, about a Memorandum of Understanding between the two events. Snelling said, “We are hopeful that in the near future we would be in a position to formalise the relationship between the two festivals.”

The Music City bid is endorsed by Adelaide City Council and led by the Adelaide Festival Centre, which hosts the guitar festival.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese pointed out that live music was central to a thriving, liveable city and contributed to economic development.

“Adelaide is regarded throughout the world as a cultural city, and becoming a UNESCO City of Music would position Adelaide as an exciting and innovative city for musicians, where music is integrated with economic and business development,” Haese said.

“It would allow us to showcase the initiatives stemming from Council’s Live Music Action Plan that are already underway in the city to support live music, share knowledge on a global scale, and cultivate innovation.”

The Adelaide Festival Centre’s CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier stated that “membership of this UNESCO cultural cities network will bring many benefits to our city and recognise the great centre for music making that Adelaide is.”

Adelaide would be Australia’s first UNESCO City of Music. Sydney is recognised as an UNESCO City of Film. Melbourne is a City of Literature but peak music association Music Victoria has been working at getting a Music City gong as well.

Image: Rock legends Cold Chisel formed in Adelaideas a heavy-metal cover-band
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