Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Culture and creativity are the heartbeat of our societies, and we need them now more than ever. With so many crises around the world – from climate change to conflict and COVID-19 – people need moments to connect, come together, understand each other, and imagine better futures. Music, art, literature, cinema, dance and many more forms of cultural and creative expressions drive the momentum we need to overcome the challenges we face.

At the same time, the creative economy is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, providing decent work, especially for women, youth and vulnerable groups. By investing in the creative economy now, especially in the Global South, we support sustainable and inclusive development so that everyone can reap the benefits. 

On 15 April 2020, World Art Day and beginning of Covid-19 pandemia, UNESCO launched its flagship initiative ResiliArt to raise the alarm on the artists, cultural professionals and the creative sector in crisis while celebrating the resilience of art in adversity.

ResiliArt consists of a series of online debates organized by State and non-State actors with the aim of examining the impact of different crises on the cultural and creative sectors and their main actors.

ResiliArt was thus developed as a movement for artists, by artists and UNESCO serves as a conduit between voices on the ground and global decision makers.