IPOH, Nov 7 — Ipoh was recently awarded 'City of Music' status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) recently following intense work put in by the various agencies.

PORT (People Of Remarkable Talents) Ipoh general manager Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin said as one of the agencies that helped to prepare the dossier, Ipoh provided ample data to the steering committee that visited the city in February.

Hanim said PORT started working with the Ipoh City Council (MBI) last year, giving input and suggestions to the council appointed consultant to prepare the dossier.

"Think City also assisted by helping to arrange for a visit by the steering committee to Ipoh,” she said, adding that the committee would return to the city every three years to evaluate the status.

According to Hanim, PORT provided a map of Kinta Valley's independent music scene.

"There is also information on the music classes and recording studios available in the city.”

Facilities available in the city also gave Ipoh a boost in obtaining the status.

"Besides the amphitheatre at the DR Seenivasagam Park, the Ipoh Town Hall, that is set to be reopened in May next year after undergoing refurbishment, will be conducive to organise live shows.”

While the status does not come with any monetary gains, Hanim said it does add value to the city as Perak gears up to welcome Visit Perak Year in 2024.

"It will help tourists 'see' what is interesting in Ipoh,” she said, adding that the status would help in promoting Ipoh with annual plans for conventions to discuss creative cities.

On programmes to be organised annually as part of the city's preparation to retain its status, Hanim said PORT has been organising the Ipoh Music Symposium annually for the past five years.

"We are also in the midst of inventorying items related to Perak music that will be available online by the second quarter of next year.”

PORT also organised a three-day camp for youths in June that talks about the film industry.

"There is also the Karnival Mesra Anak Muda (KAMU) and the Hadiah Sasterawan Negeri Perak that have entered its seventh edition.”

Besides Ipoh, two other cities in Vietnam and Thailand respectively also received similar recognition.

Ipoh joined cities such as Liverpool, Havana, Kansas City, Kingston, Adelaide, Seville, Kinshasa, Abu Dhabi, Glasgow, Tallinn, and Port of Spain in the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list.

With the latest additions, the UCCN programme now has 350 cities in more than 100 countries.

Unesco's City of Music designation is part of the wider UCCN programme.

The network, launched in 2004, has member cities in seven creative fields (Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music).

Ipoh follows in the footsteps of Kuching, Sarawak, which was recognised in November 2021 by the UCCN for its rich gastronomy.