Ipoh
About the Creative City:
Renowned as the national cradle of independent rock, Ipoh is teeming with nationally and internationally acclaimed independent music producers, labels and bands. Such a thriving, specialist music scene is the result of the city's recent history and the way its inhabitants have embraced rock music to create "the sound of Ipoh".
The city's music industry stands out for its strong commitment to creative freedom. Ipoh supports the independence of its designers and producers by guaranteeing the economic sustainability of the sector. Events, such as the Ipoh International Art Festival and the Ipoh Music Symposium, bring people together and make it easier to form new projects and obtain funding, while raising artists’ profile. In 2020, the city launched an action plan to embed marketing in its tourism sector. Thanks to this initiative, existing urban cultural policies have been harmonized and key local stakeholders brought together to support the local music sector and make it a defining hallmark of the city's cultural identity.
Furthermore, in line with its vision for cross-sectoral cultural action, Ipoh is establishing synergies between music and other local creative sectors. Its action plan calls for greater promotion of the gastronomy, film and media arts sectors, based on the development and overall recognition of the city's music industry. With that in mind, Ipoh has supported the production of films inspired by the city's musical culture, as well as the Projek Panggung initiative, which enables the city's digital artists to showcase their talents over social media while promoting local musicians.
Added value:
As a Creative City of Music, Ipoh is dedicated to:
Ensuring that artists and creators can practise their art and their passion for music independently;
Encouraging the repurposing of old buildings to breathe new life into urban areas;
Diversifying and improving sources of income and funding for local creative sectors; and
Sharing good practices and exchanging knowledge and skills by taking part in the Network's activities.
