Between the 5th and 7th of February 2025, a meeting was held in the creative city of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, with representatives from various creative cities in the Crafts and Folk Arts category. It was attended by over 80 participants from various countries, including technicians, politicians and local entities. Caldas da Rainha was represented by the Councillor for Culture, Conceição Henriques, and the head of the Culture Unit of the Caldas municipality and Focal Point of Caldas, UNESCO Creative City, José Antunes.

The meeting focused on the theme ‘Protect Artists and Cultures at Risk by Creating an Ecosystem for Culture’. It was a moment rich in cultural experiences and where it was possible to share knowledge about the challenges faced by creative cities and strategies to promote the development of crafts and folk arts.

Taking advantage of this meeting, Professor Jordi Tresserras Juan, representative of UNESCO, invited the city of Caldas da Rainha to join a cooperation programme to support cities in Portuguese-speaking African countries in their efforts to join the network.

It was also announced that Ave Matsin has assumed the position of sub-coordinator of the creative cities category Crafts and Folk Arts. A renowned textile artist and author, Ave Matsin is also a professor at the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Viljandi Academy of Culture.