THE head of Bradford's City of Film team is in Japan developing partnerships with other UNESCO Creative Cities from around the world.

David Wilson has joined representatives from 69 cities in Kanazawa to discuss the ongoing development of the Creative Cities Network and promote the work carried out in Bradford over the past 12 months.

Bradford became a member of the network in 2009 when it was designated the world's first UNESCO City of Film. It has since been joined in the film category by Sydney, Galway, Sofia and Busan.

Mr Wilson represents film on the UNESCO steering group along with six other representatives of the remaining creative fields of literature, design, music, gastronomy, craft and folk art and media arts.

"I am very proud to represent Bradford at this prestigious world gathering of creative cities," said Mr Wilson.

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"We have plenty to feed back on, including the success of the Bradford International Film Summit earlier this spring; our ongoing support to film and television productions through the Bradford Film Office; the Bradford Film Literacy Programme, helping to raise attainment in Bradford schools, and most recently our partnership with the Yorkshire Film Archive to launch Memory Bank Bradford."

As well as celebrating what each city has achieved with its UNESCO designation so far, this week's four-day conference will also discuss how cities could work together in the future and how programmes and activities could be funded.

There will also be discussions on the future growth of the network. Bradford is working with Rome and Yamagata in Japan, which plan to apply for UNESCO City of Film status.

"The development of the network and the film cities in particular is really exciting for Bradford, and we're discussing ways to support each city's film festivals and events," said Mr Wilson.

"As chairman of the film cities sub group, I will feedback to the main conference of 300 delegates on our work so far and our ambitions for the future.

"We are entering a really exciting time in the history of Bradford and I very much hope that our UNESCO designation and film can play a key role in the ongoing regeneration of the city and the wider region.

"We continue to use our designation to look at ways of increasing inward investment in the Creative Industries across Yorkshire, and for more film and TV production and post production facilities to be based in Bradford."