Celebrating excellence in design and creative practice, the 20th Sydney Design Festival takes place from 2 – 11 March 2018 with over 100 programs, exhibitions, installations, talks, workshops and tours at venues throughout Greater Sydney.
Presented by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), the 2018 iteration of the festival is the first in a new format, and the timing shifts to March 2018. Sydney Design Festival is now a collaborative platform on which practitioners and insiders contribute the majority of events and activations. Design streams range from architecture, landscape, industrial and interiors to fashion, jewellery and graphic design.
Responding to this year’s theme, Call To Action – event organisers have considered the role of design in tackling complex global issues. This makes the festival the voice of an industry dedicated to innovation and embracing change. The Festival this year will also explore the expansion of design disciplines through materials technology and sustainable production, design-led community engagement, digital communication and speculative practice.
“Design impacts on everyday life and culture. In a time of rapid change design can offer unexpected solutions, yet good design can be elusive and controversial,” said MAAS Director and CEO, Dolla Merrillees. “Sydney Design Festival aims to democratise and nurture design, encouraging the interplay between the designer and consumer, the process and product.”
“Originally focused on Australian design and local issues, the Festival has grown and developed over the past two decades and now engages in international debates, explores trends in design processes and champions innovations.”
Sydney Design Festival is one of the longest running design festivals in the world. Last year’s Festival attracted more than 65,000 attendees to over 100 events. The festival appeals equally to the general public and to those with a personal or professional involvement in design, including designers, students and design enthusiasts.
The 2018 Sydney Design Festival runs 2 – 11 March. The full program will be revealed in January 2018. For more information, visit: www.sydneydesign.com.au for details.
Image: Matthew Gardiner, Oribotics: The Future Unfolds (2010) – photo by Jayne Ion