So, its that time of year again.... July = Design, State of Design. A period of twelve days of non-stop creative stimulation, inspiration and networking is just what the doctor ordered in the middle of winter I say! Rather than talk about all the wonderful interactive experiences to enjoy and participate in, I've decided its time to shine a spotlight on the folk behind the scenes who make this festival happen. Meet Kate Rhodes, Curator of State of Design Festival.
Q1 Describe your role as curator of Design Made Trade and Design for Everyone? What does your role entail?
The Festival is brought into the world with a tiny team of incredible people – some of the best I’ve worked with, I’m happy to say. Each of our roles bump and connect into one another regularly so we find ourselves doing all kinds of things. As Festival Curator, it is my role to help form the public program side of the Festival – this is the part of the program that is that for everyone. Individuals, organisations and businesses have contributed exhibitions, workshops, screenings and activities that explore and communicate the importance of design. The resulting program is carefully assembled to pull and push our theme so that everyone who visits a Festival event can grow their own ideas for generating change by design.
Q2 Design Made Trade (now in its 3rd year) has gained quite the name for itself by supporting emerging talent and taking them to the next level. The mix and quality of brands across design's many platforms is always inspiring. How do you achieve this?
Design can be though of as an almost unheard of connection between needs and desires. The exhibitors at Design Made Trade make the event the place to uncover objects, ideas and systems developed and produced both here and away to make life better, and potentially greener. The idea behind Design Made Trade is to make it the place to meet the people, and the people who know the people, behind great design.
Q3 What kinds of trends are you seeing from Victorian designers? Obviously sustainability is the focus this year for State of Design, but aside from that, what other commonalities are you seeing?
This year there is a section of Design Made Trade dedicated to green design businesses and other sections include: furniture, fabrics, small objects and a section of the Fair dedicated to what might be described as the more crafted end of design. A great mix.
Q4 This year Design Made Trade is incorporating workshops and talks as part of the mix. What was the motivation behind this initiative?
There is so much activity going on at the Royal Exhibition Building that it is a real hub for the first four days of the Festival. On both the trade days and the public days there are back-to-back talks, workshops and exhibitions. We really want these first days to be very dynamic, here are some of the events: Design Victoria Amphitheater for business talks; Lightsource – a commercial lighting exhibition; Materia – a hands-on materials library from the Netherlands; the Melbourne Design Embassy – a place for networking and blogging, Idealand – a community of hand-crafted hexagon spaces for professional design bodies and The Long Table – a table running the length of the Royal Exhibition Building for meetings, design speed dating with architects to green your home and a number of family-oriented making activities. We also have great exhibitions from the Australian Graphic Design Association, the Design Institute of Australia, Green Magazine and Monash University.
State of Design runs from Wednesday 14 - 25 July 2010. Click here for more info.
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