DESIGN & CRAFTS COUNCIL IRELAND LAUNCHES IRISH DESIGN WEEK AT CORK CITY HALL

• Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Irish Design Week launch event brings together global leaders in Cork City Hall kickstarting a weeklong string of events across Ireland.
• Over 50 events will take place across the country highlighting the theme ‘Is Folklore the Future?

Monday, 13^th November 2023: Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) Irish Design Week 2023 officially launched at Cork City Hall today. The annual week-long series of events, many of them free, promotes and advocates for both national and international design in Ireland. DCCI’s Irish Design Week takes place from Monday, 13th November to Friday, 17th November. It aims to champion design across the country by embedding design principles, and the benefits of them, more deeply in society and in the economy to achieve better opportunities for the design sector and increase its positive impact.

The launch event, taking place in Cork City Hall, welcomes well-known international design leaders Tim Marlow, CEO, Design Museum London; Christian Bason, CEO, Danish Design Centre and Dr Fiona Chambers, UCC. Ireland’s plan for a National Design Centre is central to the panel discussion, which is being moderated by Fiona Kearney, Director, The Glucksman, UCC.

Throughout the week, the wide and diverse benefits of design in all its forms will be brought to the fore. From product design to artistic design, and design for living to the benefits of incorporating design principles in other industries, Irish Design Week will bring these topics to life through compelling exhibitions, thought leadership panel discussions, and much more. Some of these events include Design Kilkenny 2023, Tilting the Lens with Sinead Burke, a panel discussion with Siobhan Mc Kenna, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at the Public Service, exhibitions from Holger Strom and Cartoon Saloon at the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, Hail Thee: We Come in Reveries of Change, a presentation by Alison Conneely on her project in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, and Irish Design Vision Week quest with Climate KIC.

Rosemary Steen, CEO, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, commented: ‘DCCI’s Irish Design Week champions design in all corners of the country. I believe it offers a unique opportunity to open up discussions about the importance of design and design thinking in all aspects of life. Design is integral to economic sustainability and the wellbeing of society. It is fundamental to the essential problem solving of everyday life and has benefits to us as individuals, organisations and as a culture. Throughout DCCI’s Irish Design Week, we will bring global and national leaders together through 11 flagship events and over 40 third party events. These events all aid in strengthening Ireland’s reputation in international design circles. Today, we hear from design leaders on how we can bring design thinking truly to life with a National Design Centre, and we welcome their experience and expertise.’

Christian Bason, CEO, Danish Design Centre, said: ‘Working to develop the Danish Design Centre I have seen first-hand the impact of providing valuable resources, insights, and platforms for designers, businesses, and policymakers. Fostering innovation, sustainability and developing a space for design excellence creates positive societal change. I saw the visionary approach that DCCI introduced with Irish Design Week in 2022 and the continued actions that have been taken since to make this a reality. I am delighted to be in Ireland today to be part of this movement, to share my knowledge and experience in the role that design can play in our future and I look forward to more discussions tomorrow in Dublin.’

As well as Irish Design Week, applications are open for Design memberships with Design & Crafts Council Ireland. Tom Watts, Head of Design, Design & Crafts Council Ireland commented: “Artists and designers are welcome to join our membership programme at DCCI as we aim to help and support the future creatives of Ireland. With opportunities for funding and developing your career, DCCI offers a range of supporting activity whilst also introducing you to other artists and makers. Being a part of a community that allows each artist to grow and collaborate with likeminded creatives, harvests an environment that encourages success and achievement.”

DCCI Irish Design Week promotes and advocates for both national and international design in Ireland. The theme of this year’s Irish Design Week is, Is Folklore the Future? Throughout the week, DCCI will curate and host a series of hybrid events focusing on Ireland’s rich heritage of folklore and storytelling – currently hot topics in international design circles – helping to make design in all its forms, more accessible. To find out more about the events during Irish Design Week, and to book them, visit https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week/.

Many of the DCCI Irish Design Week events will be live streamed and recordings will be made available to view online. For further information, please visit: www.dcci.ie

ENDS

For more information, please contact Eimear Harding, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, DCCI, 083 023 8743 or email [email protected]

For further press information please contact Claire Feely, Emma Kelly, Sorcha Delaney & Miriam Alsalihi at Elevate PR, 01 662 5652 or email [email protected] / [email protected]

Notes to Editor

Tickets available on irishdesignweek.ie