- Funding available for selected events as designers, studios and organisations are invited to shape this year’s programme under the theme “The Ties that Tie, and the Links that Link”
- Irish Design Week takes place from 17 – 21 November 2025
13 August 2025: Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) has today opened a national call for designers, studios and organisations to contribute to Irish Design Week 2025 (17–21 November). Proposals for events, exhibitions or talks should reflect this year’s theme: “The Ties that Tie, and the Links that Link.”
As part of this open call, funding is available for selected events. Successful applicants will not only receive financial support, but will also benefit from nationwide visibility as part of this year’s Irish Design Week campaign.
Now in its fourth year, Irish Design Week is a national celebration of design as experience, connection and innovation, spanning disciplines from fashion and architecture to digital design and sustainable practice.
This year’s theme is inspired by a quote from William (Bill) H. Walsh, founder of the Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW), which this year marks the 60th anniversary of its opening in 1965. KDW was a key influence on Ireland’s modern design identity, helping to inspire some of the most recognisable innovations and brands we see today.
Irish Design Week 2025 will focus on what comes next and how Irish design can lead in areas such as sustainability, technology, storytelling and social impact, while staying rooted in the values of collaboration and craft.
Since its launch in 2022, Irish Design Week has grown into a flagship national event, attracting some of the leading international design voices to Ireland, including Irish-American fashion designer KidSuper, Canadian designer Bruce Mau, Design Museum London CEO Tim Marlow, and climate expert Sir David King.
The ties that tie, and the links that link invites reflection on the many ways design connects us – through ideas, disciplines, generations, and geographies. It speaks to a shared curiosity and a belief in the power of learning together. When people from different disciplines come together with open minds, they create not only innovative work, but also a culture of discovery and mutual growth.
This year, Irish Design Week celebrates that spirit – the ties and links that connect us across disciplines, generations, and borders, and the potential they hold for shaping a better-designed future.
The full programme for this year will be announced in October, with the flagship events once again hosted at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin.
Applications are now open via link here: Irish Design Week 2025 with the deadline for submissions set for 5pm on Friday 12 September 2025.
DCCI Irish Design Week event application guidelines
Events should take place during Irish Design Week (17 – 21 November 2025), but may also begin before or continue after these dates if appropriate.
Events must take place in Ireland.
Closing date for Open Call submissions is 12th September 5pm GMT.
DCCI Irish Design Week is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment through Enterprise Ireland.
“Irish Design Week has quickly become a national stage for the power of design as a source of inspiration and as a problem-solving force that can address critical challenges from climate change to housing. In just a few short years, we’ve seen the week bring together remarkable talent, spark collaborations, and influence conversations well beyond the design sector. “This year’s theme invites designers, studios, and organisations to take part in shaping a future where Irish design continues to innovate, connect, and make an impact at home and internationally.”
Mary Blanchfield
CEO, DCCI
The IAF is really thrilled to be part of Irish Design Week again. Architecture is a deeply collective and collaborative design practice. The built world is a reflection of our values, who we are, and how we are all connected. Therefore, we look forward to discussing architecture in the context of the 2025 theme this November.
Emmett Scanlon
Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF)
’The Ties that Tie and the Links that Link’ is a nod to Ireland’s design heritage and a challenge to look ahead. Design is no longer just about what we make, it’s about how we connect, how we feel, and how we share stories. Irish Design Week gives designers a platform to tell the stories behind their work: the inspiration, the process, and the purpose. Whether you're hosting a workshop, launching a prototype, or opening your studio to the public, if your event reflects the power of design to connect and create change, we want to hear from you. Through the funding available, there’s real opportunity to bring your ideas to life.
Tom Watts
Head of Design, DCCI
Photo caption
The ties that tie and the links that link: Emmett Scanlon, Director, Irish Architecture Foundation, Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), and Tom Watts, DCCI Head of Design, pictured holding a chain of claddagh scarves, designed by Irish designer Megan Nolan Walsh, to mark this year’s invitation for participation in DCCI Irish Design Week 2025, which takes place on 17-21 November this year in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. This year’s theme, ‘The ties that tie, and the links that link’, is inspired by William (Bill) H. Walsh, founder of the Kilkenny Design Workshops, and invites designers to reflect on how their work connects us across ideas, disciplines, generations, and geographies. Photo Leon Farrell
DCCI.ie @dccireland
This is an extract from the press release Issued by Murray on behalf of Design & Crafts Council Ireland.
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