Minister Coveney launches Design & Crafts Council Ireland Irish Design Week 2023

•  This year’s theme, ‘Is Folklore the Future?’ explores Ireland’s rich heritage of folklore and storytelling Irish
• Design Week takes place from 13^th to 17^th November 2023
• Irish Design Week 2023 will see a host of events take place across the island of Ireland

7 July 2023: Friday 7 July, Mr. Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Mr. Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Business has announced the return of Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) Irish Design Week 2023. DCCI Irish Design Week, now in its second year, is a national programme of events taking place across Ireland from 13 – 17 November 2023. This year’s theme: Is Folklore the Future? explores Ireland’s rich heritage of folklore and storytelling – currently topics being discussed in international design circles, Irish Design Week will provide a platform to explore them further.

Last year, 72 events took place during Irish Design Week 2022, where internationally renowned designer Bruce Mau and international architecture studio Grafton Architects hosted talks and panel discussions. Irish Design Week 2023 will start on Monday 13 November 2023 with a keynote presentation by Tim Marlow OBE, CEO of the Design Museum in London.

The programme will explore how folklore and storytelling give insight into how to address some of the critical issues facing our society today. This builds directly on learnings from last year’s Irish Design Week of the crucial role design thinking plays in areas such as diversity, inclusion and mental health. Some of the major themes that emerged from last year’s events were empathy, life centred design and the importance of imagination when looking to the future.

Among the international design community, interest in storytelling, folklore and mythology has recently emerged as a strong theme as a means to communicate ideas and concepts. DCCI will shortly be issuing a call for participation, asking design practitioners across Ireland to submit event ideas that celebrate and demonstrate this years theme.

DCCI Irish Design Week is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland.

Mr. Simon Coveney, TD Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment said: “Irish Design Week provides a national and international platform for Irish designers to showcase the rich heritage of innovation and creativity that we as a nation are so proud of. This year’s theme shines a light on the importance of storytelling in the design sector. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Design & Crafts Council Ireland for the hard work on bringing to life this wonderful celebration of design.”

Tim Marlow OBE, CEO of the Design Museum in London said: “From an international perspective, Ireland has a special place in the pantheon of national storytelling. The rich narratives, myths and legends of Irish folklore are a rich source of inspiration for designers. Folklore reflects the traditional artistic styles and craftsmanship of a place and time, which contemporary designers can explore and integrate into many different design disciplines from product design and architecture to fashion and craft. It adds a sense of authenticity and cultural identity to Irish design. I’m honoured to open Irish Design Week 2023 and am very much looking forward to November.”

Rosemary Steen, CEO, Design & Crafts Council Ireland commented: “We are delighted to have a national platform to curate a strong Irish Design Week and build upon the previous year. Our theme for this year, ‘Is Folklore the Future?’ will look at how we use ancient mythology, folklore and storytelling as a basis for design thinking into the future. From how this has shaped design in Ireland over the years and how it will continue to lead the charge on both a national and international stage.”

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