From inspiring talks by pioneering designers and exhibitions by leading creatives and designers, to bringing your own robot to life and starting the STEAM movement in Africa, Open Design Cape Town returns with its most varied programme yet. The Mother City’s most dynamic design and innovation festival runs from Sunday 13 to Saturday 19 August at Cape Town City Hall, followed by events and activations at other venues throughout the city from Sunday 20 until Friday 25 August.
The festival, now in its fifth year, is bringing together an extended community of African and international thinkers, innovators, designers, entrepreneurs, educators, students and members of the public for a series of experiences, talks, workshops, exhibitions and more. Together the Open Design community will explore how creative approaches to problem solving and sustainable design can benefit South Africa’s economy and society.
Key festival events
Some of the key events at the festival include getting learners and adults to develop their innovative and entrepreneurial skills by doing things such as designing, building and coding robots at The Experience Workshop from Finland; Africa’s first International STEAM Symposium, which will show the power of integrating creative skills, art and design thinking into the teaching of STEM subjects in order to develop children’s innovative skills; the popular TALK100 discussion sessions, which will cover various topics including social design, rebranding communities, creating meaningful multi-sensory experiences and activations and women game developers in a male dominated industry; and Dine with Khayelitsha, a platform to bridge the gap between urban centres and township communities with great food and even better conversation.
Open Design Cape Town 2017 spans two weeks. During the first week between Sunday 13 and Saturday 19 August a series of events, talks, exhibitions and workshops will be held at City Hall. The second week from Sunday 20 until Friday 25 August comprises a city wide activation programme at locations across the Mother City. External city wide event hosts can submit their own events on the Open Design website.
Suné Stassen, the co-founder, festival and programme director of Open Design, says “Because Open Design is a community festival with a core focus on driving the African design, innovation and education agendas to design a more prosperous future, this public platform is unique amongst design festivals around the world.
“With the necessity in South Africa and Africa to bring about change and transformation Open Design recognised the need in 2013 to change the design narrative from being perceived as a luxury nice-to-have for the elite to using design thinking and creative skills as tools to impact and ad signifcance and meaning to people’s lives and in various sectors like healthcare, transport and education.
“Open Design is already playing a vital role in designing a valuable ecosystem that aspires to develop a culture of problem solvers and change makers that embraces innovation and entrepreneurship; develop human capital and add value to socio-economic development.”
Key events at the City Hall hub
Sunday 13 August is FAMILY DAY at Open Design featuring various maker spaces for children and adults. Activities include Talk100 sessions; One Stop Design Shop featuring student work from top tertiary design schools; Open Design book lounge hosted by Bibliophilia; Made in Everywhere pop-up shop and the Cape Town TV Brand Challenge finalist expo where the public are invited to vote for their favourite new Cape Town TV brand.
The International STEAM Symposium on Monday 14 August. The first event of its kind in Africa, this includes educators, global design leaders and industry experts who will show how the integration of creative and design thinking skills can expand businesses, help improve education in South Africa, and stimulate new career possibilities for learners with a skill-set suitable for the 21st century workplace.
On Tuesday 15 August Designing Careers showcases design schools, including the famous international Istituto Europeo di Design that represents 11 campuses from around the world including Brazil, Spain and Italy, Greenside Design Centre from Johannesburg, CPUT, Vega, Afda, Stellenbosch Academy, Cape Town Creative Academy, Inscape and Friends of Design will hold a design education showcase. Talks by architect Luyanda Mpahlwa and designer Haldane Martin are free for Grade 9 to 12 learners.
The next in the popular PechaKucha series #PKCT45 takes place in the City Hall Auditorium on Tuesday 15 August. PechaKucha is the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat” and speakers have less than 7 minutes to inspire the audience. PechaKucha is an informal gathering where people from all walks of life get together and network.
On Wednesday 16 August, Universal Design Africa will host a full day CPD accredited universal design workshop for professionals from the built environment including architects, interior designers and planners about designing accessible places for all.
The spirit of Open Design includes making and doing, and between Tuesday 15 August and Saturday 19 August the Experience Workshop from Finland will do just that. Hosted by Kristóf Fenyvesi, a STEAM researcher at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. This gives learners from grade 1- grade 12 the opportunity to build a giant dome with 4D frames, mechatronics and balls using giant molecules.
Citywide events not to be missed
Guided lunchtime walkabouts of Stellar, the inaugural exhibition featuring some of Africa’s best creatives and designers at Southern Guild’s new gallery in the V&A Waterfront Silo District. The lunctime walkabouts will take place daily from Monday 21 to Friday 25 August between 1-2pm. There will also be an evening tour on Thursday 24 August.
A city centre Art Deco tour lead by Heritage architect Professor Andre van Graan, with visits to a range of buildings including Mutual Heights and Mullers optometrist shop. Space still available on 22 August.
Visits to some of Cape Town’s leading architectural studios during the Architectural Open Studios event on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 August, where aspiring students, general public and young architects can learn all about the trade.
According to Stassen “The City Activation programme plays a vital role in creating a greater awareness of local start-ups, entrepreneurs and small business and helps to extend their reach to a more diverse audience and build demand for their unique products and services.”
Festival partners: City of Cape Town, Cape Craft and Design Institute, Umalusi and Cape Town Tourism. Open Design is open to everyone, whether they are new to design or already see design and innovation as critical to designing a better future world. While some festival events are ticketed, most events are free to attend.
What: Open Design Cape Town 2017
When: Sunday 13 to Saturday 19 August, 2017
Where: Cape Town City Hall
Info, speaker line-up: www.opendesignct.com
Programme: www.opendesign.com
Events/activations at other venues: Sunday 20 – Friday 25 August, 2017
Social media: Twitter @opendesignct, Instagram and Opendesignct, www.facebook.com/ OpendesignCT, #ODCT2017
Tickets Open Design International STEAM Symposium on 14 August: R1055, www.quicket.co.za Main auditorium, City Hall, 10am to 4pm
WS
