City to hold 2019 Design program

GEELONG is preparing to showcase its UNESCO-recognised credentials in an inaugural local spin-off program for Melbourne Design Week.

Talks have been held to gauge the interest in creating a quality Geelong program for the annual international design event, which will be held in March, 2019.

Melbourne Design Week co-curators Timothy Moore and Ewan McEoin visited Geelong last week to discuss the concept with interested parties.

Moore is due to return next month to meet with people who want to submit an event for the debut program.

The potential event is the first clear development that has emerged from Geelong’s listing as a UNESCO City of Design.

Geelong is the only city in Australia — and one of 31 in the world — with the title.

Mayor Bruce Harwood and economic development manager Tim Ellis attended the Creative Cities annual general meeting in Poland back in June. It was part of a wider 18day tour of Europe and Malaysia that cost ratepayers $19,696.

“It’s a massive opportunity for local designers, and we are now part of this exclusive event,” Cr Harwood said of the upcoming event.

“The benefits of holding design weeks for the local creative industry was shared with us at the AGM and it was clear we needed to pursue this opportunity for Geelong.”

Melbourne Design Week is delivered and supported by Creative Victoria and NGV.

It program of exhibitions, launches, talks, tours, workshops and more provides a platform for the design industry to discuss ideas, materials, places, and processes.

The theme of the 2019 program is ‘Design Experiments’.

Submissions for acceptance into the program are being received until November 15.