Design showcase to return to factory floor

West ward works focus of five-day event in Dundee

The Dundee Design Festival is to return for its second year, following the success of 2016’s four-day celebration at West Ward Works.

A host of designers, artists and innovators will gather at the former factory for a series of workshops and exhibitions for five days in May.

The theme of this year’s festival is “factory floor”, celebrating the West Ward Works’ previous incarnation as a printworks and production centre.

Dundee’s industrial heritage will also be showcased throughout the event, in conjunction with Scotland 2017’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology celebrations.

A number of projects for the festival have already been announced, including an “enormous” sculpture and print installation constructed in collaboration between Dundee Contemporary Arts and Dundee University.

Print City will be “an abstract and interlocking” model of Dundee, covered in a mixture of colour, patterns and text, which examines the city’s storied history as a print epicentre.

A call for resident designers for the festival was launched yesterday, which will select and match three designers with Scotland-based manufacturers.

Festival producer Siôn Parkinson said: “We’re interested in exploring the connection between the traditional view of working factories and assembly lines together with contemporary design processes, materials and tools.

“The festival is a mass assembly of makers, thinkers and creators. As a progressive 21st Century city, and the UK’s first and only UNESCO City of Design in recognition of the contribution the city has made to design worldwide, we’re really proud that these conversations about design are happening right here in Dundee.”

Stuart Turner, head of EventScotland, said: “The festival is a great celebration of Dundee’s status as a UNESCO City of Design, and we are delighted to be supporting it again through our national funding programme.”

The printing and binding of some of the country’s best-loved comic annuals took place at West Ward Works, until it was closed in 2010.

DC Thomson annuals The Beano, Beezer, Twinkle and Topper were all produced at the works for more than 60 years, and in 2016 the old building was transformed into the home of the first Dundee Design Festival.

The festival will take place from May 24-29.

Dundee was awarded the title of UNESCO City of Design in 2014.