#cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2022
Wed Oct 26, 09:30 - Thu Oct 27, 20:00
Youngblood Gallery (70 Bree Street for Festival during the two days) and Rooftop on Bree (170 Bree Street for Awards evening)
ABOUT
The #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2022 brings into sharp focus the life-sustaining significance of water and the valuable role it has in shaping healthy, equitable and sustainable blue-green cities for all African citizens.
Drawing on four Creative Exchanges held from April – September, under the theme – Designing African blue-green cities for all – the Design Festival will bring into focus how we design better processes, systems and products that can lead to a more water secure future, particularly in an African context.
This year’s festival will be over two days. On Day 1, the festival will focus on water and on Day 2, we will explore what it means to keep citizens at the centre. The event will feature a variety of experts across a range of disciplines, who will dive deep into pressing issues, share knowledge, and ask provocative questions. By doing so, we hope to create a broader community of diverse skills and perspectives, breaking down silos, and inspiring collaborative action to inspire water-sensitive design.
An initiative of the Mission Network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa, the annual festival celebrates and examines the power of design to tackle current socio-economic and environmental challenges within an African context.
The festival is organised in collaboration with the Craft and Design Institute (CDI), and in 2022 the Creative Exchanges and festival have been curated in partnership with the University of Cape Town’s Future Water Institute, the City of Cape Town and the Institute of Landscape Architects.
MORE ON THE FESTIVAL
Key themes from the last festival, held in September 2021, were the COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on South Africa. Several striking discussion topics emerged, including access to water and sanitation, as well as the need to act meaningfully on these issues.
We’ve learnt that the future of our planet’s natural ecosystem has never been more dependent on the design of better solutions by our human ecosystem of policy-makers, government officials, water engineers and practitioners, the private sector and civil society. In South Africa, challenges are exacerbated by the need to address unequal access, and the state of our infrastructure.
We will shed light on the muddy waters surrounding bureaucracy and processes, to identify where solutions may exist, and to inspire more innovative thinking from those who can actively inspire change in our world. As a first step, #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2022, aims to create a conscious space that gathers people, who don't often come together, to have uncomfortable conversations about pressing local and global issues. A second objective is to support innovators and entrepreneurs in implementing their solutions.
What you can expect
The #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2022 will provide a platform to change the narrative from just green solutions to blue-green solutions that also create efficient water systems and secure resilience in our cities. Therefore, in collaboration with the City, the 'unconference' style of this year's festival will feature small physical gatherings, online conversations, and a facilitated design thinking ideation session. This will enable water development practitioners from a variety of professional disciplines to join forces to solve a specific water sensitive design challenge.
Bringing together a community of practice
This event will gather academics, policymakers, government officials, water engineers, professionals, civil society members and creative thinkers from the water sector to discuss, engage, learn, and spark new ideas. As part of this festival, we aim to facilitate conversations that can bolster collaboration, enhance innovation, and creative thinking, while breaking down professional silos.
PROGRAMME
With the broad theme: “Designing African blue-green cities for all”, key underpinning questions of the #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2022 include: “how might we design better processes, systems and products that can lead to a more water secure future, particularly in an African context? And how can we design solutions in cities that are good for the natural environment and also good for citizen health and wellbeing?”
Through the lens of water sensitive design, with particular focus on processes and creative solutions, we are inviting subject experts to talk on a range of topics under the key pillars:
Water in focus: Our future is undeniably impacted by climate change caused by humans, along with the complex challenges of rapid urban growth that threaten water supplies. There is a great urgency to focus on the critical state of water. In this context, how do we build in balance with nature? What are the challenges and how effective are the existing solutions and innovations?
Citizens in focus: Urbanisation brings both challenges and opportunities. Is it possible to design solutions for cities that are good for the natural environment and also good for the health and wellbeing of citizens? How impactful is public engagement and citizens’ voices. When citizens have conflicting needs, how do we find common ground? Using green and blue design solutions, we can build healthy cities and explore effective ways to promote health and well-being.
AWARDS
This year the festival culminates in an awards ceremony to acknowledge people and institutions who have played a significant role in the shaping and design of blue-green cities in South Africa. We want to celebrate those who have contributed designs that aim to uplift communities and who strive to develop sustainable innovations and inclusive systems within our cities. We will recognise projects that promote water sensitive design, the development of resilient and water sensitive cities, and that showcase the value of building in harmony with nature for all citizens.
Entries to the #Cocreate Blue-Green Cities Design Awards are now closed. Those who have been shortlisted will be contacted soon.
VENUE FOR AWARDS EVENING ON 27 OCT 2022 @ 17:30: ROOFTOP ON BREE, 170 BREE ST, CAPE TOWN CITY CENTRE, CAPE TOWN
ABOUT US
“The future of our planet’s natural ecosystem has never been more dependent on the design of better solutions by our human ecosystem of policy-makers, government officials, water engineers and practitioners, the private sector and civil society. In South Africa, the challenges are made so much more complex by the need to address unequal access, and the state of our infrastructure.” - Erica Elk, CEO of CDI
“How do we prepare ourselves for the future as the effects of climate change hit us harder? We need constant focus on continuing discussions about climate change to address its challenges- this requires innovation. Innovation is not only technological, it needs a wholistic approach that includes social innovation, governance and financial changes.” - Consul General at the Netherlands Consulate General in Cape Town
"Co-created and transdisciplinary approaches that include the City of Cape Town, residents, academia and other stakeholders will be required if we are to achieve the vision of a Water Sensitive City by 2040. Mostly, we need a water-aware public who are inspired by blue-green city designs that showcase sustainability, liveability, resilience and productivity." - Kirsty Carden, Interim Director: Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town
Please register and save the dates - more event details and speaker information to follow soon.
More on the CDI and #COCREATESANL:
The Craft and Design Institute (CDI) is a non-profit company with over 20 years of success in developing creative people, small businesses and the craft and design sector at large in South Africa. The Netherlands’ #cocreateSANL platform has for over nine years been bringing diverse people to the table to exchange ideas and innovations for a sustainable future.
Find out more:
http://www.futurewater.uct.ac.za/
Your privacy is important to us as the organizer of this event. If you would like to be removed from our database after this event, please email [email protected].
LIVE STREAM
There is no cost to attend in person or to view the event online.
To join our live stream:
Join our Facebook event or click the notification bell on YouTube and you will get an alert when we go live.
Day 1 (26 Oct at 10am - 12pm)
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Day 2 (27 Oct at 10am - 12pm)
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