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#cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2023

Mon Aug 7, 09:30 - Tue Aug 8, 13:30

Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika

ABOUT

The #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2023 is the culmination of an event series exploring the concept of circularity in the South African context – and offers a deep dive into local challenges, successes and opportunities. How can we defuse the 'ticking time bomb' of environmental damage? Whether you are a passionate activist in your profession and industry; or looking to meet others to shape ideas as a next step; or just want to learn more to change the way you consume or do business, we hope to see you there.


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 2023 has been curated in partnership with the City of Cape Town, GreenCape and Circular South Africa (CSA). This year’s festival will be hosted over two days at the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika, based at the University of Cape Town.


The two days feature a variety of experts across a range of disciplines, and regions, who will explore the 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 the action needed to tackle current socio-economic and environmental challenges. Each day includes a panel discussion followed by networking luncheon.


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“Creating a future with sustainability at the centre of how we work and live remains one of the biggest challenges of our time – through these dialogues we aim to create awareness and will explore solutions that can protect our planet’s natural resources. What we face is fundamentally a design challenge, one that encompasses how we design policy, and how we design systems, products and business practices. The first step to acting is knowing – that's a really important goal of these gatherings – alongside cross-sectoral and cross-functional engagement because we need people coming together across complex value chains to work on meaningful solutions. We’ve seen how this is possible through initiatives like the Plastics Pact, but how can we foster this collaborative mindset further? And, of course, citizens have power. We need to foster a growing movement of people consuming differently.” – Erica Elk, Group CEO, CDI


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If you missed the two Creative Exchange events on Circularity, which have laid the foundation for this year’s festival, please click here for recordings of the June and July events.


This year’s festival continues the thread of sustainability – in 2022 the festival brought into focus how we can design better processes, systems and products that can lead to a more water secure future. An outcome of this is a wonderful booklet which showcases some award-winning projects in water-sensitive design, and some best practice outcomes from a diversity of designers who have done remarkable work. Booklet: click here to download


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].

PROGRAMME

Day 1 09:30 - 13:30: Exploring Circularity in the South African context
How can we cocreate new ways to produce, consume and live? What does a circular economy mean in a South African context? How can we design better systems, processes, policies and products together? Let’s discuss, engage, learn, and spark new ideas that will help shape circularity in a South African context. Panel discussion followed by networking luncheon.

Panel discussion:
Katharina Gihring - ACEN Executive Member & Project Coordinator
Kirsten Barnes - Project Lead, SA Plastics Pact 
Saliem Haider - Director: Waste Management, Western Cape Government
Dr Philippa Notten - Principal Consultant at The Green House
Bert Keesman – Owner/ director at MetaSus, The Netherlands
 
Day 2 09:30 - 13:30: Circularity in the fashion and tourism sectors
The COVID-19 pandemic has left a mark on many sectors, including tourism, which is crucial for South Africa's employment opportunities. While tourism is on the rise again, pressure on resources such as water and energy is also increasing. How can we reshape the tourism sector's principles and practices to be more sustainable while also caring for citizens and our environment? We will also explore how the fashion industry has a significant role to play in the circular economy. For example, did you know that fast fashion companies produce a collection every week to meet consumer demand, leading to massive amounts of textile waste? We will explore sustainable solutions that benefit society as a whole. Panel discussion followed by networking luncheon.

Panel discussion:
Rashid Toefy - Deputy Director-General, Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism
Henry Mathys - Senior Manager: Social Impact & Food Ecosystem Head at V&A Waterfront
Shamyra Moodley - Entrepreneur and Creative Director at Laaniraani
Shirley Schijvens - Owner, Schijvens, The Netherlands
Jaisheila Rajput - Founder and CEO of TOMA-Now

The Festival gathers academics, policymakers, government officials, professionals, civil society members, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers to discuss, engage, learn, and spark new ideas that will help shape circularity in an African context. As part of this festival, we aim to facilitate conversations that can bolster collaboration, enhance innovation, and creative thinking, while breaking down professional silos. These morning sessions are free to attend but seating is limited, and booking is essential for in-venue attendance. For those that cannot attend in person, live stream links will be shared soon on this page. The Festival has a series of smaller satellite sessions, and the outcomes of these strategic meetings will be shared via publication later in 2023.

 

PARKING

Please note that there is no parking available at the HPI d-school building, home to the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika. See map here: https://shorturl.at/nsvwY

Available bays
Please use unmarked bays behind the School of Economics which is near to the d-school, as per map https://uct.ac.za/media/10466:

If you have a disability and require assistance, please contact the event co-ordinator on [email protected]

DIRECTIONS

#cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL 2023
Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika
Cnr Woolsack and, Cross Campus Rd, Rosebank, Cape Town, 7700
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