Design Manchester 2020 goals to go international whereas staying native
All images courtesy Design Manchester
This year, Design Manchester's annual Creativity and Design Celebration goes online, with virtual reality events and 3D exhibits, as well as some personal activities for the city residents. Having faced the challenges of the lockdown and pandemic, DM20 decided to work with partners around the world to bring the festival to life.
Assuming the mantra “Go Global, Stay Local”, five commissions will run from November 12th to 16th (and beyond) to connect the worlds of design, fashion, sustainability, activism and play. One of the biggest events will be the Open Collab + DM20 Connect Workshop, a collaboration with the University of Salford and Birmingham City University, bringing cities like Berlin, Stuttgart, Barcelona, Manchester, Rotterdam and more together in one interactive online experience will connect the Open Collab platform by Patrick Thomas and Jonathan Auch.
DM20 will also host a series of VR gallery tours and lectures for its Yours Truthfully exhibition, co-curated by Kaye Dunnings and Malcolm Garrett. The show features towering billboards in a VR world with personal messages from a variety of artists addressing the issues of truth, justice and freedom.
With work by artists from the 1970s, including Jeremy Deller, Anthony Burrill, Sarah Boris and Morag Myerscough, the exhibition aims to draw attention to the most pressing social problems facing the world today.
Exhibits from you truthfully
Another highlight in the real world is 50 Windows of Creativity, a new city-wide, Covid-safe art trail created by Wild in Art, the team behind Bee in the City. Through December 5th, the Manchester Trail will feature the work of artists and creators in a range of windows, venues, businesses and spaces across the city center. From art and photography to ceramics and murals, the artwork on display has been curated by emerging creatives with a connection to the Greater Manchester area.
The project will culminate on December 10th with an auction of all the pieces on display. The proceeds go to the artists and makers and to the We Love MCR Charity, which supports disadvantaged communities.
Assign Studio for 50 Windows of Creativity. Photo by David Oates
The playhouse competition
In collaboration with Design Manchester and Dutch Design Week, Manchester-based design studios Playground, Ben Clark Design and Barney Ibbotson Illustration will create a virtual gallery of the competition they ran together during the first lockdown. The competition, called the Playhouse, started in April and was tasked with designing something that would allow people to play at home during the lockdown. Playhouse was open to creatives from all disciplines from around the world and received entries from over 40 countries. A selection is not only shown in the 50 Windows of Creativity Commission, but also in a special 3D room that is open to everyone.
With many more events, lectures and workshops in November and early December, DM20 may look a little different than normal, but it's still full of passion and creativity from past festivals.
DM20: Go Global, Stay Local runs November 12-16; designmcr.com