The City Hall and Watershed at the V&A Waterfront will be transformed into the one of the most dynamic design-focused festivals on the Cape Town calendar in less than three weeks time.
Themed Design is for Tomorrow, the third annual Open Design Festival is a 12-day citywide event of talks, workshops, tours and interactive experiences that explore how design is used to add value to our lives. It will take place from 12 to 23 August, and everyone is invited to take part, whether as a visitor or a host of an event, exhibition, tour or open studio.
Open Design brings innovative social design, service design, universal design and sustainable design to the calendar of international design weeks.
More than 100 events ‒ most which are free to the public ‒ are on the programme, hosted at two main event hubs and other venues across Cape Town. The programme also includes collaborations with global and local brands.
Open Design is open to everyone, whether you are new to design or already see design as critical to designing our future world. If you have an idea you want to share with others, why not apply to host an event on the 2015 programme? Submit your details on the Open Design website and the organisers will get in touch with you directly to confirm participation.
Event highlights include:
♦ The first ever Cape Town Maker Faire and Maker Conference, presented in collaboration with Trimble, bringing the global maker movement to the Mother City.
♦ Design for Tomorrow Open Design exhibition, showcasing selected products and projects that show how design can add value as an agent for social, environmental and economic transformation in education, mobility, healthcare, systems, communication and more.
♦ Designing Careers programme guides and informs high school learners about the value and impact of design as well as a study and career choice.
♦ The Talk100 series of public lunchtime talks featuring local and international industry professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs who share their insights and experiences of designing solutions for health, entrepreneurship, social development, education and technology with an active and participatory audience.
♦ A designathon for teenagers and young adults, in which participants conceive, prototype and present ideas for the development of public spaces; and a workshop for 8-12 year olds to design a public pavilion, facilitated by Danish architect Julie Dufour and design historian Vikki du Preez.
♦ A series of workshops and talks focusing on the design and production of e-textiles delivered by Danish designer Jo-Anne Kowalski.
Clear your diary and book your place as soon as you can. For more information, the full festival programme and booking details, visit
