Cape Town has said farewell to the World Design Capital’s selection committee, represented by Dilki de Silva (Canada) and Martin Darbyshire (UK). The two were in the city from Sunday, 24 July till Wednesday, 27 July, for a whirlwind tour of what makes Cape Town a true contender for the role of World Design Capital 2014. Cape Town was the last stop on their itinerary of short-listed cities, after Bilbao and then Dublin.
Yellow fever swept the local creative community (yellow is the colour of Cape Town’s World Design Capital bid) as more and more stakeholders saw that winning the title would bring a shot of creative energy and global design-focused attention onto the destination.
His Grace Desmond Tutu made a special appearance at a gala dinner held in honour of the World Design Capital selection committee’s visit on Tuesday night. He led a blessing for the assembled guests, which included Premier Helen Zille and Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille.
At a capacity Cape Town Design Network event (attended by De Silva and Darbyshire), which was held at the Fringe in Cape Town’s East City on Monday, 25 July, Design Indaba founder, Ravi Naidoo, announced a challenge to the Cape Town creative community in the form of a competition; Your Street. The initiative invites creative proposals for how an aspect of Cape Town street life can be enhanced through the power of design thinking. The best idea will receive R 50 000 in cash. If the person who brings in the idea also has the business plan and commitment to funding to achieve it, they will receive R 150 000.
Impromptu pledges then came in from the audience as architect (and previous Design Indaba 10×10 Housing Project competition winner), Luyanda Mphahlwa, promised a further R50 000 for the most innovative idea, and design leaders, XYZ, leapt up to add R 50 000 worth of design fees towards the creation of the product in reality. Entry into the competition closes on 31 August 2011. Details are at http://www.designindaba.com/yourstreetaware and competitive environment,
Naidoo pointed out that being able to live with an understanding of both the first world and the third world allows Capetonians, and South Africans, the advantage of viewing the world through a unique prism, and as such, allowing us to access two thirds of humanity as a market place.
The Cape Town Partnership has been responsible for managing the World Design Capital Bid to date. Managing Director, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, explained that design in this context goes beyond the creation of product and aesthetics; “In our application for the bid, we focused on design as a tool for transformation and re-integration. Examples include the IRT transport system, which will allow us all to experience less traffic, a project like the Violence Prevention Through Urban Upgrading in Khayelitsha, which has provided a safe, stimulating space for the community, and the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch where environmental and social sustainability is being both academically rooted and practically applied.”
Says Makalima-Ngewana; “We are exhausted but so happy and so very proud of everyone for presenting Cape Town as an inspiring contender for World Design Capital 2014. We are all holding thumbs for October when the winning city will be announced.”
Photos by: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town
CAPTION: Green Cabs, the official transport for the World Design Capital organising committee, parked outside the 10×10 Low-Cost Housing project in Freedom Park, Mitchells Plain
CAPTION: Our guests of honour take a moment for the camera at Tuesday night’s World Design Capital 2014 gala dinner. From left: Christopher Till, Mugendi M’Rithaa, Premier Helen Zille, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, ICSID Secretary General Dilki de Silva, Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Andrew Boraine and Adrienne Viljoen
CAPTION:World Design Capital organising committee members Dilki de Silva and Martin Darbyshire being shown around the 10×10 Low-Cost Housing project in Freedom Park, Mitchells Plain, by architect Luyanda Mpahlwa. Also in this image, from left, is Cape Town Partnership MD Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, Alderman Felicity Purchase and Mike Purdham from Design Indaba
PHOTOS BY: BRUCE SUTHERLAND, CITY OF CAPE TOWN
ENDS
Released for the Cape Town Partnership by
Rabbit in a Hat Communications
021 448 9705
083 414 0552
Cape Town Partnership
10th Floor
The Terraces
34 Bree Street
Cape Town
021 419 1881
ABOUT THE WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL
The World Design Capital title is awarded bi-annually by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to give global prominence to cities that use design for their social, economic and cultural development. Founded in 1957 and active in 50 countries, ICSID has awarded the World Design Capital designation three times – to Torino, Italy (2008); Seoul, South Korea (2010) and Helsinki, Finland (designated for 2012). The World Design Capital title is awarded in advance, allowing winning cities sufficient time to plan, develop and promote a year-long programme of World Design Capital-themed events for their designated year. World Design Capital for 2014 will be announced in October 2011.
