Montréal designers: make yourselves noticeable at the 2018 Shenzhen Design Week!
Gearing up for its second edition, Shenzhen Design Week 2018 is an international-scale event hosted by a UNESCO City of Design. It constitutes a platform for design exchanges, promotion and education, enabling designers and foreign entrepreneurs to familiarize themselves with the Chinese market. This year, the event will take place from April 20 to 30.
Some numbers from Shenzhen Design Week 2017:
- Over 200 designers from 18 countries
- Over 2 000 projects presented
- Over 100 000 visitors
- 45 events held at 16 different venues
Last year, three Montréal designers had the opportunity to participate in the event. Élyse Leclerc and Gabrielle Falardeau, representing Jarre; and Philippe Carreau, representing Dikini, travelled to Shenzhen to take part in the activities. Philippe Carreau explains: “My experience in Shenzhen surpassed my expectations. Although I wasn’t at all concerned about it prior to my departure, China felt distant and abstract to me. This visit piqued my curiosity and offered me a concrete impression of the city and country – beyond prejudice. I realized the breadth of China’s potential, which has given me the motivation – and courage – to explore this land of opportunities.”
Call for Projects reserved for members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
An exhibition, entitled The Possibilities of Design: UCCN* Perspectives, will be devised by Ms. Shuya Yang, Commissioner at INTOX, a Shenzhen-based firm. The organizers are currently seeking out projects amongst the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, to become part of the exhibit.
All Montréal designers and architects are invited to participate in this Call for Projects. Candidates’ project proposals must be written in English and consist of:
- A title, summary and project details, including three high-resolution photos (in JPG format, minimum 1024 x 768 pixels, 300 dpi or more)
- The candidate’s or team’s profile, including a CV and list of accomplishments, a high-resolution photo and the candidate’s or candidates’ full contact information
- An explanation of the required conditions to exhibit the project, if necessary
- A description of exhibitions or festivals in which the project has already been presented in the past, or any interesting anecdote to be communicated to the Commissioner, as necessary
The Commissioner will select a maximum of 30 projects from the proposals received from all 181 members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Secretariat will cover shipping and insurance costs for selected projects. Projects from all design disciplines will be accepted for this call (including graphic design, industrial design, interior design, product design, fashion design, architecture, interactive installations, media arts, etc.). The designers behind each selected project will be required to sign a contract with the Shenzhen City of Design Promotion Association (SDPA) to clarify the expectations and responsibilities of each party.
All project applications must be sent via email, to Ms. Shuya Yang at [email protected], before March 15, 2018. The selected projects will be unveiled before March 31, 2018. Materials required for the exhibition must arrive in Shenzhen before April 10, 2018.
Please keep us posted if you’ve responded to this call for projects, and if you’ve been selected! The Bureau du design can assist in boosting your participation.
For more details, visit the Shenzhen Design Week website.
*UCCN: Abbreviation of UNESCO Creative Cities Network or Réseau des Villes Créatives de l’UNESCO in French. Montréal has been part of this network, as a City of Design, since 2006.
