Final call made for Waterford designers ahead of Irish Design Week

Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) is calling on designers across Waterford to take part in Irish Design Week 2024, which takes place, from November 11 to 15. 

DCCI Irish Design Week is a national stage that provides designers, makers, and creatives with the opportunity to showcase their talents under this year's theme, "Imagination for Opportunity".

The theme invites participants to explore and present creative solutions to pressing issues such as the climate emergency, the housing crisis, and social inclusion.

DCCI has also announced that funding is available for selected events during Irish Design Week 2024.

This event aims to create avenues for Waterford-based designers and organisations to secure support for workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, and other creative events relevant to this year’s theme.

Successful applicants will not only receive financial backing but also gain visibility through a nationwide campaign promoting Irish Design Week.

Interested designers, organisations, and creative professionals in Waterford are encouraged to apply for funding by submitting their proposals to DCCI. The deadline for funding applications is Sunday 1st September 2024.

Proposals should clearly outline how the event will address the theme "Imagination for Opportunity" and its potential impact. The application form can be found on the DCCI website, dcci.ie.

The theme for Irish Design Week 2024 is “Imagination for Opportunity - Innovative, creative solutions to global issues such as the climate emergency, the housing crisis and social inclusion are many and varied. What needs to happen in order to make them investable?” This year’s programme will promote potential solutions to these challenges with the objective to get several of the showcased projects funded and actioned over the next year.

READ ALSO: Waterford residents set to benefit from €19m upgrade of Water Treatment Plant

Tom Watts, Head of Design with, DCCIsaid: “Irish Design Week is a celebration of the immense creativity and innovation that exists within our design community in Ireland and internationally. This year's theme, 'Imagination for Opportunity,' challenges us all to think deeply about how design can address some of the most pressing issues of our time. We are excited to see how designers and organisations in Waterford will contribute to this conversation. We encourage all local creatives to seize this opportunity, apply for funding, and showcase their work on a national stage.” 

Irish Design Week has recently become a member of World Design Weeks and is aiming to generate international interest in global issues viewed through an Irish Design lens.

The main venue this year is Dublin’s Royal Irish Academy of Music, and a week-long programme of events kicks off on November 11. Themes will include Fashion, Graphic Design, Architecture, Storytelling, Climate-Design-Entrepreneurs and Design Diplomacy.

Guests for the week will include leaders from the international and Irish design communities in architecture, entrepreneurship, impact investment and policy.

As part of the event participants will interrogate some of these design solutions and propositions with the aim of getting them off the ground.

DCCI Irish Design Week is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland.