With the aim of providing a platform for innovative designs, the State government is organising the country’s largest design festival, Kochi Design Week, at Bolgatty Convention Centre from December 11 to 16.
The prime segment of the festival, #Design Kerala Summit, which will be held on December 11 and 12, will involve discussions surrounding the post-flood scenario of the State and the need to design a futuristic and sustainable ecosystem for the State. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will address the summit on December 12.
Addressing a press conference, M. Sivasankar, Private Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Electronics and IT Department, said leading design luminaries, architects and decision-makers from around the world, including designers John Ferreira and Cyrus Clarke, BBC creative director Filippo Cuttica, designer-researcher Momo Miyazaki, World Design Organisation president Srini R. Srinivasan, and High Power IT Committee (Kerala government) chairman S.D. Shibulal, would take part. “The event will showcase technology options which can be used during the rebuilding phase as installations, enabling various stakeholders to learn their various aspects. The ideas that emerge at the event will be passed on to the relevant departments for reference,” he said. While the central theme of the summit is ‘design a sustainable ecosystem for the future,’ various sessions will focus on topics, including public infrastructure, technology infrastructure, tourism, handloom uplift and living spaces. Experts from each area will innovate and outline models that ensure a sustainable ecosystem. Besides the #Design Kerala Summit, the other segments of the conclave will include design district, design challenge, design summer school, workshops, and master classes.
The design district, which will showcase future technology, ecosystems and design concepts, is being organised in partnership with the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design.
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation managing director R. Rahul and Chief Minister’s Fellow (IT) Arun Balachandran were present at the press conference. For details and registration, visit www.kochidesignweek.org .
