About

The Festival

Design is in Canberra’s DNA.

Canberra is one of the few designed national capital cities in the world and the local Ngunnawal People’s culture of invention has been in motion for more than 75,000 years. Walter and Marion Griffin’s visionary design a century ago, iconic experimental modernist architecture of the 1950s and 60s, and contemporary and sustainable design developments today, are some of the many ways that Canberra has been – and will always be – a living design laboratory.

From 8-28 November, DESIGN Canberra will experiment with new ideas and expand the most successful programs into new directions in the 2021 festival. Over 200 events, exhibitions, talks, tours, activations, markets, collaborations, artist studios and open homes will once again transform the nation’s capital into a new platform for the best in design. The festival, now in its 8th year, is for all interests and ages and most events are free.

Read the 2020 festival report HERE

 

This is Ngunnawal Country

The DESIGN Canberra festival is presented on Ngunnawal Country.

The Ngunnawal are the Indigenous people of this region and its first inhabitants. It is a harsh climate and difficult country for hunter-gatherer people. To live here required great knowledge of the environment, skilful custodianship of it and close cooperation. Ngunnawal people continue to live and travel through the Canberra region, preserving their culture by maintaining connections to land and through artistic expression.

 

Proudly presented by Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre

DESIGN Canberra is the major outreach activity for Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre — a not-for-profit membership based organisation which supports local artists, designers and makers at every stage of their careers. The festival is delivered in collaboration with industry, associations and educational institutions committed to the design arts and creative industries in Canberra.

Goals

Amplified by ever-increasing support from a creative network of local, national and international design and craft communities, together with corporate and government partners, DESIGN Canberra promotes design and craft, develops new and expanded audiences, forges marketplace connections and unexpected collaborations, and is a source of inspiration.

Partners

Over 70 sponsors and supporters from the business, tertiary, cultural and industry sectors as well as the broader Canberra community help to make the DESIGN Canberra festival a success.

DESIGN Canberra acknowledges the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the ACT and surrounding areas. We honour and respect their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region. We aim to respect cultural heritage, customs and beliefs of all Indigenous people.