Partners
Government partner
Australian Council for the Arts
The Australia Council is the Australian Government’s principal arts investment, development and advisory body. Championing and investing in arts and creativity to benefit all Australians through an integrated suite of activities.
The Australia Council is committed to growing private, public and philanthropic funds to support the arts and create more opportunities for artists and arts workers. They have a long and proud history of partnering with philanthropic foundations, corporations and individual donors to co-invest in the arts. They have realised unforgettable creative experiences and supported the talents of extraordinary artists who have enriched the lives of Australians everywhere.
ACT Government
The ACT Government recognises that a strong local arts industry is a vital component of Canberra’s cultural life, international reputation and economy. As a key pillar of this commitment, the ACT Government allocated to Craft ACT $100,000 every year to support the DESIGN Canberra festival in 2017, 2018 and 2019. This commitment has now been extended until 2021.
DESIGN Canberra — the ACT’s fastest growing festival — is proud that the ACT Government is the Government partner to the festival, showing how, while underpinned by the arts and artists, cultural activity can extend far more broadly and produce significant social and economic impacts.
City Renewal Authority
The City Renewal Authority is charged with shaping the growth of the central parts of Canberra to make it a great place to live, explore and enjoy.
The establishment of the City Renewal Authority is a reflection of Canberra’s maturity as it continues to evolve from its roots as the seat of Federal Parliament, to a diverse and vibrant city with a distinctive urban identity. The authority will lead design-led, people-focused urban renewal in the designated City Renewal Precinct and encourage and promote social and environmental sustainability. To achieve this the authority will forge strong and constructive partnerships with the community, industry and all stakeholders to create a place for people to live, explore and enjoy.
Platinum partners
Canberra BMW
Canberra BMW has been a key partner of DESIGN Canberra since its inception and we’re thrilled that they will be valued platinum partners of the festival in 2022.
Over the years we have together developed innovative events with the highest design values to showcase the cutting edge of contemporary industrial design – the passion for which drives both Canberra BMW and Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre.
This year Canberra BMW will help to celebrate acclaimed design with, among other programs and the Canberra BMW Car Wrap Competition.
home.by holly
A boutique agency with a focus on personal connection and beautiful presentation, home.by holly is a real estate agency with a difference.
Holly and her team appreciate the value of design excellence in our homes and in our city. Holly is a platinum partner for DESIGN Canberra 2021. Together we’re passionate about promoting good design and emphasising the role it can play in daily life. We’re thrilled to have home.by holly as platinum partner of DESIGN Canberra 2021 and look forward to working together into the future to bring great design to the public.
University of Canberra
University of Canberra is the home of creatives. For over 40 years, UC has been teaching and guiding the designers of tomorrow, from architecture to industrial and graphic design. The University of Canberra’s soul is centred in Canberra and its region. As Australia’s fastest rising university—and one of the fastest rising in the world— UC builds professional outcomes and passionate careers for its students*.
That dynamic outlook and leadership role in Canberra’s vibrant design community, makes UC an ideal partner for DESIGN Canberra and we’re really excited to have them on board as a platinum partner again for the 2021 and 2022 festival.
Canberra Airport
Canberra Airport is the largest, privately-funded piece of public infrastructure ever built in Canberra. It is recognised both nationally and internationally as an innovative, visionary and iconic gateway to our Nation’s Capital, making it an ideal partner for the festival.
Designed to be both beautiful and easily navigated, the built architecture has striking contemporary features and subtle details that include the geometry of the elevated road, which is based on the width of Ainslie Avenue from Walter Burley Griffin’s original design for Canberra. The terminal foyer draws travellers through the building while eight public artworks provide another layer of visual depth with the goal of further enhancing customer experience and sharing the Snow family’s passion for public art.
The Alastair Swayn Foundation
The Alastair Swayn Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, established in 2016 by the late Alastair Swayn AO to advance Australian design and architectural culture and education. Alastair was a committed member of the Australian design community for over 40 years. The Foundation perpetuates and honours Alastair’s memory through our grants program and partnerships with organisations that promote Australian design. The Foundation provides opportunities for those in architecture and design related industries to conduct research in their chosen field. It also, aims to reward proven achievement of talented and deserving Australians with further opportunity in their pursuit of excellence for the enrichment of knowledge in architecture and all design disciplines in Australia.
Sellick Consultants
Sellick Consultants Pty Ltd. is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy, the longest, locally established firm of its kind in the ACT region. We offer a range of innovative and cost effective solutions in the fields of structural, civil, hydraulic and façade engineering, with offices in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.
Canberra Centre
From the beginnings as “Monaro Mall” in the 60s, Canberra Centre has set the benchmark for innovation and style. Declared open by Sir Robert Menzies in 1963, the Centre introduced a new concept to Australian retail as the first fully enclosed shopping mall.
Over the 50 years, there’s been several major renovations, including a $500 million redevelopment in 2007. In 2016 Canberra Centre commenced a redevelopment in the old Monaro Mall precinct.
See signature exhibitions, attend designer activations and a design bar in and around the award-winning heritage architecture of iconic Monaro Mall in the Canberra Centre.
Embassy of Italy
The Embassy of Italy is located at the edge of several Australian Federal Departments and of the Lodge of the Prime Minister.
The structure was projected by the Italian architect Enrico Taglietti, migrated to Australian in the ’50s. During his career, Mr Taglietti has been well known for the use of cement to create stunning forms and spaces.
The Embassy of Italy is in fact made of cement with a number of wooden panels inside that make the structure dramatically dynamic.
Media partners
HerCanberra
HerCanberra live and love local.
Featuring the voices of local writers, they write daily about life in Canberra – from ‘what’s on’ to reviews of places to eat; social commentary to health and fitness; beauty and nutrition to books and movies; fashion and motherhood to recipes and home style; if it’s part of ‘her’ life you’ll find it on HerCanberra.
ArtsHub
ArtsHub is Australia’s leading independent online resource dedicated to the world of the arts.
Our passionate team actively pursues a vision for a dynamic, diverse and prosperous arts culture and industry.
We began in 2000 as a small weekly jobs bulletin covering the performing arts, growing for almost 20 years into the go-to site for arts news.
Silver partners
Design Institute of Australia
Molonglo
Molonglo has been operating since 1964. Our process is often collaborative and cross-disciplinary, which allows for enormous fluidity, flexibility and disjunction in creative making. Ideologically, this process reflects our belief that to foster healthy, cohesive and tolerant societies, we need to accept messy arrangements – whether they be political, social or aesthetic.
Italian Cultural Institute
An official body of the Italian government, has as its aim the promotion of Italian language and culture in Australia (NSW, QLD and NT) and New Zealand through the organisation of cultural events fostering the diffusion of ideas in the arts and sciences.
National Museum Australia
The Museum was established to develop and maintain the National Historical Collection for the benefit of the nation, and to bring to life the rich and diverse stories of Australia.
Central to the Museum’s role as a national institution is its focus on meaningful engagement with all Australians in the telling of their stories, and its commitment to the history and cultures of the First Australians.
The Museum achieves this by caring for and expanding the collection, and by sharing the stories of Australia’s people and places, and its social and natural environment, with national and international audiences.
The National Museum of Australia is the only institution equipped to tell the comprehensive story of Australia from deep time to the present day.
Cultural Facilities Corporation
The Cultural Facilities Corporation (CFC) is an ACT Government enterprise established under the Cultural Facilities Corporation Act 1997, to manage: the Canberra Theatre Centre; the Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) including the Nolan Collection Gallery @ CMAG; and the ACT Historic Places.
Embassy of Uruguay
Uruguayan Embassy in Canberra runs an inclusive range of consular services to local, Uruguayan, and international citizens in Australia and represents one of 135 consular and diplomatic representations of Uruguay all over the world.
Embassy of Finland
Finland has a proud history of design. Finnish design is functional and its form inspired by nature. It considers the user, the purpose and now more than ever, the planet. These features are shown in the design of more than just objects, but also services, businesses, places and experiences.
Finnish design is characteristically restrained, much like the Finns themselves. It serves a purpose, without compromising on aesthetic. Furniture, glass, textiles and ceramics have long been our strengths with brands such as Marimekko, Fiskars and iittala embodying this tradition. Now, we begin to see new pioneers apply these same principals to meet the challenges of the future.
The Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science’s Shine Dome and its custom-designed furniture were created to reflect the inquiring and innovative nature of science. It was the first Canberra building to be added to the National Heritage List, for its historical and architectural significance.
A Canberra landmark since its construction in 1959, the Shine Dome has received numerous awards and is one of seven projects the Royal Australian Institute of Architects has nominated to the World Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture.
Kambri at ANU
For the traditional custodians of this land, ‘Kambri’ has been a meeting place for thousands of years. The Kambri cultural precinct offers a new educational, physical, creative and social experience in a village setting. In time, this contemporary community space hopes to bring the spirit of place-making and gathering to the ANU.
Consorzio di Tutela Prosecco DOC
Lake George Winery
Lake George Winery is family owned and operated and is located on the north-western shores of the mysterious Lake George. Located 700m above sea level, their cool-climate award-wining wines are produced with minimal interference. They hand pick their grapes, follow sustainable practices and their wine is vegan friendly.
Capital Brewing Co.
Capital Brewing Co is a brewery in Canberra brewing Good Natured Brews. Capital Brewing Co are dedicated to quenching your thirst with the best beer possible. They take the highest quality, all-natural ingredients and some of the world’s best water from the capital’s very own backyard, and with skill and love craft it into something fine. After all, if we spend precious time and resources making beer, we may as well make it good. Real good!
Rojo Customs
ROJO Customs is a creative studio and print shop based in Canberra. We are comprised of university qualified and industry experienced creatives and offer clothing printing, graphic design, merchandise and signage.
Supporters
ThinkPlace
ThinkPlace is a strategic design consultancy with a global network operating across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kenya, Senegal and U.S.A. For 15+ years, we have been tackling some of the world’s most complex challenges using design-led, human-centred approaches. We design with change leaders from the public, private and the non-profit sector and engage with the complexity and the messiness of real human experiences — how people live, work and play; how people experience products, services, regulations; how they navigate systems they interact with — health, education, energy, economic, regulatory, social welfare, to name a few.
The Pop Inn by Wine Bar Co.
But first, wine… All over the world, few things bring people together like good wine, good food and good company. That’s what our friends at the Pop Inn believe.
The Pop Inn wants to share with you their favourite wines – specially sourced and selected to give you an exciting and unique wine experience. Their food, like their wine, represents a passion to bring you inspired plates made for sharing (or not!). The Pop Inn locations make use of the under-utilised gems and hidden secrets of Canberra – a true pop-up where you can enjoy wine in unexpected parts of the city.
Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Canberra Art Biennial
The 2022 edition sees the festival rebranded as Canberra Art Biennial, and sees expansion to the National Arboretum (contour 656), the University of Canberra (contour 606) as well as maintaining and building further on our presence in North and South Canberra, centred on contour 556, the height above sea level of Lake Burley Griffin.
Light House Architecture and Science
Light House provides a unique integrated service with an experienced team of architects and scientists with a significant body of thermal performance and construction cost data. This collaborative approach means you can expect clear and consistent communication from the outset about the design of your home, energy performance, time frames and costings, materials, finishes and inclusions.
Through excellent design and scientific testing, we create homes that feel spacious and comfortable, and function beautifully, on a smaller than average floor area. Many of our homes achieve an energy efficiency rating of 8+ stars (6 stars being the current minimum standard). These houses require half as much energy per year to heat and cool them to comfortable temperatures compared to a 6 star home.
Complete Constructions Australia
Complete Constructions (Aust) is a dynamic national construction company with a proud history spanning over 20 years. Innovation, commitment, excellence and experience underpin our reputation as one of the leading construction firms in Canberra. Complete Construction’s core strength lies with its people, who are dedicated to teamwork and delivering excellence to our clients. We deliver high quality projects on time and within budget, with a strong focus on safety and the environment. For these reasons Clients prefer Complete Constructions. 90% of our work comes from repeat business from happy Clients and Architects.
Our expertise includes Project Management, Construction Management, Design and Construct Management and Lump Sum Contracting. The areas of work in which we deliver are: Local and Federal Government Projects, Projects for Community and Large Institutions, Minor to Major Levels of Construction. Complete Constructions has the ability and resources to supply the best personnel and teams to meet your project requirements. We aim to exceed your expectations by delivering quality results on time and within budget.
Eckersley’s: Art and Craft
Exclusive Art and Craft retailer
Eckersley’s is one of the largest fine art, craft and design supplies retailers in Australia. Whether you are an inspired artist, a dabbler in the arts and crafts, a bride-to-be searching for invitation ideas, an architect requiring technical drawing materials, or even a teacher in the art and design field, shop online or in store with Eckersley’s.
ThinkPlace
ThinkPlace are a strategic design consultancy, working with leaders to create new and better futures – vibrant communities, strong economies, sustainable environments and trusted institutions. They believe in a positive future world that balances the needs of the collective and those of the individual.