London (UK) – The World Design Capital® (WDC) Design Week Forum will be established and initiated on 18 September in the midst of the prestigious London Design Festival, heralding it as the newest addition to the roster of WDC Signature Events.

The WDC Design Week Forum will bring together representatives from design weeks around the globe to discuss how design can be a force for long-term change and will take place at the Institute for Contemporary Arts building. At a reception the Cape Town delegation will engage with a broader audience ahead of the launch of WDC 2014, as well as connecting with some of the leading international design community, business and investors.

Cape Town was designated World Design Capital 2014 by the Industrial Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), which awards the designation biennially to a city that demonstrates effective use of design as a tool for social, cultural and economic development. Taking the baton from Helsinki, World Design Capital for 2012, Cape Town beat off stiff competition from Bilbao and Dublin to be nominated as the World Design Capital for 2014.

The WDC Design Week Forum is one of seven signature events that Cape Town Design NPC will roll out as part of the WDC 2014 programme, which will feature a year long design spectacular of events, discussions, forums and exhibitions taking place across the city and beyond.

CTD CEO Alayne Reesberg said: “Many cities have realized the value of their local design economies. As the first of Cape Town’s events in the lead-up to WDC CT 2014, participants will learn from each other and take back with them, constructive tools for consideration and potential development within their own geographies.”

The Forum will consist of a panel discussion and roundtable, moderated by Icsid Secretary General Dilki de Silva, and featuring Richard Perez who is the Programme Director for the City of Cape Town’s WDC 2014 internal public sector projects; Bruce Snaddon, Chairman of the Cape Town Design Network and one of the leaders who launched the city’s inaugural design festival “Open Design” last month; Judy Dobias (MD of Camron PR); and Mirella Barnthaeler from Creative Industries Styria in Graz, Austria.

“There is a unique opportunity to develop a platform for the leaders and directors of these Design Weeks, to provide an opportunity for best practices to be shared and information to be exchanged,” said de Silva.

For more information, please contact:

Priscilla Urquhart
PR and Media Manager
t: +2782 852 2428
e: Priscilla@wdccapetown2014.com

Natalie Dutil
Icsid Communications Officer
t: +1 514 448 4949 ext. 223
e: ndutil@icsid.org

About World Design Capital® (WDC)

While there are many awards that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital designation is unique as it aims to focus on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. The designation provides a distinctive opportunity for cities to feature their accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlight their successes in urban revitalisation strategies. The World Design Capital is an initiative established and managed by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. Past cities to hold the title include Torino (Italy) in 2008, Seoul (South Korea) in 2010 and Helsinki (Finland) in 2102 whilst preparations for Cape Town (South Africa) are underway for 2014. The cities shortlisted for WDC 2016 will be announced in August 2013.