City’s Australia-first title on show during design week

GEELONG will celebrate its status as Australia’s only internationally recognised city of design when it hosts a city-wide design event extravaganza next month.

Geelong Design Week (GDW) will launch on March 17, and is a 10-day showcase of local innovation from designers, creatives, educators and professionals across a broad spectrum of disciplines.

The city earned its title as a creative city of design in 2017 from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), for its past, present and future commitment to design improvement.

This year’s GDW theme is taur, which means “belonging” in Wadawurrung language, and will encourage residents to reflect on their connection to Geelong and consider how it can adapt to a changing world.

Dr Mary-Jane Walker is among the event hosts and part of GDW’s curatorial team and embodies the blend of practicality and creativity that the week will exhibit.

Dr Walker has a doctorate in molecular genetics, paired with an art degree from RMIT and more than a decade of experience exhibiting in Geelong, across Australia and internationally.

Her event, titled Nature of Us, will meld her two skills to explore how Geelong residents connect with the natural world in their urban environment.

Dr Walker also has a sneak peek of what’s in store for the week as an event curator, and expected big things for this year’s edition of design week.

“It’s one of the privileges of being a curator, you set a theme and see how the community responds. It’s been really exciting and really exhilarating to see,” she said.

“We see such a diverse offering come back to us, people are really wanting to engage with design, and this year the theme of belonging.

“The community and individual artists are sharing their vision of what they want Geelong to be; they want to share a future for Geelong that’s not like any other city, and I think that’s really exciting.”

Alongside art exhibits, GDW events will include innovation shows in fields such as scientific research, community services, sustainability, technology, manufacturing and media.

Last year’s GDW attracted 6000 attendees across 69 local events, and similar figures are predicted for 2022.

A refurbished Palais Theatre, on Moorabool Street, will host the event launch with musician and actress Clare Bowditch describing her experiences in forming creative resilience in the face of COVID-19.

City of Greater Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the event would help solidify Geelong’s reputation as a design-focused city while providing an economic boost for the city.

“Geelong is a city that continues to reinvent itself through the use of creative design,” he said.

“Design is fundamental to the way we live. The revitalisation of our CBD with new cultural institutions and a rich design culture shows that Geelong continues to change and grow.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors from our region and beyond as we proudly present this inspirational, educational and dynamic event program.”