25 October 2012

Designing for the Future: new design talent from Scotland on display at The Lighthouse in Glasgow

A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE AND V&A AT DUNDEE

The work of a new generation of design talent from Scotland will be showcased next month at The Lighthouse in Glasgow.

Designing for the Future presents work from some of the brightest design graduates to emerge from Scotland’s four renowned schools of art.

Showcasing concepts designed in response to issues around sustainability, health, education and equality, this new generation of designers is represented by projects selected from the 2011 degree shows at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Edinburgh College of Art, Gray’s School of Art and The Glasgow School of Art.

Design education in Scotland enables graduates to engage with the social challenges of 21st century life and this exhibition demonstrates the way in which the power of design can be used to deal with these challenges in a positive and impactful way. The exhibition also highlights the important role of Scotland’s institutions in both inspiring and developing contemporary design talent.

"Scotland's art colleges are internationally renowned for their education and research and, alongside centres like The Lighthouse in Glasgow and V&A at Dundee, are helping to establish Scotland as a major centre for design. We are producing graduates who are leaders in their fields, here and across the world, and this exhibition provides an excellent example of why," said Seona Reid, Director of The Glasgow School of Art.

The exhibition showcases some of Scotland’s brightest design graduates, including:

• Ben Pawle, a graduate in Product Design from The Glasgow School of Art, whose designs are created to help people with hemiplegia, including a condom wrapper that can be opened with one hand
• Mark Kobine, a Product Design graduate from Edinburgh College of Art, whose `Recovery Toolkit’ is designed to help people recover from incidents of depression and raise awareness of the issue.
• Rebecca Lindsay, a graduate in Interior & Environmental Design from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, whose work aims to give sick children and their parents a greater say in the design of hospital and other healthcare facilities.
• Natalia Lozano, a Product Design graduate from Gray’s School of Art, whose ‘Eat’n’Gone’ range of edible food packaging is designed to eliminate waste.

Katy West, Creative Programmer at The Lighthouse said, "The Lighthouse is excited to present an exhibition that showcases a range of Scottish graduates as professional, thoughtful and creative talents. We are delighted to be bringing this exhibition back to Scotland where there is the opportunity for today’s students and our public to understand what it means to design for the future."

Director of V&A at Dundee, Philip Long said, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring this showcase of design talent to The Lighthouse. Designing for the Future is a great opportunity to bring to wider attention the imagination and design innovation fostered by Scotland's four schools of art and design."

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland said, "Designing for the Future showcases some of the design innovation emerging from young designers of Scotland’s art schools which demonstrate ingenious ways to improve how we live now and in the future."

Designing for the Future was originally shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September as part of the London Design Festival. The show has evolved from an exhibition at the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, as part of a partnership project involving the Parliament and the art schools.

Alongside this showcase of Scottish-trained talent are Kengo Kuma’s architectural designs for V&A at Dundee, a new international centre of design for Scotland to be housed in a world-class building on Dundee’s waterfront.

Exhibition supported by Creative Scotland, The Lighthouse and V&A at Dundee.

Admission is free.

Work from all of the designers involved in Designing for the Future can be viewed at www.designingforthefuture.co.uk

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277