8 February 2012

International design workshop at DJCAD to focus on V&A at Dundee

An international workshop focusing on creativity in local enterprise, with specific reference to the V&A at Dundee project, will take place at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) next week.

The Group for International Design Education (GIDE) is an international research consortium of which DJCAD, part of the University of Dundee, is a member. GIDE brings together higher education design institutions across the EU in order to enrich the experience of students and researchers across the areas of industrial/interaction design, interior architecture, and art and design interdisciplinary practice.

The creative focus for GIDE Dundee 2012 is inspired by the V&A Dundee project, and the building designed by Kengo Kuma. The workshop takes place at DJCAD from Monday 13th to Friday 17th February, while the parallel GIDE International Exhibition will be open to the public at reception area of the University of Dundee's Dalhousie Building for the duration of the event.

The exhibition will feature 49 presentation banners created by the seven GIDE partner institutions from the UK, Italy, Belguim, Switzerland, Germany and Slovenia on the shared design theme of 'Creativity for Local Enterprises'.

Andy Milligan, director of the Interior Environmental Design course at DJCAD, said he was excited to be hosting the event, which would prove an invaluable experience for the students involved.

'GIDE is an incredibly exciting organisation to be part of especially in this critical period when the University is exploring internationalisation strategies," he said. "GIDE allows students and design researchers opportunities to think of their future careers and the need to work across cultural borders.

'We do this by delivering intensive 'deep-dive' international workshops designed to stimulate ideas about design and culture and these lead to formal projects across the GIDE consortium, and - very importantly - result in annual research publications in which staff and students feature.

'During GIDE Dundee 2012, twelve international student teams will develop creative responses to a wide range of cultural organisations, research groups and trusts in and around Dundee - such as DCA, Fleet Collective, Hospitalfield House, ArtWorks Trigger research project, Dundee Rep & Creative Campus amongst others. The aim is to playfully interpret the 'Design in Action' ethos within the new V&A Dundee site.'

Outcomes from the workshop will set the scene for a formal project delivered by all GIDE institutions between September and December this year. This will culminate in an exhibition to be held in Slovenia in February 2013.

More information about GIDE Dundee 2012 is available at http://gidedundee.wordpress.com.

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Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
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