Whether we realize it or not, design plays a big part in all of our lives. For its second year, Design Week Calgary invites Calgarians to learn more about design, beautiful architecture and the everyday art that surrounds us.
Hosted by Calgary non-profit Design Talks Institute (d.talks), which puts on design-related events throughout the year, Design Week highlights Calgary’s talented design scene through installations, exhibits, interactive experiences and tours. Running from August 6 to 8, this year’s festival is centred around the theme “In Tune,” which explores how design influences one’s connection to their city.
“You don’t have to be a designer to attend Design Week. You have to just come with a curious mind,” says Shannon Lanigan, director of Design Week and d.talks. “All of [the events] are really geared toward the public, to help to engage the public on why design matters.”
After the “overwhelming” success of the first festival, Lanigan says the amount of event proposals from community partners grew from 50 last year to 80 this year.
Ultimately, Lanigan opted to keep Design Week small and accessible, with a small increase in the number of events. Staying small also enabled Design Week to keep many of the festival’s events free.
“Something that we did [last year] that we didn’t do this year is we had an out-of-town speaker,” says Lanigan. “This year, we wanted to see what it was like to really focus on the creative community in Calgary, and not bring in somebody external. The idea behind the festival is really to highlight the best and the brightest in our city to the public.”
At the Design Week launch party on August 5, take the opportunity to meet some of Calgary’s most skilled designers in person. Many of the partners hosting events during Design Week will also be in attendance, offering a great opportunity to make connections and learn more about the festival.
Some of the events Lanigan is most excited for are Scentscapes, which examines how scent influences design; YYC Soundscapes, an interactive experience where your movements create a soundtrack inspired by the city; and, flashcube, a festival-within-a-festival complete with live music and food and drink vendors.
More information and tickets are available at designweekcalgary.com