Hands placing a terracotta tile and a small stone sink bowl with brass ring on a terrazzo countertop.
4 August 2026  

Dundonians invited to become part of Union Street’s future through unique trinket tile project

Header Image: Spolia, a UK-made terrazzo that can incorporate demolition waste creating a narrative of continuity within a space, image courtesy of Solus Ceramics.

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PRESS RELEASE, 4th August 2026

DUNDONIANS INVITED TO BECOME PART OF UNION STREET’S FUTURE THROUGH UNIQUE TRINKET TILE PROJECT

People across Dundee are being invited to become part of Union Street’s future by donating a small keepsake, memento or trinket to be embedded within a permanent artwork for the final stage of the Union Street Transformation Project.

The project is collecting items from members of the public to be embedded within specially created terrazzo tiles that will form part of the renewed Union Street. Each contribution, whether a small memento, token, charm, badge, key, piece of jewellery, or other object of personal significance, will become a permanent part of Union Street for years to come.

The call is open to anyone with a connection to the street, including current and former residents, business owners and employees, students, shoppers and visitors who have memories linked to Union Street. People have until 8pm on Friday 21 August 2026 to submit their objects.

As well as the donated trinkets, the tiles will incorporate materials recovered during the street’s transformation, including aggregate created using elements uncovered during excavation works. This includes sections of historic tram lines discovered beneath the road surface, connecting the street’s past with its future.

Annie Marrs, Lead Officer, UNESCO City of Design Dundee said:

‘The newly pedestrianised Union Street is the result of a co-design project where the ideas and needs of businesses, residents and those visiting the street have been central to the design developed by our designers Gary Kennedy and Linsey McIntosh.

Because of this approach, we’re now inviting people to embed a small part of their own story into the street itself. These objects may be tiny, but together they will help tell a much bigger story about Dundee and the communities connected to Union Street in the past, present and future.’

Dundee City Council leader Cllr Mark Flynn said:

“I am pleased to see the progress that is already being made at Union Street to provide an attractive pedestrianised space for visitors and locals alike.”

“This shows how we are taking action to help tackle the challenges faced by retail and hospitality businesses in our city centre through our long-term City Centre Strategic Investment Plan.

“The tile project is an imaginative way to get people involved in telling the story of the street through the years as part of a significant transformation for its future.  I would encourage anyone with an object to donate to get in touch with the UNESCO City of Design team.”

 

How to submit your object

Objects can be brought to the UNESCO City of Design Dundee offices on the 2nd Floor of Central Library, The Wellgate and dropped off at the Union Street cart.

The public will be asked to attach a label to the trinket and share: your name, what the object is and why it is important to you. If they leave their contact details the team will get in touch with everyone with updates on the project.

Objects must be made of the following materials:

  • Metals (these must be Non-ferrous such as copper, gold, silver, tin, or aluminium (non-iron based metals)
  • Glass
  • Ceramics
  • Stone

Examples include keys, cutlery, ring pulls, jewellery, screws and other small objects.

Please note:

  • Donated objects will become a permanent part of the artwork and will not be returned
  • Objects will be polished as part of the terrazzo-making process and may not remain fully recognisable
  • Any items unsuitable for use will be returned where possible

The closing date for submissions is 8pm on Friday 21 August, 2026.

Ends

—————————————

For media enquiries contact kevin.mcginley@leisureandculturedundee.com

Notes to Editors

Interview opportunities are available with Lizzie Day (she/her), Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design Dundee, and Gary Kennedy (he/him), Designer and Lecturer in Interior & Environmental Design.

Images free to use: https://we.tl/t-cSe5s00BUQ5wxQuy

Caption for the terazzo images: Spolia, a UK-made terrazzo that incorporates demolition waste creating a narrative of continuity within a space. Image courtesy of Solus Ceramics.

Caption: Union Street visualisation by Kennedy Twaddle

The Union Street Transformation Project is part of Dundee’s wider City Centre Strategic Investment Plan and has been developed through a co-design process involving local businesses, residents and stakeholders.

The trinket tiles will form a permanent feature within the newly transformed pedestrianised street, incorporating objects donated by the public alongside materials recovered during the construction works.

To find out more about the Union Street Transformation Project visit https://cityofdesigndundee.com/projects/union-street/

18 June 2026  

Exhibition celebrating intrepid journalists launches at Dundee Book Festival

Header Image: ‘For Books Not Buildings’ by Louise Forbes Design. Photography by Reuben Paris.

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PRESS RELEASE, 17th June 2026

EXHIBITION CELEBRATING INTREPID JOURNALISTS LAUNCHES AT DUNDEE BOOK FESTIVAL

Exhibition images available to download here

BOOKENDS is now open at Central Library, ahead of Dundee Book Festival 2026
For media enquiries, please contact elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com
Website link: https://cityofdesigndundee.com/event/bookends/
Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky: @designdundee

A selection of Scotland’s most exciting designers have been invited by curator Dr Stacey Hunter to create a unique pair of bookends, inspired by pioneering Dundonian journalists Marie Imandt and Bessie Maxwell.

In 1894, Marie and Bessie were asked by DC Thomson to undertake a round-the-world trip visiting ten different countries all whilst reporting back to readers across the UK about what they saw. Their writings considered design culture from Florence to Tokyo, as they described train carriages, tea ceremonies and more.

Responding to these reports, the contemporary Scottish designers created sets of bookends in a variety of innovative materials, all whilst using sustainable manufacturing methods. A selection of these bookends can be seen on display in Central Library, shown for the first time since their premiere at Dundee Design Festival in 2024.

Each designer explored experimental approaches, and innovative techniques to create their bookends. Dundee-based designer Aymeric Renould repurposed spent grain from the brewing process, compressing it into sheets to create stacked layers. Kate Trouw, based in Kinghorn, Fife, reused slag glass (a by-product of metal ore smelting processes) sourced from a former coal mine near Alloa, whilst Glasgow-based Soorin Shin 3-D printed their braided designs using both recycled filament and plant-based bioplastics.

Every pair of bookends is unique, reflecting how each designer creates, thinks and designs differently.

Dundee-based designer Louise Forbes said: “It’s great to see my work back on display alongside so many other amazing designers. My bookends look at the current issues facing buildings constructed from RAAC, considering the impermanence of this faulty material.”

Louise Forbes made their bookends from RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). Although the C stands for concrete, it has absolutely no properties or connections to it; in fact, many of the buildings it was used in are now being declared unsafe. The bookends act as a metaphor for the impermanence of RAAC and its dependence on other materials.

Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design Dundee, said: “We’re pleased to exhibit BOOKENDS as part of Dundee Book Festival! It’s brilliant to have these amazing pieces of design back out on public display in such a fitting setting.”

BOOKENDS is free to see at Central Library and runs from 18 – 21 June 2026. Dundee Book Festival at Central Library and The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum runs from 19 – 21 June 2026.

BOOKENDS was originally curated and devised by Dr Stacey Hunter for Dundee Design Festival 2024. Dundee Design Festival is a UNESCO City of Design Dundee project.

END

Dundee Book Festival
Dundee Book Festival 2026 takes place this weekend, 19-21 June. Events with Nicola Sturgeon and Professor Sue Black have already sold out, as anticipation builds across a packed three day programme celebrating books and ideas.

The festival brings over 25 events to the heart of the city, with most tickets just £5 and a strong mix of national names and Dundee voices, it’s a chance to come together and celebrate our city through storytelling, creativity and live conversation.

Final tickets are available at dundeebookfestival.com

 

Dundee Design Festival
Dundee Design Festival is Scotland’s national celebration of contemporary design. After presenting 5 iterations at venues across the city, the festival is now set to return in September 2027.

Dundee Design Festival is a UNESCO City of Design Dundee project.

 

UNESCO City of Design Dundee
Since 2014, Dundee has been the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design. This global designation as a Creative City acknowledges Dundee’s rich design heritage, its thriving contemporary design sector and a city committed to using design to solve problems and make Dundee a better place to live.

Find out more at cityofdesigndundee.com

30 March 2026  

New Creative Cities Living Heritage Residency Programme Celebrates Scotland’s UNESCO Sites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE
New Creative Cities Living Heritage Residency Programme Celebrates Scotland’s UNESCO Sites

A national micro‑residency initiative connecting artists with Scotland’s world‑renowned cultural and natural heritage

Scotland’s UNESCO Creative Cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Perth) have joined forces with UNESCO Sites across the country to launch the Creative Cities Living Heritage Residency Programme, a new micro‑residency initiative designed to celebrate, explore, and strengthen the cultural and environmental connections woven throughout Scotland’s landscape.

Supported by the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s Local to Global UNESCO Network Community Grants, with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the programme will bring together four creatives, each based in one of Scotland’s UNESCO Creative Cities, for a week‑long immersive residency at a paired UNESCO site. Creatives will respond to their host location through sound, image, word, or form, producing new creative work inspired by the distinctive qualities of each setting.

Taking place between May and June 2026, the residencies aim to deepen cross‑sector collaboration, platform Scotland’s cultural excellence, and encourage new dialogue between contemporary creative practice and Scotland’s globally recognised heritage.

Residency Pairings

Dundee (UNESCO City of Design) × New Lanark (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

A designer from Dundee, Scotland’s first and only UNESCO City of Design, will partner with New Lanark, the historic mill village founded in 1785 and internationally admired for its utopian model of community, education and welfare. The residency will explore how New Lanark’s pioneering industrial and social innovations can inform contemporary design.

Edinburgh (UNESCO City of Literature) × The Forth Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

A writer based in Edinburgh, the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, will work with the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Forth Bridge, a feat of engineering known globally for its striking red steelwork and enduring symbolism of Scottish ingenuity. The residency will focus on the sites and sounds of The Forth Bridge.

Glasgow (UNESCO City of Music) × New Lanark (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

A Glasgow musician, representing Scotland’s only UNESCO City of Music, will also be hosted by New Lanark, this time with a focus on the contemporary soundscape of the village. This collaboration will explore how historic spaces can inspire new sonic interpretations of a heritage utopia.

Perth (UNESCO City of Craft & Folk Art) × Arran Geopark (UNESCO Global Geopark)

A craft maker from Perth & Kinross, the UK’s first and only UNESCO City of craft, will work with Arran Geopark, famed for its extraordinary geodiversity and cultural heritage. This residency will investigate the shared geological stories of Arran and Perthshire and their influence on craft practice past and present.

Artist Outputs and Public Sharing

Each selected artist will create one original creative work in response to their residency site. These pieces may take the form of writing, music, craft, or design, appropriate to the creative’s practice and the residency pairing. Works will be shared online through blog posts, images, video, or other suitable media, offering audiences across Scotland, and around the world, a window into the creative process and the links between Scotland’s heritage and contemporary culture.

Eligibility, Fees and Support

Artists may only apply for the micro-residency linked to the UNESCO Creative City in which they are based.
Each residency includes:

  • £1,796 artist fee (equivalent to 5 days at Scottish Artist Union rates)
  • £400 accommodation support
  • £150 travel support
  • £154 access and materials support

The programme is delivered with in‑kind support from Scotland’s UNESCO Creative Cities, participating host sites, and partner organisations.

Timeline and Application Details

All residencies will take place between May and June 2026, with all creative work completed by 30 June 2026.

  • Application deadline: 1pm, 13 April 2026
  • Applicant responses expected by: 21 April 2026 (subject to change)
  • Shortlisted artists may be invited to an initial meeting prior to residency confirmation.

APPLY HERE: Scotland’s Creative Cities Living Heritage Residencies Programme Open Call – Fill in form

For press enquiries, interviews or further information, please contact:

perthcraftcity@gmail.com

29 January 2026  

Local designer creates graphics for Mills Observatory

All photography & imagery courtesy of Rhianne Connelly.

LOCAL DESIGNER CREATES
GRAPHICS FOR MILLS OBSERVATORY

Graphic designer and printmaker, Rhianne Connelly tell us about her recent work for local landmark Mills Observatory

Lizzie Day (LD): Hi Rhianne! Can you please tell us a little about your practice and work?

Rhianne Connelly (RC): Hello! Of course, so I’m a designer and printmaker based in and originally from, Dundee. I’m drawn to bold patterns, playful typography and print design within my work.

As a graphic designer, I have a background of working in film and continue to work with lots of lovely clients in that sector (it’s niche but I absolutely love it!), as well as amazing arts and cultural organisations. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work on a total range of projects which always keeps things interesting – from playground graphics, exhibition posters, film festival campaigns to vinyls taking over entire sides of buildings!

Under my printmaking moniker of ‘Oh for print’s sake’, I craft beautiful prints that celebrate our Scottish quirks and heritage, with Dundonian history being a huge influence on my design practice. I use a blend of printmaking mediums to bring my colourful designs to life, experimenting with letterpress, risograph and screen printing.
(L-R) Designs for Oh for Prints Sake, Hilltown Park, and Dundee Contemporary Arts, all by Rhianne Connelly.

LD: It’s so exciting to see your work installed at Mills Observatory in celebration of the historic venue’s 90th birthday! How did this commission come about?

RC: It actually came about through a recommendation from yourselves (so thank you for that bit of networking!). The team at Leisure & Culture Dundee had asked for some designer recommendations and my portfolio was lucky enough to be included in the mix – then some general chats, discussions about the brief and just getting a better idea for what the project would entail helped progress things from there. 

“I was really keen to bring in texture as an integral part of the illustrative approach. I wanted to avoid overusing lots of repetitive photographs… Bringing in textures that were evocative of the planets and skies to create a sense of continuity and atmosphere as people move through the different floors. “

– Rhianne Connelly

Mills Observatory graphic by Rhianne Connelly, 2025.

LD: Can you talk us through how you approached the brief? What things were important to consider?

RC: After initially chatting things through with the Leisure & Culture Dundee team, we went up for a site visit so that I could see Mills in person to properly get a feel for how everything should flow throughout the space.

One of the biggest factors for me was building a typographic system that could work across all of the very different pieces of print – ensuring it would be accessible on wayfinding signage but also that it still felt like a considered piece of design. I was really keen to use some typefaces that had a little character about them, something reflective of the space and its almost futuristic ambitions. You should see my folders of font research!
It was also really important to me to approach the style in a slightly different way than you’d expect. I was really keen to bring in texture as an integral part of the illustrative approach. I wanted to avoid overusing lots of repetitive photographs, partly as this felt very traditional but also because I wanted visitors to engage with what they were seeing by seeing something a little unexpected. Bringing in textures that were evocative of the planets and skies to create a sense of continuity and atmosphere as people move through the different floors. It was also really key to create something visually appealing to all audience ages – from youngsters, to their parents and to people who have been visiting Mills since its earlier days.

LD: We’ve seen you use imagery of Mills Observatory in some of your work previously (for Oh for Print’s Sake and Mix Map Dundee). What is it about Mill’s Observatory that draws you in?

RC: It’s such an iconic Dundee landmark – both from an architectural point of view and for its amazing history! For me there’s something kind of otherworldly about the space and what it looks out and connects to up there – kind of a dream to think up illustrations and designs around that idea. Within a lot of my printmaking work I draw on local places and given that Mills can claim the unique trait of having a papier-mâché dome, the distinctive dome shape fits really perfectly into my series of minimal architecture themed prints. 

Mills Observatory graphic by Rhianne Connelly, 2025.

“[Mills is] such an iconic Dundee landmark – both from an architectural point of view and for its amazing history! For me there’s something kind of otherworldly about the space…”

– Rhianne Connelly

LD: Mills is of course a very important landmark in Dundee – why is the Observatory important to you?

RC: I’ve actually been incredibly unlucky every time I’ve been up to Mills in the last year or so, never timing it well with a clear sky… So a personal highlight was finally being able to use the telescopes and see something, fittingly it was on the 90th evening celebrations so it felt very special!

I became involved in the redesign for the interiors a year or so after the incredible online buzz and campaign which saw people flock to visit Mills when it was at risk of closing its doors. So being there to celebrate the fact it was turning 90 and then hearing from people with a really strong connection, along with their memories of Mills on the night was beyond lovely as well.

LD: Thanks so much for your time, Rhianne! It’s been great learning more about your experience – anything else you’d like to add?

RC: Thanks for having me! I can’t leave without telling people to pop to Mills Observatory for a visit! It’s honestly such a lovely thing to see a venue remain open after all these years, even more so after celebrating such an incredible milestone. Just time it well for a clear night sky! 

Rhianne Connelly

Rhianne Connelly is a graphic designer and printmaker who is drawn to bold patterns, playful typography and print design. As a graphic designer she has a background of working in film and with cultural organisations, to create audience centred campaigns. Alongside her graphic design practice, she works under the printmaking moniker of Oh for print’s sake, crafting bold prints that celebrate Scottish quirks and heritage.

rhiannemargo.design
ohforprintsake.com

Mills Observatory

Open six nights a week, the observatory invites visitors to explore the wonders of the night sky through its powerful telescopes and enjoy breathtaking views from the iconic Balgay Hill landmark in the city. This season is particularly special as it marks the 90th anniversary of Mills Observatory. A celebratory programme of events and activities will be unveiled soon, promising memorable experiences for visitors of all ages.

@millsobservatory
leisureandculturedundee.com/culture/mills

18 December 2025  

Designers selected for new international New Zealand-Scotland textile residency

Header Image: Hannah Sabapathy, ‘PROCESS’ at Dundee Design Festival 2024, curated by Dr Stacey Hunter, photography by Grant Anderson.

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PRESS RELEASE, 18th December 2025

Designers selected for new international New Zealand-Scotland textile residency

FREE TO USE IMAGES: https://tinyurl.com/mr52cara 

Whanganui designer Matthew McIntyre Wilson and Dundee designer Hannah Sabapathy have been selected for a new international residency programme, strengthening ties between two UNESCO Cities of Design through ancestral textile practices.

The Textile Legacies programme will see the designers exchange cities in 2026, with Sabapathy arriving in Whanganui in March and Wilson departing for Dundee in April. The initiative marks the first formal creative exchange between the two cities since both achieved UNESCO City of Design status.

Selected by international and local panellists, the designers will each spend a month learning and sharing with the local design community, bringing unique cultural perspectives that will broaden creative practices in both cities.

Both Whanganui and Dundee have long-standing textile traditions that are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. The long-standing textile traditions of Whanganui and Dundee are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. Simultaneously, these histories also carry complex legacies — including the impacts of colonisation, war, and cultural suppression — which have shaped and, at times, disrupted cultural development. The resurgence of traditional textile techniques provides an opportunity for design heritage to shape contemporary identities and creative practices.

Matthew McIntyre Wilson is a Whanganui-based practitioner whose work intertwines Māori cultural practices, museological inquiry, and contemporary craft.

“This residency offers a rare opportunity to deepen my work in raranga whakairo (patterned weaving)”, says Wilson. “Engaging with early Māori textiles held in Scotland will strengthen my understanding of their histories and techniques.”

Hannah Sabapathy is a Dundee-based artist and researcher. Hannah trained as a printed textile designer and uses this knowledge to interrogate the power dynamics behind South Asian and British textile design history through pattern.

“I’m delighted to be participating in the Whanganui x Dundee: Textile Legacies residency!”  says Sabapathy. “It will extend my work around the politics of pattern design, enabling me to explore the complexities of materiality in the context of Whanganui.”

The exchange, supported by local organisations such as Verdant Works and Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, reinforces both cities as leaders in heritage-led design innovation.

“This collaboration benefits both locations and demonstrates how smaller cities can lead in cultural diplomacy” says Emma Bugden, Focal Point at UNESCO City of Design Whanganui. “This is the value of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network offering knowledge transfer, collaborative projects, and international partnerships.”

“At UNESCO City of Design Dundee, we believe in the power of design and the essential place of designers in the life of our city.” says Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design Dundee. “We are very excited to welcome Matthew to Dundee in 2026 and for Dundee’s own Hannah Sabapathy to journey to New Zealand – we anticipate this project will spark deeper connections and we hope that long-term collaboration with Whanganui will emerge from this initial exchange.”

“Cultural exchange is at the heart of the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme” says Natasha Beckman, Director at British Council New Zealand and the Pacific. “When designers share ancestral textile practices across cultures, they can preserve heritage while opening new creative possibilities. We hope this exchange between Matthew McIntyre Wilson and Hannah Sabapathy will create lasting connections between Whanganui and Dundee, help grow our creative industries, and enrich design practice in both UNESCO Cities of Design for years to come.”

The residency runs from March to April 2026, with outcomes to be shared publicly in both cities.

END

 

For UK media enquiries, please contact elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com
For NZ media enquiries, please contact Eilish.Horrocks@whanganuiandpartners.nz 

Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is coordinated by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and UNESCO City of Design Whanganui and supported by the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific’s Connections Through Culture Programme.

 

Dundee UNESCO City of Design

Since 2014, Dundee has been the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design. This global designation as a Creative City acknowledges Dundee’s rich design heritage, its thriving contemporary design sector and a city committed to using design to solve problems and make Dundee a better place to live.

cityofdesigndundee.com
@designdundee / Instagram & Facebook
@designdundee.bsky.social / Bluesky

Whanganui UNESCO City of Design

In 2021, Whanganui was announced as New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design, one of 49 such cities worldwide, in recognition of the city’s exceptional creativity, innovative spirit, cultural integrity and strength of artistic tradition.

Whanganui’s City of Design status is not only a recognition of its creative heritage, it also reflects the unique significance of indigenous cultural identity and the direction the city is taking.

cityofdesignwhanganui.nz
@whanganuiandpartners / LinkedIn & Facebook

 

Designer Bios

Matthew McIntyre Wilson

Matthew McIntyre Wilson (Taranaki, Ngā Māhanga, Tītahi) is a practitioner whose work brings together Māori cultural practices, museological inquiry, and contemporary craft. Based in Whanganui, his practice is grounded in a sustained commitment to revitalising ancestral knowledge while expanding the possibilities of object-making today. Trained initially as a jeweller at Whitireia Polytechnic and Hawke’s Bay Polytechnic, his early focus on fine metalwork later converged with the weaving knowledge he learned under the guidance of master weaver and close friend Rangi Kiu. This convergence created a distinct practice in which jewellery and fibre technologies intertwine, enabling him to create intricately woven forms such as kete, tātua, armbands, and kākahu using both customary and contemporary materials. 

Matthew’s whakapapa links to Puniho and Oeo Pā in Taranaki, and his papakāinga at Kākahi, where the Whakapapa and Whanganui Rivers meet. The environmental and cultural histories of these places continue to shape his thinking, informing his relationship to the natural world and to the stylistic and conceptual foundations of his work. The artistic legacy of his grandfather, painter Peter McIntyre, further deepened his connection to place and observation. 

Central to his practice is the study of taonga held in museums. Through close examination of hīnaki, korotete, kupenga, and other woven objects, he re-engages with the embedded knowledge systems carried within their construction. This research underpins his ongoing exploration of how traditional technologies and design principles can be reactivated in contemporary contexts, forming an artistic language that honours generational knowledge while responding to present-day conversations around identity, museology, and cultural continuity. 

 

Hannah Sabapathy

Hannah Sabapathy is an artist and researcher based in Dundee. She trained as a printed textile designer, and uses pattern and a variety of materials to interrogate the power dynamics behind South Asian and British textile design history. 

She is currently a Leeds Opportunity Research Scholar undertaking a practice-based PhD at The University of Leeds. Hannah’s series of fourteen vitreous enamel panels for the 20/20 Residency with The Decolonising Institute, University of Arts has been acquired by The Harris Museum Preston and are on display at the newly reopened museum. Other recent commissions have been a collaborative light projection of Kashmiri textiles from the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds for Leeds Light Night. 

She has undertaken residencies at Hospitalfield, Dundee Contemporary Arts Print Studio and Cove Park, as well as The Harris Museum.

9 December 2025  

Abertay Graduate Attends Berlin Games Festival

All photography & imagery courtesy of Jazz Chambers.

ABERTAY GRADUATE ATTENDS
BERLIN GAMES FESTIVAL

Winner of the 2025 UNESCO City of Design Dundee culture award at Abertay University’s Digital Graduate Show, games designer Jazz Chambers tells us about her recent trip to fellow City of Design Berlin.

Lizzie Day (LD): Hi Jazz! Congratulations on being awarded the UNESCO City of Design Dundee culture prize at the Abertay Digital Graduate Show 2025! Can you please tell us a little about your work and your grad show project?

Jazz Chambers (JC): Hi! I studied Games Design and Production at Abertay. My work throughout university was predominantly focused on user experience. By designing with collaboration and creativity in mind, I aimed to create a therapeutic and mindful experience in my honours project, Cozy Craft, a Minecraft therapy adventure. Using applied games design and creative mechanics to explore CBT, REBT, and other therapies. The experience can be played solo, in group settings, or alongside practitioners who use games in their therapy approach.

Cozy Craft by Jazz Chambers, as shown at Abertay Digital Graduate Show 2025.

LD: As part of your prize you attended Games Ground, Berlin’s Gaming Festival. Why is it important for young designers to attend events such as Games Ground?

JC: Networking has always been essential within creative industries, and games design is no exception. Events like Games Ground offer the perfect environment to build those connections. A shared love of games, hearing directly from studios about their development journeys, and access to so much industry knowledge all provide incredibly valuable learning and insight.

“Networking has always been essential within creative industries, and games design is no exception. Events like Games Ground offer the perfect environment to build those connections.”

– Jazz Chambers

Exploring Games Ground, November 2025.

LD: Talk us through your trip! What were your highlights?

JC: Games Ground itself was full of highlights — from attending talks by Hazelight Studios to playtesting inspiring projects, plus being led on DnD-style side quests by event staff to help connect attendees! Outside of the festival, visiting the Berlin Wall, exploring the Zoo and Aquarium, and spending time in the Samurai Museum and the Deja Vu Museum were unforgettable experiences. It felt like every corner of the city revealed a new creative gem.

LD: How was it being in Berlin, a fellow City of Design? Were their any particularly inspiring moments?

JC: Being in Berlin, a fellow UNESCO City of Design, felt like stepping into a place where creativity and artistic influence shape every street. The blend of history, culture, and design was incredibly inspiring.

“I attended with my classmate Alice… Sharing the experience with a friend made through my degree made the trip even more meaningful.”

-Jazz Chambers

Jazz and classmate Alice Kerr explore Berlin, November 2025.

LD: You attended Games Ground with an Abertay University classmate – would you like to introduce them?

JC: I attended with my classmate Alice Kerr, who also studied Games Design and Production at Abertay. Sharing the experience with a friend made through my degree made the trip even more meaningful. We were able to reflect together, learn from the studios we met, and bring back ideas we’re excited to explore in our own work.

LD: Thanks so much for your time, Jazz! It’s been great learning more about your experience – anything else you’d like to add?

JC: I’d like to say a huge thank you to Abertay, my honours supervisor Dr Andrew Reid for pushing this project to achieve all it has. As well as a huge thank you to UNESCO City of Design Dundee for selecting my project for the culture award, and all those who supported my honours project. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and for the reception my work received. And I’m excited to continue creating meaningful and thoughtful experiences through games.

Jazz Chambers was the recipient of UNESCO City of Design Dundee’s culture award, presented at Abertay Digital Graduate Show 2025. 

This trip was kindly supported by UNESCO City of Design Berlin and Games Ground, Berlin’s Gaming Festival.

12 November 2025  

Designer Christmas Trees return for a fourth year

IMAGES: PHOTO CALL WITH DESIGNERS TAKING PLACE 2PM, FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025 AT CITY CHURCHES, DUNDEE, DD1 4DG. PRESS WELCOME TO ATTEND.

PRESS RELEASE
Designer Christmas Trees return for a fourth year

In cities all around the world, festive tree displays are a highlight of the season. Beautiful and inspiring trees are created by designers who combine festive traditions and contemporary design.

Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees celebrate our UNESCO City of Design status, presenting designs developed locally. Part of Dundee’s Festive Celebrations, in partnership with Dundee City Council, 17 designs have been commissioned through the project since its start in 2022. All elements of the final trees (and their decorations!) must be made from 100% reused or recycled materials and utilise multiples of an object or material. Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees will appear on Wednesday 12 November 2025 and will remain on display until Wednesday 7 January 2026. This year’s brand-new designs are:

 

‘The Christmice Tree’ by environmental science based creator Hollis Crowe
The Christmice Tree is made from old wooden bed slats, reused chicken wire and household electrical waste. Here you can see all those things found in that old box of mystery cables that seems to sit in every home – USB cables, charging plugs, computer mice, ethernet cables and more.

So much everyday technology is disposable by design but the tech in your life should be high quality, durable, and repairable. 6 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in the UK, but we only recycle 31.2% of it.

Hollis Crowe is a creator with a background in environmental science, an interest in green space usage, and a belief in art and design as a science communication tool.

‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ by street artist John Fairley, also known as ZX81art
Saved and given new life, these road signs have been reimagined as a Christmas Tree by John Fairley (ZX81art). Evoking memories of family road trips and the annual anticipation of holiday celebrations, ‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ feels like an apt title!

These road signs have been kindly donated by The James Hutton Institute, a world-leading scientific research institute for the sustainable management of land, crops, and natural resources that support thriving communities. Marking former roads across their campus in Invergowrie, these signs fell out of use and were removed to make way for new infrastructure.

John Fairley (ZX81art) is a Dundee-based installation artist on a mission to raise a smile. Working primarily with every day public items, ZX81 looks to transform the mundane into moments of joy for the viewer to pass along.

‘My Christmas Tree Was A…’ by wood-worker Louise Forbes and jeweller Islay Spalding, known together as Man Pin
Constructed from broken and discarded musical instruments, Man Pin’s Christmas Tree design highlights the beautiful shapes and materials seen within these once loved objects. The Tree even makes its own music! When the wind blows, you may just hear it sing…

Man Pin is a collaboration between wood-worker Louise Forbes and jeweller Islay Spalding. Using old wooden objects such as instruments, whisky casks or sports equipment, they create limited collections of wooden pins and accessories.

Featured musical instruments were collected from ScrapAntics’ ScrapStore and Vintage Strings, a music shop that specialises in the sale and repair of orchestral instruments and pianos, both in Dundee’s West End.

‘Tinsel Trash’ by visual artist Zoe Gibson
Made from tin cans, biscuit tins and reclaimed garden netting, this tree is bursting with movement. The netting has been cut into strips to create tassels, exactly like tinsel! This tree even jingles in the wind with bells placed throughout the design.

Zoe Gibson is a Dundee-based visual artist whose work combines sculpture, filmmaking, installation and drawing. Her work is inspired by folk art, craft, festival culture and the Scottish landscape, underpinned by a belief that art should be a deeply embedded part of our everyday surroundings.

The garden netting (ripped and damaged by bad weather) has been kindly donated by Ninewells Community Garden, a therapeutic garden based at Ninewells Hospital.

 

Zoe Gibson, visual artist, said
“I’ve really enjoyed sourcing the materials for this tree, it’s nice to let the quirks and irregularities of second-hand materials guide what you make!”

Hollis Crowe, environmental science based creator, said
“Anything can be taken apart and changed, and anything that can be changed has potential.”

John Fairley, street-artist known as ZX81art, said
“It’s been so much fun reimagining the directions that we’re told to take in life. From the magic of being little at Christmas, growing up and recycling that magic into new directions for everyone, it’s been a great experience and I hope everyone enjoys it.”

Louise Forbes & Islay Spalding, designers at Man Pin, said
“It has been really exciting taking apart these instruments and seeing all of the craftsmanship involved in the making. We hope creating this tree is an inspiring way to show the wide range of materials used in the creation of musical instruments.”

Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design, said
“At UNESCO City of Design Dundee, we believe in the power of design and the essential place of designers in the life of our city. 2025’s Designer Christmas Tree makers have all excellently portrayed this ethos whilst showcasing the importance of sustainability in design.”

 

Returning designs from 2022-2024 are:

‘Spiral Tree’ (2022) by Helm Young Team
Young people aged 16-18 from local charity Helm designed and built this tree with support from the charities technical team, using old pallets to create an impactful giant spiral.

‘Retro Celebrations’ (2022) by Billy Hutchison
Made from hundreds of aluminium juice cans, the shiny design references vintage Christmas Trees from the 1960s.

‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ (2022) by Caishnah Nevans
Constructed from vinyl records, this design celebrates the importance of music throughout the festive season.

‘The Absentree’ (2023) by Lyle McCance
This build shows the silhouette of a tree and brings to light issues around deforestation here and abroad.

‘The Material Christmas’ (2023) by Lee Johnstone and Aymeric Renoud
Constructed from air vents and lumber scraps, this tree asks us to consider waste’s potential.

‘The Exploding Tree’ (2023) by Suzanne Scott and Louise Forbes
Made with leftover materials, this tree is adorned with stars, robins, hearts and toadstools (often said to be the inspiration behind Christmas colours). It also wiggles softly in the wind!

‘Make Trees Trees Again!’ (2023) by Blair McCafferty
Made entirely from skateboards, this tree uses broken boards from the local skateboarding community.

‘Silent night, holy bike’ (2024) by Camillo Atlas with pupils from Braeview Academy and Craigie High School
A Dundee Christmas Tree made from broken bike parts – welded together by 14 high school students

‘A Fast Fashion Christmas’ (2024) by Dreamland
Created using thrown away textiles and fast fashion garments, Dreamland’s Christmas Tree highlights just how wasteful and impactful the fast fashion industry is.

‘Adrift’ (2024) by Steve Page
Using material found along the Dundee shoreline, Adrift shows the juxtaposition of natural maritime materials with the litter we produce.

‘Cone home for Christmas’ (2024) by Jo-AMI
A waste product of the knitting process, vibrant, multicoloured plastic spools have been stacked together to create Jo-AMI’s Christmas Tree.

 

Since 2014, Dundee has been the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design. This global designation as a Creative City acknowledges Dundee’s rich design heritage, its thriving contemporary design sector and a city committed to using design to solve problems and make Dundee a better place to live.

cityofdesigndundee.com
@designdundee / Instagram & Facebook
@designdundee.bsky.social / Bluesky

For media enquiries, please contact elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com

Dundee’s Designer Christmas Tree project is supported by Dundee City Council and delivered by UNESCO City of Design Dundee.

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28 October 2025  

OPEN CALL – Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies

Image courtesy of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.

Open Call
Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies

Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is a residency programme that connects indigenous and ancestral textile practices between Whanganui, New Zealand and Dundee, Scotland to foster meaningful cultural and creative exchange. The project initiates a new connection between two UNESCO Cities of Design, supporting the development of contemporary textile design specialists through a reciprocal international residency.

The long-standing textile traditions of Whanganui and Dundee are powerful expressions of place-based cultural identity. At the same time, these histories also carry complex legacies — including the impacts of colonisation, war, and cultural suppression — which have shaped and, at times, disrupted cultural development. In the resurgence of traditional textile techniques in both cities, we see not only a reconnection to ancestral knowledge, but also a recognition of how design heritage continues to shape contemporary identities and creative practices.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel which will feature indigenous voices, sector specialists, and a representative from Whanganui. Panellists are as follows:

PROJECT BRIEF

The full project brief can be found in the below PDF.

Applications close at 10:00am on Wednesday 19 November 2025.

HOW TO APPLY

This opportunity is open to practicing designers and design specialists working within textiles and/or connected fields. Applicants must live, work or have a studio located within a DD postcode (for example, DD1 1DB).

Application links are included within the PDF and have been copied below for ease of use:

SUBMISSION FORM
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM

Further information about Connections Through Culture’s 2025 grantees can be found here.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator, on elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com

Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is coordinated by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and UNESCO City of Design Whanganui and supported by the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific’s Connections Through Culture Programme.

5 September 2025  

Open Call: Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees 2025

Photography courtesy of Mhairi Edwards/The Courier, featuring ‘Cone Home for Christmas’ (2024) by Jo-AMI.

Open Call: Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees 2025

In cities all around the world, festive tree displays are a highlight of the season. Beautiful and inspiring trees are created by designers who combine festive traditions and contemporary design.

Once again, UNESCO City of Design Dundee, in partnership with Dundee City Council are looking to commission four designers or creative practitioners to create bespoke and unique ‘Christmas Trees’ as part of Dundee’s Festive Celebrations, celebrating the diversity of the winter period. The ‘Trees’ will form part of a display located at City Churches. Designs will be made from reused and recycled materials as a festive celebration of the ingenuity of our local designers.

This opportunity is open to:

  • Designers and creative practitioners who live or work in Dundee (defined as living or work address with a DD1 – DD7 postcode)
  • Designers and creative practitioners from Dundee (defined as DD1 – DD7 postcode) and recent graduates (graduating in the last 4 years from a Dundee university)

Four successful designers will be awarded £2,200 each to cover all materials, production, installation, and fee.

The full commission brief, including details on how to submit, can be found in the below PDF. Key links have also been copied below for ease of use:

Applications close at 09:00am on Monday 29 September 2025.

Previous iterations of Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees can be viewed via our Projects page here.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator, on elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com

‘Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees 2025’ are coordinated by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and funded by Dundee City Council.

13 August 2025  

Remembering Together | Design Announcement

DUNDEE COVID MEMORIAL

WORK ON Dundee’s Covid-memorial is due to start later this summer.
Councillors will be told that the £168,000 commemoration has been developed by communities most impacted by the pandemic and creative practitioners. Sited on vacant land at Moncur Crescent/Caird Avenue, the labyrinth and surrounding garden is part of a national project funded by Scottish Government and delivered by Greenspace Scotland.
Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city governance committee said:
“Workshops and drop-in sessions were held where more than 120 people including some with long covid and health complications; people who had lost loved ones; young, single mothers with children born during the pandemic; youth groups and veterans, shared their personal experiences. Their thoughts and ideas have been developed into a memorial which will be a free, open outdoor space with artworks in a central area where people can reflect in peace.”
As well as the Scottish Government and Greenspace Scotland, funding for the project has also come from Coldside Community Regeneration Fund, Nature Restoration Fund, Leng Trust, Alexander Moncur Trust and Dundee Changemakers Hub.
The project is being overseen by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and following a recruitment process, designers Vinishree Verma and Ana Guerrero of Around Zero, a social innovation and environment centre design firm, were appointed to lead phase one.
Groundwork will start later this summer for four to six weeks and include the creation of paths, planting beds, information panels and benches. Further planting will be done in autumn, with the memorial fully established by summer 2026.
When it is completed the council will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the memorial. The city governance committee meets on Monday (August 18).
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For press enquiries, please contact Mike Boyle, Communications Division at Dundee City Council on: mike.boyle@dundeecity.gov.uk

Images courtesy of UNESCO City of Design Dundee and Old School Fabrications.