30 January 2023

Dundee Design Festival is Looking for Someone Who Can Make Things Happen

The Team behind Dundee Design Festival are starting work on the next festival which is due to take place in September 2024, and we are looking for a Curator/Producer to join our team and lead the development of the festival’s theme and programme. As a key member of the festival team, we are looking for someone who believes in the transformative power of design and has a desire to see audiences participate in design. You’ll be someone who gets excited about showcasing design practitioners in Scotland and beyond and be committed to profiling diversity across this complex and varied sector. You will be passionate about sharing stories of design, of designers, of products and of the inspirational change that design and designers make in our world.

The deadline for applications is 5PM on Wednesday 22 February 2023

For the full brief, how to apply, and further information, click here

ROLE
Curator/Producer Dundee Design Festival 2024.

The Curator/Producer will be responsible for development and delivery of the festival’s theme and programme. They will work with the UNESCO City of Design Dundee Team and Core Group Partners to research opportunities, develop themes and secure contributors and collaborations for the festival programme. You’ll need to be able to clearly communicate this to the rest of the team and for our audiences and volunteers.

You’ll be expected to contribute to all aspects of the festival’s delivery including: theme, content, programme, budget and cost projections; funding applications; logistics; marketing and promotions. You will have responsibility for managing the festival build and installation team alongside coordinating and managing the receipt and handling of objects.

You will be able to work independently and thrive when developing ideas in collaboration with others. You will have excellent attention to detail, a positive attitude and a knowledge of the design sector in Scotland and beyond. You’ll enjoy conversations with others which explore and interrogate concepts and you’ll be able to articulate your ideas and reasoning to a variety of people. You’ll have experience in putting together public events, workshops and exhibitions. You’ll understand the often complex and interlinked elements that need to come together to deliver these events.

FIXED FREELANCE FEE
£25,344 (96 days at £264 per day). This fee is guided by the Scottish Artists Union’s Residency Rates (projects that are 20+ days).

FIXED PERIOD
Initial 12 month contract March 2023 – March 2024 with expectation of additional contract dependant on funding for a further 7 months, April to October 2024.

LOCATION
Dundee. Desk space at UNESCO City of Design Hub, Union Street. Up to 50% of the working week may be carried out at home or an alternative location as agreed. There is an expectation that you will travel to meet designers. A budget will be available for costs related to travel, engagement meetings, developing ideas and collaborations and access needs.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Communication
Organisation
Experience with fundraising and partnerships
Marketing/promotions
Exhibition Design and Build
Understanding Audiences

Full details of the skills and knowledge we are looking for is contained within the full Role Description Pack available here. We know there are candidates who may not fit every criteria we’ve outlined here, or who have key skills we haven’t listed. If this is you, please do apply if you feel your particular experience or skill set could enhance this role.

To discuss any aspect of this post or the application process please contact
Annie Marrs, Lead Officer
e: annie.marrs@vandadundee.org

SCHEDULE
Mon 30 January 2023 – Wed 22 Feb 2023: Opportunity Advertised

Wed 22 February 2023, 5pm: Deadline for Expressions of Interest

Fri 24 February 2023: Candidates notified of outcome of their Expression of Interest

Tues 7 / Wed 8 / Thurs 9 March 2023: Interviews (The shortlisted applicants will receive a fixed fee of £250 to prepare their presentation and attend the interview. In addition, reasonable travel expenses will be paid.)

Fri 10 March 2023: Candidates notified of outcome of interviews.

PREVIOUS DUNDEE DESIGN FESTIVALS
Dundee Design Festival 2017: 2017.dundeedesignfestival.com
Dundee Design Festival 2019: 2019.dundeedesignfestival.com
Dundee Design Festival 2021: 2021.dundeedesignfestival.com

The deadline for applications is 5PM on Wednesday 22 February 2023

For the full brief, how to apply, and further information, click here

13 December 2021

Dundee Design Festival 2021

Dundee Design Festival 2021 took place from 23 September – 3 October across four physical locations and online.

Produced by returning Design Studio, Agency of None, the theme for Dundee Design Festival 2021 was Every Where Design, exploring the hidden and unusual design that exists all around us. The festival was centred around five ‘Design Houses’ which were each created in collaboration with local communities and organisations to profile the value of design within our everyday lives.

The locations of the Design Houses were Hilltown Park situated in the neighbourhood of Hilltown to the north of the city-centre, a retail unit in the main shopping area of Stobswell, a former pump station in Finlathen Park, the waterfront plaza surrounding V&A Dundee, and a Digital Design House online for audiences anywhere in the world to experience.

You can explore Dundee Design House online here

From Saturday 18th December 2021 – Sunday 16th January 2022, you can visit Every Where Design at V&A Dundee’s Weston Studio.

Pick up a waterfront design trail or family-friendly activity sheet, take a seat in the studio and enjoy some of the videos created for this year’s festival, which explore the surprising and interesting ways design exists in our everyday lives.

Visit V&A Dundee’s website here for more information including museum opening hours.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN RATTRAY

If you weren’t able to visit Dundee Design Festival 2021’s 4 physical Design Houses, you can find out more about each of them and the hands on activities that took place by visiting the website here, following the festival’s Instagram and Twitter accounts and viewing our Flickr album here.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who was involved in delivering Dundee Design Festival 2021. You can view the full team in our festival map here

Kate Harvey

Kate Harvey is a printed textile designer based in Dundee who studied Textile Design at DJCAD.

She is passionate about creating busy, vibrant and bold designs through the medium of applique, screen print and digital print. Known for her abstract graphic prints which she applies to a variety of clothing and accessories, Kate started selling her first collection at the end of 2020 while she was resident at Kathryn Rattray Gallery. Since then Kate has collaborated with V&A Dundee, Local Heroes and Dundee Design Festival. Day to day she runs her online shop and takes on special commissions.

Visit Kate Harvey’s website and online shop here

Jumpsuit Design

Sweatshirt designs, Photo by Kathryn Rattray

Sweatshirt Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Jacket and scarf designs, Photo by Kathryn Rattray

Jacket and Scarf Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Sweatshirt Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Venue Announced for the First Dundee Design Festival

We are absolutely delighted to announce that West Ward Works, the former home of DC Thomson’s annuals in Dundee, will host our Dundee Design Festival this year.

From 25^thto 28^th May 2016, the former industrial building, one of Dundee’s most important historic centres for magazine and book production, will play host to a range of designers, businesses and design collectives for the Dundee Design Festival.

DC Thomson Director and Chief Operating Officer, David Thomson said, “We’re delighted to be able to work in partnership with the UNESCO City of Design Dundee team to host the first international design festival. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the building whilst also looking forward to the exciting redevelopment of the city.

“Our company is fully supportive of Dundee’s Cultural development, including the V&A Dundee project, and we’re keen to contribute to the development of further arts facilities for the city. We’ve been exploring ideas for the potential revitalisation of our West Ward building as a cultural space and this seemed like an ideal opportunity to try it out! Other former jute mills and industrial spaces have been successfully redeveloped and so we hope that this temporary upgrade for West Ward will help us to understand whether there is an appetite for an arts space at our building in Guthrie Street.”

As the major destination for the local, national and international design exhibitions, West Ward will showcase an exciting programme of events during the Festival. The festival will showcase design from Dundee, Scotland and internationally, through a large exhibition, talks, demonstrations and workshops. Forums, talks and practical workshops led by designers will allow visitors to experience a diversity of design excellence and innovation.

UNESCO City of Design Dundee’s Festival Producer Siôn Parkinson will launch the full programme of activities and events in April 2016. The open call for designers keen to get involved closes at 5pm on February 26th and the City of Design team is excited by the many, varied submissions received already.

Anna Day, Manager of UNESCO City of Design, Dundee, said, “We are delighted to be working with DC Thomson to bring this building back to life. It’s a hugely important part of the city’s heritage and it will be exciting to welcome people in to see the exhibition which will highlight the best design of the future from Dundee and across Scotland.”

Download Press Release West Ward Works

27 January 2016

Dundee Design Festival – Call For Designers

Dundee Design Festival will take place from the 25th – 28th May 2016 and there are several ways that you can get involved!

TagDundee Design Festival

The deadline for applications is 5PM on Wednesday 22 February 2023

For the full brief, how to apply, and further information, click here

The deadline for applications is 5PM on Wednesday 22 February 2023

For the full brief, how to apply, and further information, click here

Dundee Design Festival 2021 took place from 23 September – 3 October across four physical locations and online.

You can explore Dundee Design House online here

From Saturday 18th December 2021 – Sunday 16th January 2022, you can visit Every Where Design at V&A Dundee’s Weston Studio.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN RATTRAY

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who was involved in delivering Dundee Design Festival 2021. You can view the full team in our festival map here

RELATED CONTENT

Kate Harvey is a printed textile designer based in Dundee who studied Textile Design at DJCAD.

Visit Kate Harvey’s website and online shop here

Jumpsuit Design

Sweatshirt Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Jacket and Scarf Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Sweatshirt Designs, Photography by Kathryn Rattray

RELATED CONTENT

We are absolutely delighted to announce that West Ward Works, the former home of DC Thomson’s annuals in Dundee, will host our Dundee Design Festival this year.

Download Press Release West Ward Works

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