But while Jozi celebrates our country's musical talent, I'd like to share a little story about something exciting which Cape Town creatives have been getting up to...
At the end of March, Cape Town submitted their 'World Design Capital' bid to be considered to be the World Design Capital 2014!
But what does all this mean? Well, its basically a prestigious status afforded to one city every two years, awarded by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), and it is about recognising cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development!
Previous title holders include Turin in Italy in 2008, the first year of this ICSID World Design Capital status, and Seoul in South Korea in 2010! Astounding case studies abound on how Seoul used the WDC 2010 platform to transform their city! Helsinki, Finland is up next in 2012!
Ok, so what does this mean for Cape Town you ask! Well, for Cape Town this is a very exciting opportunity of highlighting the importance of creative industries to the city. Of which there are apparently over 1,000 in the Mother City said Lianne Burton of Cape Town Tourism at a talk on the bid last night! Plus it positions Cape Town as a globally significant 'design city' for the future!
The Mother City of creativity ek se - nurturing talent and ideas - the birth place of creative brilliance!
Now what excites me most is that within this broad banner of 'design' we can of course consider so much more than our initial thoughts of graphic, industrial and whatever else you first conjured. Design is way more than just making things pretty...
Consider systems design and information design, and 'design thinking' - and once you start to expand your mental concept of design, you realise that design is in everything! And part of the year long status of being spotlighted for using design for social, cultural and economic change means that the arts and music fall in there too!
So while the World Cup has passed, the energy of what people can do collectively is more alive than ever in South Africa! And Cape Town has recognised this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands!
Wear the badge. Put it on your website.
Join 'Cape Town for World Design Capital'.
Get friends to join the Facebook group.
Check out the website.
Tell people.
Be Cape Town proud. Be South Africa proud!
Never mind Design Indaba or Design Week, WDC 2014 will be Design Year! An entire year in which to create a programme of events under the spotlight of World Design Capital!
And Lianne also said, "Even if we don't win, we can't lose!" The bid is a catalyst to embed design thinking in city development. And judging by the speakers last night - including design lecturers and systems designers of the new IRT (Integrated Rapid Transfer) public transport system, as well as some guy speaking about the rise of electric cars - well, this shows the scope of how design improves city life!
And following all the recent local elections, 2014 is of course also a very important year for South Africa - the 20th anniversary of democracy, or '20 years of designing democracy' as they put it last night!
You see, design is in everything!
Rock on yellow carpets and yellow badges,
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