agIdeas 2013 Speakers + Program Announced

3rd February, 2013

agIdeas 2013 International Design Week
Program Announced

40 of the world’s leading designers will be here in Melbourne for agIdeas International Design Week at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, NGV and ACMI Monday 29 April to Friday 3 May 2013.

Bringing together the leading lights in creativity and innovative thinking, agIdeas offers an extraordinary program of events that celebrate design excellence, challenges concepts of what design is, how it can change the way we live and promotes the value of design driven innovation for designers, researchers, business and industry and the broader community.

agIdeas is now in its 23rd year, the talent keeps coming to engage in a program that covers the design spectrum – graphic design, product design, motion graphics, design for film and television, new media, web design, animation, illustration,
typography, architecture, fashion and textiles, sound design, performance art, and advertising.

‘We have worked with our international advisory panel to bring together the some of the best speakers for our audiences. Not only do our audiences gain invaluable insights, but our guests too gain from meeting each other and sharing their stories and experiences. We consistently strive, and I believe, achieve a design week that is international and is one of the best on the world stage. It is a privilege to be involved in this wonderful event’, says Ken Cato Creative Director, agIdeas.

Speakers for 2013 include: concept designer Neville Page, US; UK artist Roger Dean best known for his album covers for Yes, Asia & Pink Floyd; Japan’s Reiko Sudo, artistic director, Nuno, makers of exquisite textiles; Australian photographer Tony Mott; acclaimed designer Vince Frost who’s designs are based on the philosophy that his role is to ‘inspire ideas to life’; Nadine Chahine, a Labanese designer with a very special interest in Arabic typography; poster designer Alain Le Quernec, France; artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela, Aus; UK’s Ian Anderson, founder of The Designers Republic (TDR ), a studio known for its anti-establishment aesthetics; Christopher Chapman, senior curator, National Portrait Gallery, Aus plus many others.

agIdeas is made up of a number of distinct events and these include:

International Design Forum: agIdeas Design Intelligence, Wednesday 1 May,
9.00am – 5.30pm; Thursday 2 May, 10.00am – 6.30pm; and Friday 3 May, 9.00am – 5.30pm
Three day conference with 40 design leaders who will share their design insights and experiences with an audience of more than 2500 designers, general public and tertiary students daily.

agIdeas Advantage: Business Breakfast, Thursday 2 May, 7.00am to 10.00am
A business breakfast that presents case studies on the tangible benefits of design and using design as an effective tool for business.

agIdeas Reseach Conferece, Design for Business and Industry: International
Research Conference, Tuesday 30 April
This one day conference provides design and business researchers, educators and practitioners with the opportunity to present peer-reviewed research papers on the theme ‘Design as a strategic resource: adding value to business and industry’.

agIdeas Futures: Secondary School Design Forum, Wednesday 1 May
Design Course Expo, 4.00 – 6.00pm & Speaker Presentations, 6.00pm to 8.00pm
A two hour forum exploring the insights into design careers from international creative leaders and a design course expo where major tertiary design colleges hold stalls with information on career pathways.

agIdeas Next: Children for Design, Tuesday 30 April, 10.00am to 1.30pm
A forum and workshops lead by visiting designers to encourage primary school children to become champions of good design.

agIdeas Workshops: Monday 29 April, 9.30am to 4.00pm
A rare and remarkable opportunity for a selection of esteemed international designers presenting at the agIdeas forum to engage in ideation workshops with appointed participants from scientists to secondary school students. Details will be confirmed shortly.

agIdeas Studio Visits: Wednesday 1 May, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Design students and new graduates will have the opportunity to meet designers whose work they admire in their studio and will gain an understanding of how they work. Close to 40 of Melbourne’s leading studios will host small groups over dinner & drinks.

agIdeas 2013 NewStar: Travelling Scholarship Program.
Winners to be announced at agIdeas International Design Forum. The winning entries will win international design experience at a leading design studio or at Fabrica the Benetton Groups Creative Laboratory in Italy. Open to tertiary students and new graduates.

agIdeas was founded in 1991 by leading Australian designer Ken Cato (AGDA Hall of Fame Inductee 2012). He is currently agIdeas Creative Director and Chairman of international design agency Cato Purnell Partners. agIdeas is managed by the Design Foundation.

Since it began 440 of the world’s leading designers have been guests, an audience of over 100,000 have attended, 22,000 have come together at the social gatherings, 50 young designers have benefited from travelling scholarships, 5,000 volunteers have helped organise and stage agIdeas and 200,000 people have visited the Melbourne Museum during the NewStar Exhibition.

2013 agIdeas International Design Week, Monday 29 April to Friday 3 May 2013 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Plenary 2, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf.
www.agideas.net