Next year's Design Indaba Conference will be ushered in by the second Design Indaba Charity Banquet. Set in the ballroom of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the event will be a celebration of South African creativity, from the décor down to the music and particularly fine dining.
The glamorous occasion gathers together a range of high-profile government, business and media representatives, all in the name of design education.
Far from just a pompous display of dignitaries, though, the function's focus is an auction of original, contemporary and hand-made furniture inspired entirely by street craft. This year top local designers were each asked to produce a piece of work based on furniture created by street vendors. The result was a spectacular collection of high-end works that ended up raising an overwhelming R138 000 for design education.
Proceeds went to leading public institutions in the creative and design fields. These included Cape Technikon, University of Johannesburg, Free State Technikon, Durban Institute of Technology, Port Elizabeth Technikon and Pretoria Technikon. One of the multiple beneficiaries, the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg, has already identified suitable candidates who will receive bursaries towards further studies in these disciplines.
This gesture of goodwill solidifies the Charity Banquet's status as a platform for promoting local design. It certainly emphasizes Design Indaba's faith in the industry as a lever for current and future economic growth in this country.
Next year's event promises to be bigger and better, if anything. Besides having the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the business, from the conference speakers, to government personalities, international media and notable celebrities, guests will have the opportunity to make their contribution to design education in South Africa.
It's just one spoke in the Design Indaba wheel, rolling forward to elevate indigenous design to an internationally competitive standard through creative education.
For more information next year's Design Indaba Charity Banquet contact Zahira Asmal on +27 21 418 6666 or
For sponsorship queries or to attend the Banquet, contact Cindy Lindenbaum on +27 82 552 7500.
