After months of talks and planning, South African-based design conference Design Indaba and Mr Sun Chao, the Party Secretary of the CPC Minhang District Committee in Shanghai, China, have paved the way for a partnership for a design school, exhibition gallery, and an international Design Indaba Conference in Shanghai.
Three distinct projects will be coordinated and managed by Design Indaba in Shanghai over the next three years, with funding from the Shanghai Minhang District. These projects include Design Indaba consulting on the creation of a design school of international excellence in the city; as well as the establishment of a Design Indaba Gallery to showcase exhibitions of the best design and creativity sourced from around the world. The third project will be the international installment of the Design Indaba Conference to take place in Shanghai.
“Taking Design Indaba to Shanghai is the right step forward in demonstrating the impact of design and creativity to BRIC economies,” says Design Indaba founder Ravi Naidoo. “The Minhang District is a perfect platform from which to launch Design Indaba Shanghai to collaborate with and grow the design and innovation community. We are excited by the opportunities the Shanghai Minhang District government has offered us and we also look forward to learning from our peers in China.”
As a rapidly growing and evolving economy, China is committed to developing the creative sector in the country and becoming a world centre for research and development. Some 100 new design schools are set to open in China in forthcoming months as a platform for the acceleration of design and innovation.
“‘Better City, Better Life’ was the theme of the Shanghai 2010 Expo. With the launch of Design Indaba, this theme will surely be further pursued in Minhang,” said Mr Sun Chao, Party Secretary of CPC Minhang District Committee, Shanghai. “The collaboration with Design Indaba will bring more opportunities and highlight our process of deepening urbanisation. We warmly welcome Design Indaba to Minhang."
