The Repair Workshops at the 2011 State of Design Festival

The Repair Workshops is proud to announce that it will be part of the Sate of Design Festival 2011.

A bit about the festival:

“The State of Design Festival is the largest and most innovative design event in Australia and the heart of design thinking and design activity.State of Design Festival increases the awareness of the value of design and showcases how design generates innovation, promotes sustainability and adds value to business and society.By communicating to Victorian, Australian and international audiences, the Festival promotes a deeper understanding of design capability and value.”

The festival guide will be officially launched next Tuesday the 21st. Here’s a sneak-peek of our listing;

We know that 'if it ain't broke', you 'don't fix it'. But what if it is 'broke'? What role can designers and (over)consumers play in rethinking the value of repair? The Repair Workshops explore these questions through cross-disciplinary collaboration, an exhibition, and a series of public workshops where you are invited to bring along broken items for repair and re-creation.

A beautiful example of a repaired stool in Vietnam

This year’s theme is ‘Design That Moves’

“In 2011 the State of Design Festival explores design in, on and around projects that are transformative, mobile and networked. Workshops and forums examine the nomadic, the cyclical and the role of design systems. We are keen to understand how we can use design to create more active cities and we present events in transitional zones: platforms, revitalised spaces, foyers and stairs. These are 'spaces that take us places'. We also examine how design affects us mentally and physically. We ask, ‘how does design influence our experience of objects and environments, how does design influence how we feel’? For the 2011 Festival, motion and emotion are cause for renewed thinking around design.”

And there’s plenty of other amazing things to see and do at this festival.Here’s a couple of our favourites…

Eco Cubby Workshop

Presented by Regional Arts Victoria and the City of Melbourne, these workshops will introduce kids to the elements of sustainable design, emphasizing fun and functionality.

Eco-cubby workshop, photo: Tobias Titz.

Critical Mobility

Presented by Bus Projects, Critical Mobility explores the relations between art and globalised public space through sound, installation and design on a bus fitted-out as an interactive gallery and performance space. This exhibition features new work by Michael Fowler, Ros Bandt, PVI Collective, Sibling and The Repair Workshop’s Dylan Martorell.

Artwork by Dylan Martorell

All excerpts from the State of Design Festival guide 2011.