DETROIT — The Detroit Creative Corridor Center is calling on designers, architects, and creatives to submit proposals to exhibit at this year’s Detroit Design Festival, to be held Sept. 23-28.
Candidates will not only have the opportunity to explore and realize their most innovative ideas, but they also can apply for micro grants, up to $1,000, to support their vision. Applications are due May 31.
“Detroit Design Festival is a platform to celebrate Detroit’s and North America’s best design talent,” says Matthew Clayson, DC3’s director. “The festival creates an annual design conversation that fosters growth within the creative community by raising awareness of local designers to international audiences. We also use this opportunity to highlight good creative work occurring at the neighborhood level and design practices not traditionally associated with Detroit.”
Launched to position Detroit as a global center for design, creativity and innovation, the fourth-annual DDF will celebrate the work of Detroit’s creative community through product launches and shows, lectures, panel discussions, trunk shows, tours, open houses, retail events and design battles. Hundreds of designers and creative practitioners will create 60 Design Happenings, experiences consumers can immerse themselves in during the festival. These Design Happenings will take place in venues across the city.
“We hope to cast a wide net this year, attracting the best talent throughout North America and beyond,” says Melinda Anderson, festival manager. “The entry process will be much more competitive this year. We’ve worked with more than 600 designers in the past three years. With so much talent in Detroit and international buzz, we expect this year’s festival will be the most dynamic and collaborative to date.”
Metropolitan Detroit is home to the highest concentrations and quantities of commercial and industrial designers of all U.S. metro regions. Detroit’s professional creative industry is the third largest private sector employer in the city, employing approximately 12,300 individuals. Detroit’s Creative Corridor is home to 200 individual creative sector companies, which employ 4,000 people and generate $640 million in aggregate annual revenues.
The DDF is poised to take advantage of and spotlight that creativity. The website — detroitdesignfestival.com — will serve as a portal where designers can post their proposed Design Happenings and the general public can view ideas and pledge support. Through this online submission process, DC3 strives to build a network between Detroit and the international design community. Applications are due May 31.
For more information about how to submit a Design Happening, apply for a micro-grant, to attend events, or to become a Design Ambassador or sponsor, visit detroitdesignfestival.com.
