Visitors to Dubai Design Week this year can register to attend more than 130 activities, from hands-on workshops and pottery demonstrations to engaging talks and industry masterclasses, presented throughout the week-long festival to bring impactful experiences for both design professionals and those of all ages.
Through a line-up of talks and masterclasses, experts will shed light on the latest topics in the global design scene during the festival, while a new programme of daily gatherings will bring the local creative community together in a series of dialogues.
The Forum at Downtown Design will host a series of compelling live interviews and discussions between leading regional and international architects, interior and product designers on each afternoon of the fair, with international speakers including design studio founders Sebastian Herkner, Elliott Barnes, Gregory Gatserelia, Massimo Iosa Ghini and Adrien Gardère set to engage audiences in industry-led discussions.
Curated by Fatma al Mahmoud, the daily ‘Meet the UAE Creatives' programme will provide designers and creatives based in the UAE with a platform to explain their work in the local creative scene with sessions throughout the festival. ‘Meet the UAE Creatives’ will be hosting esteemed creatives from the design led community, who pioneered and impacted the local creative scene such as Khalid Shafar, Hani Asfourand, and Layth Mahdi alongside emerging creatives entering the scene, such as graphic designer Ayesha bin Haider.
A range of special workshops staged under the theme of ’Paper, Plastic + Play’ will give visitors the opportunity to learn how to make notebooks out of camel leather, create DIY clay-paint palettes or learn how to up-cycle plastic waste into a modern piece of quilted artwork, while the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gulf Chapter will host a workshop for aspiring young architects titled ‘Fantastical Future Cities’, celebrating World Children's Day in a fun-filled and unique activity.
Jojos Art House will bring eco-focused painting and doodling workshops, giving children the opportunity to learn how recycled objects can be made into works of art, while participants can also explore the wood turning lathe machine and use multiple tools alongside it to create a personalized whistle, salt and pepper shakers, pens and egg cups.
Representing both traditional and modern crafts across the MENASEA and Central Asia regions, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council is bringing its Hirfati Youth Programme to the Making Space, with a locally-inspired and interactive range of workshops throughout the week. Through the Gelli Printing and Talli Workshops, participants will try out a fun printing method called "Gelli" and learn traditional Emirati weaving, or explore a workshop titled ‘Papermaking with Dried Palm Leaves’, where they can transform existing resources into paper and create custom cards, bookmarks, and more.
To register and explore the full programme, which includes talks, workshops and masterclasses, click here.