Beginners block printing makeshop facilitated by the Imbali Visual Literacy Project Imbali uses innovative, applied learning approaches to teach art, design, and critical thinking to youth, the unemployed, and people with disabilities. The organisation also supports the professional development of creative arts teachers, particularly in underserved communities. Guided by the belief that art and creativity […]
Makeshop: Block printing Read More »
Presented by Design Week South Africa, a conversation with Simone Schultz of Design Week South Africa and Monika Bielskyte, Founder of Protopia Futures, Futurist in Residence at Nike and a partner of African Life-Centric Design. Monika Bielskyte works at the intersection of culture, technology and speculative futures.
Morning Sessions Late Edition: Embodied Futures Read More »
A celebratory evening for delegates marking 25 years of the Craft & Design Institute and its lasting impact on South African craft and design.
Making It! ’26: Where Makers Meet Read More »
This session explores how indigenous and locally sourced materials, ranging from hemp and wool fibers to recycled resources, can become less extractive through innovative practices and sustainable design applications. Through discussions of ethics, responsible sourcing, circularity, and material responsibility, it highlights how designers and communities are collaborating to transform material use and production while developing
Material Matters: From Source to Innovation Read More »
Crafting a Living Heritage by Motlatjo Mogoboya will be screened during lunch. Over the past twenty years, a group of women from Mogalakwena in Limpopo have been preserving their cultural heritage by documenting their knowledge and experiences of local traditions through embroidery. They began creating embroidered panels as a way to sustain themselves while recording
Where new technologies—AI, robotics, biofabrication, XR, and digital fabrication—intersect with craft and design, this session highlights how these innovations are expanding the possibilities of creative practice. From reimagining materiality and production techniques to pushing the boundaries of making, panellists will showcase forward-thinking approaches, experimental methods, and the exciting opportunities and challenges of integrating cutting-edge technology
Carving Out a New Frontier: Where Design Meets Technology Read More »
How are trends shaped, and what possibilities exist outside of them? This conversation explores how brands and makers can move beyond short-lived trends to better understand consumer behaviour and develop intentional, lasting design strategies. The discussion will examine what it means to defy trends, how practitioners are carving out new methods of working, and how
Against Trends: Consumer Behaviour & Designing Beyond the Cycle Read More »
How can craft traditions remain relevant, preserving cultural memory while inspiring the future of design? This session invites dialogue on sustaining both tangible and intangible heritage in a fast-moving economy. Heritage practitioners, artists, cultural custodians, and designers will explore how tradition and contemporary design intersect in their practice, serving as a vehicle for ethically reviving
Custodians of Craft: Preserving Culture in Fast-Moving Design Economies Read More »
