The Design Manchester festival returns for the fourth time and this year runs from 12th to 23rd October. The theme this year is ‘Design City’. The festival was established in 2013, initiated by the Manchester School of Art. This year the festival has 37 events. It has grown over the years in popularity and scale, with the festival this year running over a 12-day period, promising to be bigger and better than before. The non-profit organisation aims to encourage inclusivity and diversity in design and art, with accessibility for everyone, as key to promoting collaborative art. The festival encourages everyone to discover and celebrate the work of the Design industry, right from industrial workers to emerging designers.
Last year’s event saw more than 20,000 visitors coming, from families to educators, to architects. The venues range from clubs and bars to the London Road Fire Station. Most of the free events over the 12 days offer an amazing opportunity to discover more of Manchester. The festival is both informative and fun giving one a greater insight of design’s contribution, to help meet like-minded people, hone your creative energy or even unravel the creative potential within you.
Some of the many free events include City ID: the Grand Debate, on19th October (Wednesday), between 6:30pm and 9pm and Women in Print Exhibition from 13th October (Thursday), to 23rd October (Sunday), from 12pm to 6pm, at both the Northern Quarter’s PLY and Co-op HQ. More details are on the website- designmcr.com/the-festival-2016.
