Social
Spaces

Next wednesday I participate in a conference that explores the relations between design, craft and society, called Design met Wortels. It is organised by a local heritage organisation Tapisplein. Curator is the talented social designer Laura Braspenning. The program can be found here. The description is in Dutch:
Heeft handwerk een toekomst? Ambacht klinkt stoffig in de oren, maar tegelijk is handwerk opnieuw hip! Tal van initiatieven zetten handgemaakt design in de picture, jong talent gaat opnieuw aan de slag met eeuwenoude technieken en tradities, de heropleving is een feit.

Maar hoe willen we in de 21ste toekomst verder werk maken van ambachtelijk design? Is handwerk een werkwoord? Hoe kan de erfgoedsector het kapitaal aan vaardigheden veilig stellen voor de toekomst? Hoe kunnen we inspelen op nieuwe technieken en ambachtelijke kennis inzetten in industriële productie? Wat is de taak van (kunst)onderwijsinstellingen? Waar zitten de noden en de potenties? Tijd voor debat en reflectie!

Deze trefdag wil inspireren door tal van boeiende cases en beleidsmakers, onderwijsinstellingen, organisaties en ontwerpers uit te nodigen het gesprek aan te gaan. In een cross-over tussen de sectoren cultureel erfgoed, design, onderwijs en creatieve economie starten we de praktijk- en beleidsdiscussie op.

Our English colleagues of socialspaces.org are travelling around these days doing colourful mapping sessions. If you want to experience the rich results of these mappings and the amazing diversity, visit their Flickr Page. The mappings have the goal to “stimulate new and interesting local projects in line with the Social Spaces thinking of Learning, Sharing and Making. The workshops will draw together inspiration from existing new projects and new methodologies … as well as spreading traditional positive community building know-how”.

Have a look at their website for more info.

On 19, 20 & 21 Nov. 2010, City Mine(d) organizes an Urban Platform in Brussels, gathering about 30 initiatives from 13 European cities, to exchange and show their relation to the big challenges cities are faced with, present their approach and inspire people to action.

From their website: “For 5 years, City Mine(d) has been connecting urban gardeners to cyclists, DIY-ers to urban planners, and kitchen chefs to IT-ers through projects in public space. What these people have in common is their use of their creativity to make daily life in cities more enjoyable.”

More info on: http://urbanplatform.citymined.org/

“A festival in a Must Go Zone. The Brussels Festival Kanal projects are artistically diverse and explore cultural, social, political and historical issues, but they have one thing in common: they literally get the public moving. As Brussels edges its way westwards, the various districts around the canal are gradually being incorporated into the city centre. Some changes are already under way, others are on their way: streets are being revamped, development plans drawn up and new projects given the green light. At the same time the gap is widening between rich and poor, between those with a qualification or a job and those without.Yet because of its mix of different nationalities, languages, smells, colours and vibrant young population, this is Brussels at its best – a powerful mélange with an unseen reserve of energy, creativity and joie de vivre. Unfortunately, these communities don’t always have the opportunities they deserve. Unfortunately, a none too rosy picture of this part of Brussels is often conveyed to the outside world.” Source, Full programme and more info

Our Social Spaces collegues Virginia Tassinari and Nik Baerten were part of Designing household energy practices. A “non-conference” bringing together designers, companies and academics “.…beyond awareness raising and formal education for sustainability, how could the affordance of products support new and more sustainable ways of living? After giving visibility to energy flows, how can design help to rethink the basic interactions with our domestic environment to scripting practices that requires less energy?” More information on this event, you can find here.

It has been an exciting week with the Cumulus conference coming to Genk. I will report on this conference more thoroughly soon, but first I want to congratulate our collegue Virginia Tassinari that she has been elected to be part of the Cumulus board. Two times a year she will, together with designers and thinkers all over the world, meet and exchange practices and knowledge.