Alayne Reesberg and Ben-Carl Havemann, both from Stellenbosch, are deeply involved with the initiative to market Cape Town as the 2014 Design Capital of the World (WDC2014). This initiative includes the larger Cape metropolitan area, reaching from Atlantis in the north to Somerset West in the south, inclusive of Stellenbosch.
The 2014 theme is Live Design. Transform Life and is divided into four subthemes, namely
- African Innovation. Global Conversation:Africa in conversation with the world.
- Bridging The Divide: Ways of creating closer contact between the city and its people.
- Today For Tomorrow: Sustainable solutions for tough issues.
- Beautiful Spaces. Beautiful Things: From architecture to jewellery design; food to art.
Anyone wanting to propose a project focused on planning may do so before 5 April (further information can be obtained from www.wdccapetown2014.com/submissions).
Since 2008, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) has allocated the design capital award to three other cities, namely Turin, Seoul and Helsinki. Visit http://wdchelsinki2012.fi/en to see how this was handled in Helsinki.
