Hasta La Ideas

Following its successful inaugural run last year, the Cheltenham Design Festival is back this April, with another amibitious line-up of design luminaries and thoughtful discussion.

This year’s programme, under the banner ‘Who Cares About the Future of Design?’, explores the role design plays in everyday life, and how that role should evolve in the future, with talks from design leaders such as Neville Brody, David Hillman, Sir John Sorrell, Sir John Hegarty and Bruce Duckworth.

Taking place at the Parabola Arts Centre from April 11-14, the festival will again explore the importance of design from a variety of angles – covering areas such as education, the environment, an ageing population, urban design, technology and business.

For example, Sir Christopher Frayling and D&AD’s Tim Lindsay will discuss the impact of the marginalisation of design in education; Adrian Shaughnessy, Wayne Hemingway and Craig Oldham will debate the future of design with UCAS chief executive Mary Curnock Cook, the Design Council’s Bel Reed, Martin Horwood MP, and Vice Chancellor of the University of Gloucesteshire, Stephen Marston; and Brody, David Constantine, Sir John Hegarty and Deyan Sudjic discuss ‘Does Good Design Make us Happy?’

Sir John Hegarty, who is also president of the Cheltenham Design Festival, discusses whether good design can make you happy

Other highlights include John Sorrell outlining his belief that nations are increasingly turning towards creativity and design to achieve growth and success; Nat Hunter and Steven Johnson clarifying what ‘sustainability’ should really mean in design; Tristan Manco extolling street art from around the world, and Aston Martin’s product development director and design director – Ian Minards and Marek Reichman – talking about the evolution of car design over the century.

Steven Johnson, creative director at The Hub, and Nat Hunter, co-director of design at the RSA, explore the true meaning of sustainable design.

Alongside auditorium events, there are also more intimate studio events and workshops for 8-16-year-olds.

The festival is organised by a group of local businesses and individuals that volunteer their time, and all proceeds feed back into the charitable foundation.

Details of ticket prices, including special offers and student discounts will be available on the festival’s website towards the end of next week, alongside the detailed programme.

Cheltenham Design Festival takes place at Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham GL50 3AH, from April 11-14.

CR in print
The March issue of CR magazine celebrates 150 years of the London Underground. In it we introduce a new book by Mark Ovenden, which is the first study of all aspects of the tube’s design evolution; we ask Harry Beck authority, Ken Garland, what he makes of a new tube map concept by Mark Noad; we investigate the enduring appeal of Edward Johnston’s eponymous typeface; Michael Evamy reports on the design story of world-famous roundel; we look at the London Transport Museum’s new exhibition of 150 key posters from its archive; we explore the rich history of platform art, and also the Underground’s communications and advertising, past and present. Plus, we talk to London Transport Museum’s head of trading about TfL’s approach to brand licensing and merchandising. In Crit, Rick Poynor reviews Branding Terror, a book about terrorist logos, while Paul Belford looks at how a 1980 ad managed to do away with everything bar a product demo. Finally, Daniel Benneworth-Grey reflects on the merits on working home alone. Buy your copy here.

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