WDC 2014 School Design Week project inspires learners

A major part of the programme is introducing learners to positive and inspiring role models. To date, young professionals such as jewellery manufacturer Catherine Pichulik and designer Marc Nicolson of Thingking have joined landscape architects and interior designers in presenting to learners at morning assemblies.

Alexander Sinton

In Cape Town, there is a disparity in skills and education resources, so the organisers have targeted the Focus Schools, where design and visual art are offered as a pilot of a larger programme of research into the skills training ecosystem. These are schools where resources and access to bursaries for further study and career information are limited.

There have already been visits to Alexander Sinton (Athlone), Wynberg, Milnerton, Livingstone in Kenilworth, Cedar in Rocklands and Muizenberg High. Learners are also advised on choosing the correct subjects in grade nine so that they can follow a design career path at tertiary level. The schools have also sent their creative classes on full day tours of the Open Design festival in the City Hall, followed by a guided workshop in the Design and Making exhibition at the Castle.

Resource book

These career talks, workshops and field trips also link to the resource book produced by the CCDI called 'Wanna Have a Designer Future?' It increases awareness of work and study possibilities across many design disciplines - from urban planning and interior decorating to video game programming and industrial design. To download the book, go to www.ccdi.org.za/researchandpublications/publications. This is all part of the CCDI facilitating the implementation of the Western Cape Design Strategy, which prioritised the need for growing the capacity of teachers and trainers and addressing transformation in the creative career field.

Richard Kilpert, education coordinator for the CCDI, explained, "Access to schools is limited, but with the support of Leon Buchner of the Western Cape Education Department, we have been able to present eye-opening talks to schools that may not be used to the format. People like Ancunel Steyn, Inga Gubeka, Vivienne Roberts, Thingking, Robbyn Paschke, Mak1, Claus Rabe and Ricky-Lee Gordon have given their time to make a difference. The Life Orientation teachers have enjoyed the support in an area that tends to be neglected.

"At the presentations at morning assemblies, the visiting designers revisited their Grade 10 world views, tracked their careers through their studies and travels and then outlined the skills they use in their current positions. This went down well, with many pupils staying behind to swamp them with questions."

Holiday workshops

Next on the programme are the design curriculum support holiday workshops in October for learners who do not have access to design resources. Frank Joubert Art Centre in Newlands will host these. There are plans to continue the project as part of the WDC legacy programme. WDC2014 has a mandate to show how design can transform the world, and education is a priority area where design (both as a subject area and life skill) can help build a new generation of self-reliant problem-solvers.

"We want to inspire transformation in the creative industries and to unlock innovation as a future economic driver in the province. We will be following up with the distribution of our careers in design booklet and poster to all schools in the province, and are putting the talks into an online video format," concludes Kilpert.

For more information, email az.gro.idcc@treplik.drahcir or call +27 (0) 21 461 1488.