WDC 2014 allocates R1m for local projects, initiatives

Bruce Snaddon, chairperson of the Cape Town Design Network, officially made the announcement to a gathering of more than 500 designers and WDC 2014 supporters at The Assembly in the trendy Fringe District in Cape Town, where a Design Dialogue was hosted earlier this week.

The R1m allocation will be used to fund successful projects and initiatives from the first and second call for public submissions, and will be apportioned on a discretionary basis with the recommendations and guidance of the WDC 2014 Curatorial Panel.

Snaddon is well known in local design circles. He is a senior lecturer in the Graphic Design Department in the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. It is within this environment that Snaddon sees his mission to build design curricula that are more attuned to the transformative power of design. He has been involved with the WDC 2014 initiative as a key influencer and is a member of the Board.

Four themes; great opportunity

"The four themes of WDC 2014 present a wonderful opportunity for the public to bring their initiatives to the fore. The various platforms of the 2014 programme will showcase local design capability, so the funding is hugely appreciated as it will help to activate a number of excellent projects," said Snaddon.

Cape Town Design NPC CEO, Alayne Reesberg added: "With just days to go for the first call for public submissions, we hope that the R1m allocation will be an added incentive to draw fantastic proposals to shape an inspiring design-focussed programme for Cape Town."

Submissions can be made within any of the four themes for WDC 2014:
• African Innovation. Global Conversation
• Bridging the Divide
• Today for Tomorrow
• Beautiful Spaces. Beautiful Things

The closing date for first call for submissions is 5 April 2013. For more information about the themes and the submission process, visit www.wdccapetown2014.com or follow us on Twitter @wdc2014 for daily updates and news.