From 21-30 November, Geelong will transform into a hub of creativity and innovation, celebrating its esteemed status as a UNESCO City of Design.
This year, Deakin’s Dr Tonya Meyrick, Senior Lecturer in screen and design, is the 2024 Curator for Geelong Design Week. We caught up with Dr Meyrick to talk design, Geelong and what to expect from Geelong Design Week.
The ultimate transaction is giving back…this is my underlying motivation which is embedded in the 2024 program. The provocation of “Design for Humanity” is framed as the premise for 2024 Design Week.
What is Geelong Design Week?
An exciting and dynamic blend of online and in-person design-focused events. Geelong Design Week aims to provoke thought and inspire action around the essential role design plays in our everyday lives.
There will be a huge range of activities from design exhibitions to workshops, tours, collaborations, cultural events and more. The emphasis will be on cutting-edge innovation, sustainable practices and creative problem-solving through design.
What is your role this year at Geelong Design Week?
I am the 2024 lead curator for Geelong Design Week. Design is both a caring and a service industry and I’m exploring the impacts of these discipline considerations through design activities.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in design?
As a designer, academic, and researcher, I actively engage in design activities and conversations across the industry, academia, and community—both locally and internationally. Through these experiences, I stay deeply connected to the vibrant practices at various levels of the design spectrum, ensuring my creativity remains constantly inspired and alive.
Why is it important to showcase design projects from the Geelong wider regional area?
Promoting Greater Geelong as a future-focused hub for design and innovation helps attract both talent and investment.
Fostering international collaborations with other UNESCO Cities of Design on a local level encourages the exchange of ideas, broadening local perspectives and strengthening global partnerships. This strategy positions Greater Geelong as a leader in design, driving both economic growth and cultural enrichment.
What kind of collaborations can we expect to see this year?
This year, we’ve deeply considered the meaning of connections — between the institution, the community, the fringe and industry — and how these bodies collectively resonate.
In “The Project Space: Design: Place”, you’ll experience work from Australian company Kip & Co, collaborating with design icons Jenny Kee and Ken Done. Their work is positioned next to Ball & Doggett x GF Smith from the London Design Festival. They’re right next to Dr. Shelley Jardine; emerging design researchers and Deakin alumni Jacinta Kay and Colin Trechter who will run a workshop on archives and design ephemera.
Here, you’ll also find student work from Deakin’s Bachelor of Design program in combination with City of Design Nagoya (Maria Bates); and Waltar Waltar, a Melbourne Architect exploring Bio Sculptures.
Rutland Street in the Creative Precinct, allows everyone to peak behind 19 closed doors, to interact and meet a rich variety of creative practitioners — from design, film, dance, jewelry and interiors. It’s going to be an exciting, lively event.
What are you excited to see at Geelong Design Week?
So much! There are too many to name! A few highlights will be:
- Wadawurrung – Designing Djilang
- Tim Ross – Motel
- Design Institute of Victoria (DIA) – Bus tour
- Social Studies at Geelong Gallery
- Dell Eco Reef. (Last year, we ran an underwater snorkelling tour of the reef at Clifton Springs — a world first, and the only event of its kind at any design week internationally. This year we are showcasing the artificial reef on the land so our audiences can see and touch these objects)
- Design Futures Lab at Sacred Heart Showcase
- Dowell Jones Exhibition at the National Wool Museum
- Connor Ovenden-Shaw at the Yarra Street Gallery
- “Visions for Housing” in Geelong
- McGlashan Everist Walking Tour
And so much more!!
Work from established, emerging and student designers will be exhibited across the City of Greater Geelong.
Join this vibrant community of creatives and explore design possibilities.
Find out about design courses at Deakin
Learn more about Geelong Design Week