Geelong, Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, will bring back the flagship Geelong Design Week from 21-30 November, promised to be regional Victoria’s largest annual design festival.
Across the 10 days, Geelong Design Week will present over 70 exhibitions, workshops, tours, talks and experiences throughout Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast.
In this article:
2024 Geelong Design Week program highlights
Expect a live show from comedian and self-proclaimed design nerd, Tim Ross, and musician Kit Warhurst in MOTEL. The show will take audiences on a spin through Aussie holidays of the past.
The McGlashan Everist Walking Tour will take visitors through Geelong’s city centre, highlighting iconic projects by the leading Australian architectural practice. Landmarks include the Geelong Carousel, Deakin University and more.
Meanwhile, the National Wool Museum presents Ten Years of Dowel Jones, an exhibition that transformed the galleries into a house filled with objects, furniture, lighting and textiles by the beloved Australian design brand. Geelong Gallery presents The Sweet Spot – Between Art & Design, featuring selection of works from the gallery’s collection that reflect the nexus of the two disciplines.
For those who want to explore more of the city, the City of Design Tour, led by Cultivated and the Design Institute of Australia, will take visitors on a bus from Melbourne to Geelong, highlighting the design and innovation taking place with a focus on sustainability, new materials, design and architecture.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners will share knowledge, values and culture in Nyaal Banyul – A Place of Baierr, highlighting the history of the first convention centre in Australia named in a traditional language.
Guest speakers at the 2024 Geelong Design Week include Geelong Gallery Director and CEO, Jason Smith in conversation with Melbourne-based artist Louise Saxton on how discarded materials can be transformed into contemporary art.
Ashleigh Morris, recognised as a Top 100 Global Corporate Social Responsibility Influential Leader, will share her expertise on circularity and its transformative impact in a special talk session, Circularity and the Future of Geelong. Following her talk, a panel with Geelong’s forerunners in the circular economy will explore innovations in the future of sustainability.
Other events such as Les Matérialistes: A Film Bridging Sci-fi and Documentary, Geelong Tech School x Kortrijk Wonder Festival Project, and Dell Eco Reef Exhibition, show the cross-discplinary nature of design in our world today.
There are also hands-on activities for the family, including ‘Do you want to build a fatberg?’, a workshop that invites participants to consider what we flush down the toilet and create a giant reproduction fatberg akin to those found in our sewers.
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City of Greater Geelong, Executive Director of Placemaking, Tennille Bradley says, “We’re thrilled to unveil a program that truly reflects Geelong’s design excellence and innovative spirit. This year’s Geelong Design Week offers an immersive experience in home-grown design, blending new perspectives with time-honoured techniques. It’s an invitation to explore how creative, conscious design can shape our future and rediscover forgotten crafts.”
Check it the full 2024 Geelong Design Week program.
