No design week in Perth? For Pippa Hurst, that was, simply, not ok. With an incredible amount of experience in design, marketing and communications Pippa conceptualised what WA’s first design-specific festival would look like as the next step for her not-for-profit organisation, DesignFreo, to take.
As the hub of creativity, it comes as no surprise that Fremantle will be hosting the inaugural Fremantle Design Week between 14-21 October 2022. By connecting audiences with good design, Fremantle Design Week brings to the public a collection of exhibitions, talks and workshops for both design gurus and design newcomers.
Now is the time to meet Pippa – the creative, the story-teller and the Founder of Fremantle Design Week.
We are thrilled to be partnering with you to bring the inaugural Fremantle Design Week to life this October. So that we can share it far and wide, what does everyone need to know about Freo Design Week?
We’re thrilled to have Sirona Urban on board! Fremantle Design Week will bring seven days of exhibitions, conversations, tours, workshops, films, open studios and special events to Walyalup this October.
We invite everyone to immerse themselves in the port city. Meet local designers and explore Fremantle’s design spaces and places – we want to inspire, entertain and challenge you. There’ll be something for everyone – from fashion and furniture to the metaverse! We’ve also created a map of the West End’s design-savvy places to shop, eat, drink and stay.
The best part is that it’s a walkable festival. Make a day of it or come for longer and book in a Freo staycation!
We have lacked a design festival in WA for such a terribly long time. Why do you think it took so long for one to start?
That’s a good question. Open House Perth is a fantastic program, although focused primarily on architecture. I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before – it’s long overdue given the incredible wealth of design talent in WA. It’s time to celebrate local design and designers and build design culture in this state.
You are also the Creative Director and Founder of Design Freo. How are they different?
DesignFreo was founded in 2020 by a group of local designers, makers and doers. We love design, we love our town and we care about its future. We’re interested in how design can bring joy to the everyday and in how design can tackle the bigger issues facing our communities and planet.
Our events are an opportunity to see what designers do, hear their ideas and have a broader conversation about why it’s important. Making design accessible is something we are passionate about and that’s what Fremantle Design Week will do. Design is everywhere and for everyone.
The theme behind the festival will change every time. This year, it is ‘Enough’. How did you and your team come up with this concept and how does it relate to design?
We’re living in challenging times. Our theme reflects a shift in consciousness as we try to reduce our carbon footprint and use less resources – as individuals and as a community. How can we design a future where everyone has enough, and what does enough look like? It’s an open-ended question and one we’re constantly exploring. We’re closing Design Week with a fun PechaKucha night – 10 people will each present 20 slides for 20 seconds on the topic ‘enough’ and we are looking forward to seeing what they come up with!
Fremantle Design Week is held between 14-21 October 2022. If attendees can make just one event, what would your top pick be?
It’s a tough call! If you can get to only one place, make it the PS Art Space in Pakenham Street, our Design Week Hub. It’s the location of our anchor exhibition, HyperSext City, which looks at how gender impacts our experience of space.
The Design Week Hub is also hosting a Conversations series with talks on all kinds of design topics, and a symposium – thanks to Sirona Urban – called Designing Cities, which will explore perspectives on designing the spaces we all share.
Having lived and worked outside of Perth, we are sure you are asked for a list of things to do in from people who aren’t from here. What are your top 5 must-see things in Perth and Freo?
In my opinion, our natural environment is what’s special about our part of the world. Rottnest is one of our greatest treasures – in under an hour you can be alone on some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world (no bias). The walk along the clifftops in North Fremantle along Masson Mews to Minim Cove offers incredible views across the Derbal Yerrigan. For quintessential Freo, dinner at Bread in Common merges award-winning design with great food; then on to local bar Strange Company for a nightcap. I guess we should leave Fremantle and venture into Perth to Boola Bardip and the Art Gallery!
How can you support, we hear you ask? By attending!
Get your tickets to Fremantle Design Week here: https://fremantledesignweek.com/