Helsinki Design Week
September 05 – 15, 2019

Founded in 2005, Helsinki Design Week is the largest design festival in the Nordic countries. Held annually in September, the multidisciplinary festival presents design from a number of fields as well as fashion, architecture and urban culture. The latest festival was held in September 2018 and boasted over 230 events, ranging from design markets to workshops and children’s exhibitions, and reached an audience of 170 000 visitors.

The next Helsinki Design Week will be held on 5 to 15 September 2019. This year marks an important stage, since the festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Furthermore, the theme for the 2019 festival is Learning Climate, which means that Helsinki Design Week will learn new ways of creating encounters and experiences in a sustainable way and to find solutions to reduce carbon footprint to become a sustainable event. All participants chosen to the exhibitions and the event program have been chosen carefully with sustainability in mind at all times.

We know that these are the final moments for humans to start living sustainably. However, the current atmosphere of panic makes it challenging to absorb new things. The Learning Climate consists of not only places and spaces, but also of the communities and practices in which studying it takes place. Helsinki Design Week creates an open, encouraging, respectful as well as surprising climate for learning. Designers define and solve problems. During the festival, on 5-15 September 2019, we learn from those wiser than us and get to know ways of reading design and architecture. We invite universities, schools, companies, organisations and naturally all urban residents to join us in these lessons.

This is Helsinki Design Week‘s 15th year. Over the years, the festival has taken bold stands in presenting multidisciplinary design and supporting the industry in developing the field of design as well as its urban environment. HDW has introduced forgotten city spaces to new uses, such as the Old Customs House and Warehouse, Teurastamo as well as the old dock warehouse in Jätkäsaari. This year, Helsinki Design Week will learn new ways of creating encounters and experiences in a sustainable way. We will take lessons from those designers who work by looking far into the future. How can we reduce our own carbon footprint? What are the best practices of a climate friendly festival?

The events organised by different doers are a significant part of our festival. The Open Call for events starts at the beginning of March. The format of participation is free: everyone has the opportunity to apply to become a part of the festival calendar. Children’s Design Week offers perspectives on the world of design for the little ones, too. The Helsinki Design Awards will again celebrate the best of Finnish Design as well as the 15th anniversary of the festival.

more. www.helsinkidesignweek.com