Synopsis:

Now into its sixth edition, the Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2019 will run from 4 to 17 March 2019. The annual SDW brings together a collection of local and international design activities in Singapore. Organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), the SDW is open to the design community, businesses, design students, public sector officers and the general public.

As one of Asia's premier design festivals, SDW champions design thought leadership by bringing together the design, business and public policy worlds to bring about innovation and solutions to build businesses, engage communities and enrich people's lives. It is a hub where the best design talents and businesses from Singapore and Asia converge to be showcased to the world; and a platform where Singaporeans and visitors can experience the value of design through delightful activities.

Through SDW, Dsg hopes to enhance the synergy among our design partners, and in turn boost Singapore's profile and attractiveness as a global city for design.

Key Partner Events in Singapore Design Week 2019

• Street of Clans – A vibrant festival from 8-10 March that brings together Bukit Pasoh Road's colourful history and Singapore's creative communities. Inspired by the age-old clan values of kinship and unity, the festival focuses on uplifting the community, charm and locality of Bukit Pasoh Road. Street of Clans will see some clans hosting rare open-houses with design installations to tell old tales in new ways.

• Wallpaper* Handmade 2019 – Curated by Wallpaper*, this is a selection of some of the world's finest artists, craftsmen, makers and manufacturers, commissioning unique and one-off luxury items of furniture, fittings, fashion, food stuffs and more. For the upcoming edition, seven established Singapore-based designers have been commissioned by Wallpaper* for the show: Chris Lee, Clara Yee, Hans Tan, Lai Chan, Lanzavecchia + Wai, Lekker Architects and Tiffany Loy. Earlier in May this year, Wallpaper* had also invited young Singaporean designers to take part in an open call for the "Next Generation Designer". Brandon Yeo, a recent graduate from LASALLE, was selected and commissioned to create a piece for 2019. The eight Singapore pieces will debut at SDW from 7 March 2019, together with selected exhibits from past editions of Handmade, before being showcased at the Milan Design Week 2019.

• Singapore Urban Design Festival 2019 – From 14-17 March, the festival returns with a fresh format, new topics and novel experiences, breaking out of the mould by transforming an under-utilised multi-storey carpark in the heart of Jalan Besar into an enchanting festival village. Expect a blend of inspiring talks, immersive live entertainment and displays of innovative urban solutions.

• SingaPlural 2019 – Curated by the collective Formwerkz and Bravo, the 2019 edition is based on the theme 'Unnatural Phenomena', which explores the origin and evolution of extraordinary cross-disciplinary design. The event, which runs from 4-17 March, also features a one-day Master Lecture Series to be held on 6 March.

• International Furniture Fair Singapore 2019 – SDW's homegrown trade show, the International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS), will be held at the Marina Bay Sands from 9 to 12 March 2019. Held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture Show and NOOK Asia, IFFS will be a multi-sensorial platform with a focus on the future of urban living.

• UNESCO Creative Cities of Design Public Forum – Another key highlight for SDW 2019 is the inaugural UNESCO Creative Cities of Design Public Forum: Designing for Impact, to be held on 8 March. This insightful event will feature representatives from the UNESCO Creative Cities of Design, including Singapore, sharing their efforts in designing for impact in education, public policy, business and communication.

• Brainstorm Design 2019 – SDW's feature conference, Brainstorm Design, returns for the second time from 5 to 7 March with a new theme, "Vision, Empathy, and Scale", which explores and amplifies ideas raised from the inaugural gathering in 2018. Brainstorm is led by the editorial teams of FORTUNE and Wallpaper*, and supported by Dsg and the Singapore Economic Development Board. Delegates will hear from more than 40 speakers from some of the world's most successful and influential corporations including: IDEO CEO and President Tim Brown; Amazon.com Vice President of Echo and Alexa Devices Miriam Daniel; Google Director of UX Design Kat Holmes; Miniwiz Founder and CEO Arthur Huang; IBM Vice President of Design Doug Powell; Dyson Chief Executive Officer James Rowan; and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Head of Digital, Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Banking Sam Yen.

• Urban Interventions: Bras Basah.Bugis – The National Heritage Board, in partnership with Dsg, had co-launched an Open Call to invite artists and designers to submit a concept for the installation of public artworks as design interventions within the Queen Street area as part of SDW 2019. 3 interactive installations have been selected to line the Bras Basah.Bugis district – aiming to transform and enliven urban spaces and lend a different character to the street, both in the day and night.

Besides the key partner events, Singapore Design Week 2019 will also feature over 70 collaborators, presenting more than 80 programmes entailing workshops, exhibitions, forums and talks, and open studios and tours.

More information can be found at: www.designsingapore.org/SDW.