Cape Town was awarded the accolade of World Design Capital for 2014 (WDC2014) last year at the International Design Alliance Congress in Taipei. Plans are now well underway to host a year long programme of design focused events in 2014 that will see creative communities across the globe turning to Cape Town for design inspiration and direction.
Earlier in November Council received an update report on WDC2014. It approved a recommendation that the City of Cape Town be represented on the board of the not-for-profit implementation company, Cape Town Design. The City will be represented by the Executive Director of Tourism, Events and Marketing, Anton Groenwald.
The Board designate was announced on Friday, 9 November 2012. Its members are:
- Dr Hayman Russel Botman – Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Stellenbosch University (Chair)
- Christopher Whelan – CEO, Accelerate Cape Town (Vice Chair)
- Martin Smuts – Executive Deputy Mayor, Stellenbosch Municipality
- Dr Laurine Platzky – Deputy Director General, Department of the Premier, Provincial Government of the Western Cape
- Anton Groenewald – Executive Director of Tourism, Events and Marketing, City of Cape Town
- Masana Mayimele Chikeka – Deputy Director, Department of Arts and Culture
- Gillian Benjamin – Owner, Make Content
- Erica Elk – CEO, Cape Craft and Design Institute
- Porky Hefer – Designer and owner, Animal Farm Creative Consultants
- Noeleen Frances Murray – Architect and Academic, University of the Western Cape
- Dr Chris Nhlapo – Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
- Professor Francis Petersen – Dean of Facility of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Cape Town
- Talia Sanhewe – Managing Director, Talia Productions
- Bruce Snaddon – Chairman of the Cape Town Design Network and Senior Lecturer, Graphic Design Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Commenting on the 14 member board, Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Patricia de Lille said, “This outstanding collection of individuals, representing the best of the private sector, academia, the design industry and civil society will collectively help ensure that Cape Town entrenches itself as one of the leading design and creative centres in Africa and beyond.”
Cape Town Design NPC will be responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of Cape Town’s WDC2014 programme. The position of Chief Executive Officer needs to be filled, and an advertisement for this will appear in the weekend newspapers of 17 and 18 November. The City’s WDC2014 office is currently offering interim professional assistance to Cape Town Design NPC during its formation period, leveraging off the City’s Tourism, Events and Marketing, Legal and Finance departments. These resources will assist the new board with the Helsinki convocation ceremony, the planning of upcoming events, sponsorship plan, stakeholder management, International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) liaison, project management and PR and marketing, until such time that the CEO is in place and the new company suitably resourced.
For more information about the City’s involvement visit its WDC2014 website.
