Education Programme

The Festival of Design Aotearoa Education Programme brings together students, educators, creative practitioners and industry leaders for two inspiring days exploring how design can transform the way we learn, create and respond to the world around us.

Through keynote presentations, conversations and panel discussions, the programme will examine the future of design education, creativity, technology and learning. International and Aotearoa-based speakers will share perspectives spanning Indigenous design, learning through play, artificial intelligence, digital creativity, immersive experiences, design thinking and new pathways into the creative industries.

Presenters include education and design leaders Mikael Sorknæs, Khai Seng Hong, Lee Erihāpeti Williams, Jared Forbes, Astrid Visser, Nicola Devine, Stephen Cicala, Lin Yew Cheang and Tom Eslinger.

Designed for secondary and tertiary students, teachers, educators, industry professionals and anyone interested in the future of creative learning. The programme offers an opportunity to discover new ideas, connect across sectors and consider how design can help build more imaginative, inclusive and resilient futures.

The Education Programme forms part of Festival of Design Aotearoa, a new national festival celebrating how design shapes our lives—from the objects and spaces around us to the systems, technology and stories that shape our future.

Tuesday 20 October

8:00am — Welcome

9:00am — Advertising, Graphic Design, Typography, Music, Stickers, & AI Assisted Creative Practice
Professor Tom Eslinger | Associate Professor, Executive Creative Director, Artist

10:00am — Creative Direction, Brand, Web, & Social Strategy
Nicola Devine | Creative Strategist, Founder of Tanker

10:45am — Graphic Design, Branding, & Packaging
Stephen Cicala | Graphic Designer, Cicala Design

11:30am — Design in Secondary Education
Astrid Visser | Director for Innovation & External Engagement

12:15pm–1:00pm — Lunch

1:00pm — Digital Media Design, Education, & Creative Talent Development
Lin Yew Cheang | New Media Artist, Designer & Educator

2:00pm — Panel Discussion & Q+A
Tom Eslinger, Nicola Devine, Stephen Cicala, Astrid Visser, Lin Yew Cheang

3:00pm — Afternoon Tea & Networking

Wednesday 21 October

8:00am–9:00am — Breakfast Networking

9:00am — Spatial Media, Immersive Production, Neural Rendering, Volumetric Capture, & Design Technology
Jared Forbes | Founder & CTO of ORBE

10:00am — Costume Design, Textile Practice, Cloth, Whakapapa, Identity, & Belonging
Lee Erihāpeti Williams | Costume & Production Designer, Textile Artist & Filmmaker

11:00am — Transdisciplinary Design and the Metacrisis
Khai Seng Hong | Director of Studio Dojo Singapore

12:00pm–12:45pm — Lunch

12:45pm — UNESCO City of Design – Design Capability, Public Leadership, Cross-Sector Collaboration, & Complex Challenges
Mikael Sorknaes | Chief Design Officer, Municipality, Public Administration | Kolding, Denmark

1:45pm — Panel Discussion & Q+A
Jared Forbes, Lee Erihāpeti Williams, Khai Seng Hong, Mikael Sorknaes

3:00pm — Closing

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