Eden Project summer exhibition26 Flavours of Cornwall plans tocelebrate Cornish food and drink

The Cornwall Design Forum and writers collective 26 are set to collaborate on an exhibition for the Eden Project called 26 Flavours of Cornwall, and are welcoming interest from designers and creative writers who wish to take part.

The exhibition, which has £10 000 in sponsorship from The Design Programme, a group which helps businesses use design effectively, aims to use words and design to promote the creative talent of Cornwall, while celebrating the region’s produce, such as pasties, clotted cream and less traditional goods, like tea from the first English tea plantation, in Tregothnan.

The exhibition will see 26 teams consisting of a writer and designer – and possibly other members such as illustrators and photographers – each forming a creative response to a particular type of Cornish produce.

The organisers are seeking to work with designers active regionally, nationally and internationally.

The exhibition is the brainchild of University College Falmouth Professional Writing MA lecturer Tom Scott, who pitched the idea to the Eden Project with 26 member, writer Rob Self-Pierson, in November.

Self-Pierson says, ’Tom wondered how he could use words and designs to promote both the beautiful produce of Cornwall and the county’s growing creative talent. He spoke to me and Tim [Rich, of 26] and we discussed challenging writers and designers to work with local producers and put together and exhibition.’ He adds, ’It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring together writers and designers in Cornwall. There’s so much potential within this county for creativity.’

The team working on the project includes Phil Gendall, brand marketing consultant and design advisor for the Design Council; Web designer and UCF student Daniel Oparison; and Guild of Sage and Smith design group, which is working on the identity and online platforms.

Scott says that there will also be a student team from UCF, which will be selected following a workshop.

The workshop will involve students from the Professional Writing MA and those in the third year of the BA in graphic design working together to respond creatively to Cornish food or drink.

Scott adds, ’It’s a celebration of creativity in the verbal sense and the visual sense, and the exciting things that happen when writers and designers get together at the early stages of a project, which doesn’t happen enough.’

The exhibition will take place this summer. For more information, e-mail team@26flavours.com.