5 design things to look out for in July 2017

Book: Be Great, Be Grateful, by Patternity

What: Research and creative studio Patternity is set to release a new book this month, which explores the connections between design in public places and emotional wellbeing. Be Great, Be Grateful is the second book from the studio, and looks at how patterns in the world around us can illicit positive thoughts and happier lives. Alongside photography, the book features “prompts, ideas, exercises and daily entries” encouraging the reader to write in it as if it were a journal, to “help [them] take time each day to stop and appreciate life’s moments”.

When: Released on 27 July 2017.

Where: Nationwide.

Info: £12.99, published by Ebury Press. Pre-order is available on Amazon.

Festival: Slant

What: Northern county Cheshire has launched a new arts and culture programme, which is looking to set itself apart from other nearby cities such as Liverpool and Manchester. Slant, which will run for the next three years, will see installations, music and performances take over the region. This month coming, you can visit the brand new £37 million Storehouse theatre, arts centre and library, and visit large-scale, digital sculpture piece Colony based at Crewe Market Square. The campaign for Slant, which has been designed by Edit_, was revealed this week.

When: Throughout July and until 2020.

Where: Across Cheshire and surrounding areas.

Info: For more information, head to Slant’s site.

Museum opening: The V&A Exhibition Road Quarter

What: London’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum revealed its latest large-scale architectural venture this week; Exhibition Road Quarter, which has been six years in the making. The new space will showcase the V&A’s existing collections, such as its coveted ceramics, as well as a host of temporary shows, set to take place in the cavernous, 10.5-metre-high Sainsbury Gallery in the basement of the new building. Accompanying the opening is a week-long, free festival of events called Reveal, which will include art and fashion displays, performances and interactive activities for people of all ages. The new quarter looks to “mix together arts, science, technology and technology” in a “high-tech campus”, says V&A director Tristram Hunt.

When: The Exhibition Road Quarter is now open. Reveal festival runs until 7 July.

Where: V&A museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2RL.

Info: Reveal is free. For more info, head to the website. Read our piece on the new quarter here.

Graduate exhibition: New Designers

What: New Designers, taking place in two parts, will showcase 3,000 graduates’ work across illustration, animation, product and furniture design, graphics, digital and fashion. The show aims to share fresh ideas between bright, young designers, and help kickstart their careers, while also enabling design industry professionals to source talent.

When: Part 1: 28 June – 1 July. Part 2: 5 – 8 July.

Where: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH.

Info: Day tickets cost £16. For more info, head to the New Designers’ site.

Conference: Creative Industries Federation International Conference

What: Creative Industries Federation, which lobbies Government about issues to do with the art, design and creative sectors, is set to have its annual conference this month. The programme will include talks from Arts Council England chair Sir Nicholas Serota, V&A director Tristram Hunt and BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, among others. The programme will tackle the relationship between science, technology and creativity, as well as issues surrounding the design industry following Brexit, such as copyright laws, and new rules on free trade and immigration.

When: 12 July.

Where: Milton Court, The Barbican, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS.

Info: Tickets cost £60 for members and £300 for non-members. For more information, head to the Creative Industries Federation’s site.