DBA Plans to Give Young Designers The Edge

At the close of a testing year for the design business, the Design Business Association is ending the year on a high note. The DBA is putting on an event that proudly and confidently states its belief in the future of the industry. No doubt it's taking a risk but it's also saying as clearly as possible that risk-taking is good - indeed essential.

The event is all about making the links between creativity, risk-taking and success.

Another conference then? Far from it. The Edge will take place over two days in London, on 9/10 December. The participants will be up to 250 high-flyers from the rising generation of the UK's creative talent mixed with the most senior and successful of its high-achievers. They will come together in an unusually direct way.

The first day will be workshops that will stretch participants to think fresh thoughts and try new approaches. Experienced experts in the arts of pitching, project management, creative writing and ideas generation will lead the sessions. This will prepare the ground for a second day that will be chock-full of inspiring talks, interactive sessions and direct encounters with design pioneers - people who have achieved great things in business and are passionate about bringing on the next generation.

The Pioneers make up a glittering cast - the likes of Tim Molloy, Richard Seymour, Mary Lewis, Sir John Sorrell, plus a dozen others of equal standing. These Pioneers will be available to the event participants to an unprecedented degree. They'll be hosting lunches, having group conversations, mingling and sitting alongside participants throughout the day. Thought-leading speakers such as Baroness Greenfield and successful risk-takers from outside the design business such as the adventurer Russ Malkin will stimulate creative thinking. To underline the risk-taking theme of the event, there will even be sessions involving cooking a meal with a top chef and training activities such as tightwire and stilt walking.

The other unusual prize for the highest flying of the young creatives taking part will be selection for a series of masterclasses that will run through 2010. The winners, fifteen in all, will be chosen by the pioneers who will run the masterclasses. The winners will be selected and announced on the second day.

To round it all off, everyone will get the chance to celebrate an amazing two days with a great party.

"I honestly don't think there's ever been an event quite like this," said Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the DBA. "But we are talking about the most creative young people in the UK's most creative and successful industry. It's vital that we do our bit by investing in such talent to keep British design at the leading edge. The Edge is the way to do it."

The Edge workshops on day one will be held at RIBA, day two will be held at The Circus Space. Delegate numbers are limited to 250.

---

---