The Derry/Londonderry Arts Festival

In July 2010, Derry-Londonderry was named the UK City of Culture for 2013. In their Bid document to win this title they stated that "We will build a sustainable cultural environment which will nourish and enhance a unique world class experience. This is more than our built and natural environment, it’s our people, our organisations and the programmes they deliver. We recognise the need to support and deliver a vibrant experience for both residents and visitors and in doing so sustain the creative work and how it is delivered."

Derry-Londonderry has over 20 different venues which can host a number of events, ranging from Music and Theatre to Educational and Digital Technologies. It has a vast number of talented and creative people/organisations which need to be utilised to help in the cities bid to move forward, re-imagine, re-make and re-vitalise itself. In harnessing all these resources it will benefit not only the city of Derry/Londonderry but the whole of Northern Ireland. It will help increase the tourism industry within NI, in turn lower unemployment and give the city the opportunity it needs to unlock its
creativity and enable it to prosper along with other developments in the City.

I would like to design a new festival for the city, "The Derry/Londonderry Arts Festival". A festival which combines everything creative and cultural. I want to bring together the best in Irish and international theatre, dance, music, literature, visual arts, comedy, street spectacle and children’s events. Also to reach out and encourage the wider Irish and Derry Diaspora from around the world to be involved in a festival
which will be a meeting ground for collaboration between artists from all over the world to initiate, commission and produce new work. I believe that the contributions of a festival such as this would boost the cities economic, social and cultural lifestyle immensely.

I would like to design all the print/promotional work for this event, booklets, leaflets, posters, advertising, merchandise. I would also like to take a look at the front end of a website for the festival.

I want to concentrate on three main aspects of my design skills, graphics, photography and typography and come out with a project that I am proud of and one that will boost my portfolio. I feel that these three aspects are my strongest design qualities and I want to develop and improve these skills. In doing this project I would like to gain the confidence in my design ability to help me in my professional aspirations.