Designs on Huddersfield
Tue, 08 May 2012 11:08:00 BST
Globally famed travelling design exhibition makes its UK debut at the University
THE University of Huddersfield’s campus will be the sole UK stop-off during the 2012 global tour of one of the world’s most innovative and prestigious design exhibitions.
INDEX is a Danish-based, not-for-profit organisation which holds a biennial design competition. Backed by the country’s royal family, the awards are bestowed at a glittering ceremony in Copenhagen that attracts an audience of thousands. Cash prizes are the largest in the world for a comparable contest.
Afterwards, all of the nominated entries are exhibited in large numbers of acrylic spheres, or pods displayed in fashionable parts of Copenhagen. Then follows a tour, in which the INDEX exhibition is displayed globally. This year, after visiting Singapore, Finland, Luxembourg and Norway, it comes to Huddersfield between 31 August and 29 September... and it is thanks to the fact that one of the University’s lecturers was an award nominee in 2011.
Dr David Swann’s design for a super-efficient and super-safe treatment bag for mobile health workers has attracted a great deal of praise and interest and was one of the 12 finalists in the ‘body’ category of the INDEX Awards. In all of the categories, there were 60 finalists in total, selected from 966 global nominations.
Dr Swann (pictured) attended the ceremony and although he was pipped at the post in his category, as a nominee he was able to hold discussions with organisers that led to the University of Huddersfield being added to the itinerary for the travelling exhibition.
Now plans are being made for special events to be held on campus, linked to the presence of the INDEX exhibition.
Dr Swann, has lectured at the University since 1993, said that it was a great achievement to have been nominated for the awards and a coup for Huddersfield to have secured the travelling exhibition – its first time in the UK.
“This event will be of national importance and attract visitors from around the country,” he added.
