KUCHING – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus will be organising the Good Design Week (GDW) 2023 event, aimed at bringing design culture, Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTRO), practice and governance to examine good design for preserving arts, culture and heritage in the region.
Themed ‘Culture, Preservation and Governance’, GDW 2023 will take place from 18 to 20 October 2023 at Swinburne Sarawak’s campus and Imperial Hotel Kuching.
The event aims to provide a platform for local and regional researchers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, students, the creative industries community and government bodies to experience, discuss and share their best practices in safeguarding and preserving arts, culture and heritage. It focuses on Southeast Asia’s diverse regional cultural heritage richness, notably in Borneo.
Through the keynotes, NTRO presentations and exhibition, local and international participants are invited to come together, share their insights on the change they bring through their good design outcomes and explore the dynamic relationship between good design practices and preserving arts, culture and heritage.
On the first day of GDW 2023, keynote addresses will be held with local and international creative industry experts and academics at Swinburne Sarawak. Associate Professor Max Schleser (Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia), Professor Ts Dr Ruslan Abdul Rahim (National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage), Professor Khoa Do (Head of Design Education in Practice, Hames Sharley, Perth, Australia), Dr Emil Jonescu (Head of Research and Development, Hames Sharley, Perth, Australia), Ms Liza Sideni (Brooke Museums & Brooke Heritage Trust) and Ms Lucille Awen Jon (Pungu Borneo) will deliver their keynote addresses.
The second and third day of GDW 2023 will shift the focus to academic and NTRO presentations from various creative industries and higher learning institutions in line with the ‘Culture, Preservation and Governance’ theme. There will be presenters from Sunway University, Universiti Putra Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Satu Creative and Swinburne Sarawak itself, to name a few.
From cherished historical monuments and museums to living heritage practices and contemporary art forms, culture enriches lives in countless ways and helps build inclusive, innovative and resilient communities. Protecting and safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage and supporting creativity and dynamic cultural sectors are fundamental to addressing the challenges of the present era, from climate change to poverty, inequality, the digital divide and ever more complex emergencies and conflicts.
Elements of unique and diverse culture and heritage are fused and embedded in various contemporary creative outcomes, including digital games, animation, film, fashion, packaging and music. These fields provide researchers, practitioners and the local creative industry a platform to safeguard, preserve, communicate and elevate Sarawak’s culture and heritage, focusing on voices and representations from the local creative communities in the state.
GDW 2023 is sponsored by Business Events Sarawak. Interested parties are invited as event sponsors and exhibitors to promote their culture-related crafts and services to a broader audience during GDW 2023.
For further information on the GDW 2023 program, registration, sponsorship packages and more, visit the event’s website at https://swinburne.edu.my/events/good-design-week-2023.
Those who are interested in participating in GDW 2023 can visit https://tinyurl.com/ydxfmuuu to register. The Secretariat can be contacted via email at gdw@swinburne.edu.my.
For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website (www.swinburne.edu.my), Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram page (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk), TikTok page (@swinburnesarawak) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).