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Lithuanian Design Year 2011
In many states, design is considered as a strategic means that helps to realize innovations, to increase competitiveness, to reveal cultural identity, as well as to improve the quality of life. The Study of the Economy of Culture in Europe that was carried out in 2006 showed that design criteria were one of the highest in the scale of the profitability of a creative sector. Design also takes a leading position from the point of view of productivity. Design is understood not only as an aesthetic expression of material culture but also as an effective tool for the economic increase of competitiveness with the help of innovations and for the reduction of the social exclusion.
Design is seen as an integral part of European Innovation Policy as defined in the 2009 working document of the European Commission “Design As a Catalyst of Consumer-Oriented Innovations”. Meanwhile in Lithuania, design is similarly defined in the “Lithuanian Innovation Strategy for the Year 2010-2020”, which was developed in accordance with the National Lisbon Strategy Implementation Programme 2008–2010.
With the view of enabling design to promote a successful establishment of creative economy in Lithuania, design must be popularized and more widely integrated in business, industry and cultural sectors. Moreover, the cooperation among design institutions should be activated. We hope that the declaration of Design Year will contribute to the effective realization of the above-mentioned goals.
The year 2011 is highly important for Lithuanian design for several reasons. In 2011, the oldest design educational institution in Lithuania – the Design Department of Vilnius Academy of Arts (formerly called the Department of Artistic Construction of Industrial Products) will celebrate its 50 years anniversary. Furthermore, an international Spring ICOGRADA (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) Design Week will be held namely in Vilnius. Such event had only been organized once in the Middle and East Europe, in Brno, Czech Republic. In addition, the organizers of the European Design Award “ED-Awards” chose Vilnius for the prizegiving solemnity for the best European designers. The National Gallery of Art will organize an international conference, exhibition and workshop “Modernization. Contexts of Baltic Art, Architecture, and Design, 1960s-70s”. With the help of the events of such a scale in combination with traditional events – “Design Week”, Litexpo exhibition “Furniture” and others, we will succeed to attract the attention of the public to design as well as promote the relations with business sector, the application of design in industry, strengthen international positions of Lithuanian design, and expand the scope of Lithuanian culture.
Vilnius Academy of Arts plays a very important role of in the project “Lithuanian Design Year 2011” as it is the institution with the biggest number of students studying design supervised by professional designers. The Academy successfully unites the Departments of Design, Graphic Design, Costume Design, Interior Design, Design Innovations Centre (in Vilnius), Design Departments (in Kaunas and Telšiai), Visual Design Department (in Klaipėda). It implements a number of design-related projects. The students are active in profiting from “ERASMUS” mobility possibilities, they take part in the international design competitions and often are acknowledged and awarded.
The project “Lithuanian Design Year 2011” is meant for the revelation of the professional, organizational and civil maturity of Lithuanian design and academic community. It will show the level of the preparation of our society to understand and use the advantages that design gives us.
Prof. Dr. Adomas Butrimas, Rector of Vilnius Academy of Arts
In many states, design is considered as a strategic means that helps to realize innovations, to increase competitiveness, to reveal cultural identity, as well as to improve the quality of life. The Study of the Economy of Culture in Europe that was carried out in 2006 showed that design criteria were one of the highest in the scale of the profitability of a creative sector. Design also takes a leading position from the point of view of productivity. Design is understood not only as an aesthetic expression of material culture but also as an effective tool for the economic increase of competitiveness with the help of innovations and for the reduction of the social exclusion.
Design is seen as an integral part of European Innovation Policy as defined in the 2009 working document of the European Commission “Design As a Catalyst of Consumer-Oriented Innovations”. Meanwhile in Lithuania, design is similarly defined in the “Lithuanian Innovation Strategy for the Year 2010-2020”, which was developed in accordance with the National Lisbon Strategy Implementation Programme 2008–2010.
With the view of enabling design to promote a successful establishment of creative economy in Lithuania, design must be popularized and more widely integrated in business, industry and cultural sectors. Moreover, the cooperation among design institutions should be activated. We hope that the declaration of Design Year will contribute to the effective realization of the above-mentioned goals.
The year 2011 is highly important for Lithuanian design for several reasons. In 2011, the oldest design educational institution in Lithuania – the Design Department of Vilnius Academy of Arts (formerly called the Department of Artistic Construction of Industrial Products) will celebrate its 50 years anniversary. Furthermore, an international Spring ICOGRADA (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) Design Week will be held namely in Vilnius. Such event had only been organized once in the Middle and East Europe, in Brno, Czech Republic. In addition, the organizers of the European Design Award “ED-Awards” chose Vilnius for the prizegiving solemnity for the best European designers. The National Gallery of Art will organize an international conference, exhibition and workshop “Modernization. Contexts of Baltic Art, Architecture, and Design, 1960s-70s”. With the help of the events of such a scale in combination with traditional events – “Design Week”, Litexpo exhibition “Furniture” and others, we will succeed to attract the attention of the public to design as well as promote the relations with business sector, the application of design in industry, strengthen international positions of Lithuanian design, and expand the scope of Lithuanian culture.
Vilnius Academy of Arts plays a very important role of in the project “Lithuanian Design Year 2011” as it is the institution with the biggest number of students studying design supervised by professional designers. The Academy successfully unites the Departments of Design, Graphic Design, Costume Design, Interior Design, Design Innovations Centre (in Vilnius), Design Departments (in Kaunas and Telšiai), Visual Design Department (in Klaipėda). It implements a number of design-related projects. The students are active in profiting from “ERASMUS” mobility possibilities, they take part in the international design competitions and often are acknowledged and awarded.
The project “Lithuanian Design Year 2011” is meant for the revelation of the professional, organizational and civil maturity of Lithuanian design and academic community. It will show the level of the preparation of our society to understand and use the advantages that design gives us.
Prof. Dr. Adomas Butrimas, Rector of Vilnius Academy of Arts
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