Artists, designers and architects are being invited to pitch their projects and ideas for Melbourne Design Week 2021.

The Victoria-wide 11-day program of talks, tours, workshops, launches and exhibitions will explore the theme ‘Design the world you want’ in 2021.

Expressions of interest are now open for ideas that consider “how the design community can work together to create a better, healthier future for the planet and its inhabitants”.

In line with the program’s multi-disciplinary and diverse approach, a wide range of practitioners, including designers, galleries, educators, innovators and industry, are being invited to submit something before the cut off date on 9 October 2020.

The 2021 program follows along from this year’s theme, which asked the question: How can design shape life? 

Scheduled for March, the 300+ talks, exhibitions, tours and workshops, which included a preview of the Australian pavilion for the 2020 Venice Biennale and a speech from internationally acclaimed architect Francis Kéré was forced to adapt following coronavirus restrictions implemented across the state.

“As we look ahead to a post-COVID world, design and creativity will play an important role not just in our recovery but in rethinking the status quo to build a better reality,” said Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley in a statement.

“Melbourne Design Week, the largest event of its kind in Australia, this year invites the design community to ‘design the world you want’ – an important and timely provocation.”

Highlights scheduled for the 2021 program include the Victorian Design Challenge, offering a share of more than $25,000 in prizes for student and professional designers, and the Melbourne Design Week Film Festival, curated by Richard Sawada.

The program will also be teaming up with Open House Melbourne to take its focus beyond metropolitan Melbourne with an expanded satellite program in regional Victoria.

There are also online exhibition tours, talks and video scheduled throughout the event similar to those organised for this year’s event.

Melbourne Design Week 2021 will run from 26 March-5 April.

Expressions of interest to participate in the 2021 program will close on Friday 9 October 2020.

For further information, visit the NGV website.

Lead photo: In Art We Trust. Photo: Benoit Rossel.