Developed by designers John Owens and Malcolm Garrett as curators, entertainment and culture publicist Fiona McGarva as Festival Director and writer Kasper de Graaf coordinating partnerships, Design Manchester supports and promotes design thinking and practice in and from one of the world’s great design cities.

Design Manchester’s annual DM festival celebrates collaboration and inclusivity in design, producing international level events that champion the worlds of design, art, architecture, digital, illustration, film, animation, photography and music. 

In 2017, for ten days in October, the people of Manchester and beyond came together to celebrate design and creativity in all its forms, welcoming some of the world’s most inspiring creatives, putting a spotlight on Manchester’s home grown talent, and building a community that invites discussion and debate.

DM17 was a hugely successful - a city-wide festival that truly offered something for all - taking in talks, exhibitions, a film season, a design fair, and parties, and we were incredibly proud to host over 60 events at landmark venues including the Principal Manchester, Upper Campfield Market, Manchester Central Library, Hermès, HOME, the National Football Museum and many more.

DM17 tripled its audience, with events and exhibitions reaching 120,000 people, and attendance of more than 74,000, engaging as ever with designers, artists, creative professionals, businesses, policy makers, and public institutions.

Design Manchester

John Owens

This department oversees the creative vision and direction of festivals and artistic programming.

Design Manchester

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