UNESCO City of Design Dundee

Yellow poster with gray paint blotch reading 'Dundee Month of Design May'; City of Design Dundee and UNESCO logos bottom right.

Call for events — submit by 22 March, bold gray text on white brush-stroke over a yellow background.

Keep up to date — visit cityofdesigndundee.com/dundee-month-design or follow @dundeemonthofdesign on Instagram

Got a design-related event happening this May? Submit your events now to be part of our Dundee Month of Design 2026 printed guide 📖

⏱️ Events due Sunday 22 March, 11:59pm
🔗 https://cityofdesigndundee.com/dundee-month-of-design/

A person with a backpack leans over to look inside a large black periscope-like tube fixed on a grassy area.

Cityscape illustration in pink tones with buildings, a tree, a car, a traffic light, and a skyline outline in the background.

Poster for Dundee Radio Listening Festival '26 featuring a long list of featured artists. Event dates: 28 Feb - 1 Mar. Website: dundeeradio.club. QR code included.

@dundeeradio.club is back for another listening festival, this time featuring 'Sounds of the City' from Dundee Design Festival 2021 as part of the 72-hour programme📡

📍https://dundeeradio.club/
⏱️26 February - 1 March

Visitors examine historical garments displayed on mannequins, including a prominent red dress. Display cards provide information.

A woman observes a display of vintage mannequins in colorful period costumes, including overalls and a checked suit with a bow tie - these were featured in various productions by Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre.

Three mannequins display vintage dresses: a yellow gown with lace, a red and gray satin dress, and a pink polka dot dress in a museum exhibit - all designed by Jane Petrie and featured in The Crown.

People explore a fashion exhibit in a museum with mannequins displaying vintage and contemporary clothing under a vaulted wooden ceiling.

'Curtain Call: Costumes from Stage and Screen' is now open at The McManus, bringing together a dazzling collection of costumes from film, television, theatre and opera 🎭

Find out more ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/4ucu6kwu

📸 Photography by @grantandersondotme.bsky.social

Person walking up stairs that display historical astronomical milestones, including Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's moons in 1610.

A stylized rocket launching into a starry sky, with a silhouette of Dundee's The Law war memorial in the background.

Sign labeled "Telescope" with an upward arrow, directing towards a room with telescopes and a moon phase poster in the background.

Silhouette of Mills Observatory under a starry night sky with a crescent moon, set against a textured, dark landscape.

Graphic designer and printmaker Rhianne Connelly recently developed new graphics and information panels for local landmark Mills Observatory in celebration of their 90th birthday! 🔭

Find out more ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/yndmn3je

📸 Photography + graphics courtesy of Rhianne Connelly.

Window in The Wellgate with a sign reading "DESIGN LIVES HERE" beside a map of the Cities of Design Network.

Abstract art and fabric display in a window with vivid blue, black, and pink hues on a pedestal against a muted curtain backdrop.

Abstract art installation with white cubic structures draped in vibrant, multicolored fabric featuring blue, pink, and black patterns.

A person in a pink jacket and green beanie walks past a store window display featuring artwork and a map of UNESCO Cities of Design.

We're excited to launch our dedicated window space exhibiting the amazing work produced by Design Lives Here supporters, hosted by OuterSpaces Dundee ❤️

Our first exhibitor is fine artist and designer Joanna Craig with an installation of silk scarves available exclusively at @dcadundee.bsky.social 🧣

Text "Scottish Connections Fund 2025-26 Fund Awardee" over a blue and pink tartan pattern. Hashtags and "Scotland" logo included.

We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Scottish Government's #ScottishConnections Fund for our project Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies! 🎉

Find out more about this year's Fund ⬇️
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-connections-fund-successful-applicants/

Person sewing fabric pieces at a table, surrounded by colorful textile scraps

VACMA Visual Artist & Craft Maker Awards 2025/2026, with a bold geometric design in green, yellow, and pink.

Visual Artist & Craft Maker Awards: Dundee supports visual artists and craft practitioners in their creative and professional development:

🗓️ Applications due 5pm, Tuesday 3 February
📍 Open to those who live or maintain a studio space in Dundee City
🔗 https://tinyurl.com/kzrne9x6

Tom and Mal of Biome Collective interact with a digital display in an exhibit featuring vibrant, abstract visuals of glowing orbs and organic shapes.

Elderly man in overalls holding soil, with birds flying above and a modern building in the background, suggesting themes of nature and urban life.

Four people in a museum gallery observe various exhibits, including a large black-and-white photograph and a display case with artifacts.

Maggie's Centre Dundee with a unique wavy roof, set against a blue sky. In front, a circular stone labyrinth is laid out on green grass.

It's your last chance to catch 'Garden Futures: Designing with Nature' at @vadundee.bsky.social! Unearth the extraordinary, everyday world of garden design through the work of @biomecollective.bsky.social and more 🌺

📍V&A Dundee
⏰ 10am-5pm, daily
ℹ️ Garden Futures closes on Sunday 25 January

A turquoise digital asset with a bird motif that explains 3 tiers of donation rewards. It explains that by donating £20 you will receive a packet of wildflower seeds, £50 will get you a Corten steel bird ornament and £100 will give you both of these rewards plus an allocated bird on the garden's central artwork for naming.

⏰ We're into the FINAL WEEK of our Crowdfunder for Dundee's community co-designed Covid Memorial ⏰

Please consider donating what you can to this permanent greenspace and Memorial Garden, designed for all to spend time reflecting at: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/dundee-cov...

A person in a green jacket looking at a wall with the text "Dundee Design Festival" prominently displayed.

Three people stand in front of a modern art display, engaging with the exhibit. One woman is pointing, possibly explaining something.

Two women joyfully engage in crafting activities at a workshop, surrounded by colorful yarn and craft supplies.

Hands holding a handmade blue fabric bird with yellow legs and a fish-shaped object, both crafted with colorful fabric patches.

📣What's next for Dundee Design Festival?

After a successful festival in 2024 we are excited about the possibilities for 2027.

Stay up to date by signing up to our newsletter 🔗 http://eepurl.com/iXxORQ

📸 Dundee Design Festival, curated by Stacey Hunter Photography by Grant Anderson.

Storage unit clearance event poster. Free stuff on 21 January, 10:30am - 3:45pm at Keiller Centre, Dundee.

Come on by and grab yourself some free bits + pieces from our storage unit- we've got scrap wood, bookshelves, mannequins and even a claw machine as seen at Dundee Design Festival 2019!

📆 Wednesday 21 January
⏰ 10:30am - 3:45pm, last entry 3:15pm
📍 Keiller Centre, 3 Chapel Street, DD1 1DQ

A vibrant tote bag with geometric patterns in orange, purple, silver, and yellow. Accompanied by a matching lanyard and three pens.

Colorful geometric tote bag with purple, silver, neon yellow, and neon orange panels, set against a bright sky background.

Our January Object of the Month is:
👜Crossbody Bag (2025)
📍Shenzhen, China

The products designed for the SDAY awards by y.studio were inspired by the idea of 'Rising Stars' using bright colours and metallics to symbolise the power of young designers as future thinking with boundless creativity.

A man in an orange shirt stands smiling at the entrance of a building with an arched doorway and decorative masks above. This is the Design & Creative Centre Kobe building.

Corner view of a modern, multi-story building with beige and brown facade, featuring vertical windows and a flag on top. Bicycles are parked by the entrance. This is the Design & Creative Centre Kobe building.

A smiling man in a rust-colored shirt and khaki pants stands in front of a world map, gesturing toward Dundee, Scotland with both hands.

A tranquil Japanese garden path with stone steps leads to a traditional wooden house, surrounded by lush green trees and bamboo fencing.

In September, we connected @johnjoemcbob.com of @veryevildemons.com with Kenji at Design & Creative Centre Kobe, hosts of Kobe's @unesco.org City of Design designation to chat all things design and visit some of Kobe's key design sites!

📸 Courtesy of Matthew Cormack + Kenji Kondo.

Audience seated facing a stage with a large screen displaying "Games Ground, Portal Stage, Host: Steffi Langer" in a modern event space.

A vibrant gaming event with attendees interacting at a booth under purple lighting. A neon graphic of a robot and QR codes are displayed.

A man holding a cup stands beside a display showing a colorful video game. Above, a sign reads "NeoBird" with a QR code.

Two smiling women in a hallway, one in focus wearing glasses and a gray hat, the other in the background waving energetically.

Dundee-based games designer Jazz Chambers recently attended @gamesground.bsky.social 🇩🇪

In a new blog, Jazz reflects on her visit to Berlin with @abertayuni.bsky.social classmate Alice Kerr🔗 https://tinyurl.com/2d5ejbjk

Looking for something special to gift a loved one that they can look forward to in 2026? 💐

Choose from our three tiered Crowdfunder rewards and contribute towards Dundee's Community Covid Memorial in their honour:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/dundee-covid-community-memorial

Storefront of "Growing Pains" with green signage. Large window displays a colorful mural and a "For Sale" sign.

A ceramic sculpture of a jacket with a hand holding a cigarette. The jacket's hood is shaped like a house roof. Other house models are in the background.

Sign on a table reading "FREE DROP IN WORK" in bright pink and black letters, with markers and a blank paper beside it.

Pink wall with bold black letters stating, "Art, Agency & Creative Activism," beside a coat rack with several hooks.

It's your last chance to catch Lindsey Mendick's installation 'Growing Pains', presented by Jupiter+ Dundee! 

EXHIBITION
📍15 Reform Street, DD1 1SG
⏰ Saturday + Sunday, 11am-5pm

LEARNING STUDIO
📍7 Castle Street, DD1 3AA
⏰ Saturday + Sunday, 12-5pm

Hannah Sabapathy wearing a mustard cardigan and blue skirt stands confidently in a well-lit industrial space, with a focused expression.

Colorful fabric patterns and cutouts in various shapes displayed in a wooden drawer, featuring floral and geometric designs.

Matthew McIntyre Wilson man sits in a van surrounded by large woven fishing traps, holding one on his lap. The van is open, revealing more traps inside.

Large woven nets and baskets hang from the Sarjeant Gallery's ceiling, creating an intricate display of suspended textures and patterns.

We're delighted to announce that designers Hannah Sabapathy + Matthew McIntyre Wilson have been selected for our new international residency programme in collaboration with Whanganui City of Design, New Zealand!

We look forward to sharing more about each designer's residency soon ❤️

Over £500 raised so far! 💓

Thank you so much to those who have contributed to our Memorial Garden, it will make a huge difference to those affected by Covid.

To donate as little as £1 or selecting our top tiered reward of £100, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/dundee-covid-community-memorial

A person holds a photo of a dimly lit pub in Dundee, Scotland with neon red lights against a brick wall. The pub has a glowing entrance and signs.

Open book held against a brick wall, showing pages with photographs of urban landscapes, including a church and residential buildings.

Back cover of a book titled "Photo City: Photo Walks Dundee" featuring a child's feet on a stone structure. Text reads: "Capturing the people and places that make the story of our city special."

Festive scene with people ice skating and gathering near a large decorated Christmas tree in front of a grand, snow-covered building.

We're excited to be tabling at The McManus' Christmas Market! Be sure to stop by our stall and grab a copy of our brilliant publication Photo City: Photo Walks Dundee - the perfect Christmas gift for the Dundee fan in your life 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

📍 The McManus
🗓️ Saturday 6 December, 10am-4pm

A square book sits on a white background. The front cover features a dimly lit street at night, featuring a red neon-lit building on the left and bright blue lights illuminating the pavement on the right.

Man with glasses in a sweater reads a book at a table with a coffee cup. People in the background interact in a casual setting.

Elderly man with a red scarf and glasses smiles while holding open a book featuring photographs of shopfronts, including "Magic Scissors" and "Dr Juice."

A woman with a blue scarf and black coat holds open a photo book showing black-and-white photographs while others watch in the background.

Utilising our window space at Central Library, we display a different design object every month from across the @designcities.bsky.social Network 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Our December object is:
🎥 Photo City: Photo Walks Dundee (2024)
📍 Dundee, Scotland

Find out more ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/53ppc46k

People browsing colorful textiles and handmade goods at an indoor craft market, with natural light streaming through large windows.

Woman with brown hair wearing a "pro-tree" t-shirt stands behind a table with printed materials and merchandise, including eco-friendly designs.

A clothing stall with white T-shirts displaying phrases like "pro-tree" and "gender equality". A banner overhead reads "COVERSLUT©".

Tea Green's Winter Design Market returns to @vadundee.bsky.social! Featuring work from some of Scotland’s best independent makers including British-Kenyan artist Grace Ndiritu with COVERSLUT©👚

Find out more ➡️ https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/events/winter-design-market-2025

A child places a sticky note on a board filled with colorful notes, while an adult in a tan vest observes and smiles.

With @creativedundee.bsky.social, we're hosting 'Have Your Say, Together', an open and upbeat Budget Consultation Gathering creating space for supporters to complete the DCC consultation and celebrate Dundee!

📍 @dcadundee.bsky.social 
⏱️ Wed 10 December, 10am-7:30pm
ℹ️ https://tinyurl.com/2rxz4bzm

Dundee: a City of Culture Cuts? The city’s cultural and community future are at risk again as Dundee City Council propose a second year of rapid public consultation. With residents already strongly opposing cuts in 2024, we call for...

The city’s cultural and community future are at risk again as Dundee City Council propose a second year of rapid public consultation.

With residents already strongly opposing cuts in 2024, we call for more meaningful decision making and long-term ambition from Councillors and officials.

Read more:

@dcadundee.bsky.social @creativedundee.bsky.social @dundeerep.bsky.social ❤️

People stand in line outside a coffee shop on Annfield Street, some wearing colourful tote bags featuring Design Lives Here branding, on a sunny day.

A man and woman collaborate on a screen printing project in a workshop. The woman wears a hijab; both are focused on the task.

Two men in a museum, one older in a Santa sweatshirt and one younger in a tan jacket, laughing while looking at an open book.

A landscaped park features modern wooden seating sculptures set amidst colorful flowerbeds and winding gravel paths.

UNESCO City of Design Dundee, many community organisations and fellow cultural organisations are once again facing potential cuts from Dundee City Council. If you want these activities to continue then it's vital you contribute to this consultation 📢

➡️ https://tinyurl.com/4ur33xvn

A woman kneels beside a festive, green art installation adorned with small lights and bells, smiling warmly at the camera.

A man stands next to a unique Christmas tree made from repurposed cables, set in an outdoor festive display.

A man with long hair and a beard holds aloft a triangular train warning sign. He places the sign atop a large alternative Christmas tree made of road signs.

Two people stand smiling beside a tall, triangular wooden Christmas Tree made of musical instruments in Dundee City Centre.

Our 2025 Designer Trees have landed! Check them out at City Churches before 10 January 2026🎄

→ ‘Tinsel Trash' by Zoe Gibson
→ ‘The Christmice Tree’ by Hollis Crowe
→ ‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!' by John Fairley
→ ‘My Christmas Tree Was A…’ by Man Pin

📸 Photography by Richard Hancox for The Courier

📸 Courtesy of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui.

Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies is coordinated by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and UNESCO City of Design Whanganui and supported by the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific’s Connections Through Culture Programme.

There's less than 1 week left to apply for our amazing designer residency in Whanganui, New Zealand 🇳🇿 

🗓️ Applications due 10am, Wednesday 19 November
💷 Fully funded accommodation and travel alongside a £2,240 stipend

Find out more + apply🔗https://cityofdesigndundee.com/open-call-textile-legacies/

Digital design render detailing a father and child walking past a corten steel artwork with integrated bench, in a garden.

Digital design render detailing a garden with paths, planting, corten steel artworks and integrated benches in a city.

🌺 SUPPORT THE CREATION OF DUNDEE’S COVID COMMUNITY MEMORIAL 🕊️

By donating to this colourful Memorial Garden co-created by local communities, you can commemorate a loved one or memorialise your experience of the Covid pandemic 🌳

Donate here by 30 Jan 26: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/dundee-cov...

A band of four members (rEDOLENT) posing inside the Caird Hall's theatre, with red velvet seats and ornate chandeliers overhead. Two members stand, two sit.

Promotional poster for the Scottish Album of the Year Award ceremony on 6 November 2025, featuring KT Tunstall and others. Tickets available.

Today's the day! We're so excited to see Caird Hall taken over for this year's Scottish Album of the Year Award Ceremony featuring live performances from 2024 winners rEDOLENT, KT Tunstall, and more! 🏆

🎟️ Tickets available here: https://tinyurl.com/5bjp7ysu 
📸 Photography by Grant Anderson