1,400 works set a new record — The 2015 Youth Design Festival kicks off

▲ Youth Design Festival press conference fashion show by Shih Chien University.

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Kaohsiung

May in Kaohsiung is bustling with energy. The 2015 Youth Design Festival launched vibrantly today (15th) at Pier-2 Art Center. With the number of participating schools and departments increasing year by year, this edition features an impressive total of 1,400 entries from as many as 59 institutions. The top prize in the competition has been raised to NT$80,000, and at the press conference, students showcased their self-designed fashion pieces, demonstrating youthful creativity.


▲ Shih Chien University students model their self-designed outfits at the event.

At the press conference, Kuo Tien-Kuei, Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs, noted that this is the sixth edition of the Youth Design Exhibition, and the number of exhibited works has reached an all-time high. In the future, they hope to collaborate more with enterprises to integrate student works. The design competition invited heavyweight design experts from both academia and industry, both in Taiwan and abroad, such as fashion designer Dou Teng-Huang, architect Mao Sen-Chiang, and design luminary Lin Jung-Tay, to serve as judges.


▲ Breaking a wooden board on-site symbolizes breaking old mindsets to create new energy.

The Youth Design Festival will host a series of “Celebrity Design Lectures” from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. between May 18 and May 21, focusing on four themes over four consecutive days: Visual Communication Design, Three-Dimensional Modeling and Product Design, Digital Technology and Game Design, and Spatial Design. These lectures provide expert critiques of the current year’s entries while analyzing new trends and insights in the design industry. The May 18 session will be held at the B9 Warehouse in Penglai, and sessions from May 19 to 21 will take place at the B10 Warehouse in Penglai at In Our Time Radio Restaurant. Entry to the lectures is free.

The 2015 Youth Design Festival runs from May 15 to 24, featuring exhibitions across six warehouses: P2, P3, and Warehouse 8 in the Dayong area, and B3, B4, and B6 in the Penglai area. On the two weekends, from May 16–17 and May 23–24, between 1:00 and 6:00 p.m., there will be a “Little Youth Creative Market,” along with performances such as the “Youth Young Up – Street Dance Show” and “Youth Parkour.” Admission tickets are NT$99 per person, which includes a Youth wristband. Wearing the wristband throughout the exhibition period allows unlimited entry to all areas of the Youth Design Festival.
 
2015 Youth Design Festival
Exhibition Period: May 15–24
Address: Six warehouses including P2, P3, and Warehouse 8 in the Dayong area, and B3, B4, and B6 in the Penglai area of Pier-2


▲ 1,400 works set a new record — The 2015 Youth Design Festival kicks off. (Photo / Reporter Hsieh Ting-Ting)