Last week I travelled to Cardiff to visit some key design organisations based there and to go to the Cardiff Design Festival’s partner event at Chapter Arts Centre. This was a chance for the partner organisations and designers to come together to discuss this year’s festival that will take place for 2 weeks in October. We will bring you an update on the festival and the international elements later in the year.

I also met with Design Wales, which is based within the University of Wales Institute Cardiff and delivers support services, networks, and research for the design sector in Wales. As part of Design Wales’ lobbying role it launched a design manifesto (Design for Innovation in Wales: Industry, Services & Society) in October 2010, which is well worth reading to understand the political landscape affecting design in Wales. I had the chance to look around their centre which has the latest 3D modelling prototyping equipment and user-centred design studio.

In our team we are discussing developing an exhibition about ecodesign and the Ecodesign Centre Wales and the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales are important voices in the sustainable design debates. Blueprint magazine’s April edition devoted a whole article to CAT where you can read more about the centre.

Finally I met with Wales Arts International which is a partnership between Arts Council of Wales and British Council Wales that supports and funds international residency opportunities. Artists and arts organisations including designers can apply to the International Opportunities Fund for up to £3000 to support international projects.