SOUTH AFRICA’S JOURNEY OF

TRANSFORMATION THROUGH DESIGN

Design Policy Conference – MAKE A PLAN

World Design Capital Cape Town 2014

17–18 October 2014

Dr Hester du Plessis, Faculty Head: Humanity, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic

Reflection (MISTRA), Woodmead, Sandton. South Africa. hesterd@mistra.org.za

DESIGN IN CONTEXT

The socio-political value of design should not be underestimated and/or neglected.

Design has the ability to create an adaptable and sustained social system

(as habitus and beyond economic boundaries) while also being compliant

with destructive economic models.

Design is not a neutral tool but embraces commercial, political and social

interests in its function as propagator of modernism.

Design fuels new technologies and is an intimate partner of science research.

Design assists in the creation of products that meet social needs (greed?)

and promote cultural identities.

Design, as habitus, is applied to decorate ourselves; to drive modern technologies,

to provide status and identity and alas, to assist in the destruction of other cultures

of opposing and/or different ideologies.

THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NDP), drafted by

THE NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (NPC)

1. Too few people work.

2. The quality of school education for black people is poor.

3. Infrastructure is poorly located, inadequate and under-maintained.

4. Spatial divides hobble inclusive development.

5. The economy is unsustainably resource-intensive.

6. The public health system cannot meet demand or sustain quality.

7. Public services are uneven and often of poor quality.

8. Corruption levels are high.

9. South Africa remains a divided society.

NDP MEASURES TO PROMOTE THE ARTS

• Providing financial and ICT support to artists to enable the creation of works expressing national creativity, while opening space for vibrant debate.

• Strengthening the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s mandate for nation building and value inculcation.

• Incentivising commercial distribution networks to distribute and/or host art.

• Developing and implementing plans for a more effective arts and culture curriculum in schools with appropriate educator support.

• Supporting income-smoothing for artists in a special unemployment insurance scheme and evaluating funding models for such initiatives.

• Developing sector determined legislative framework to protect arts-sector employees.

DESIGN POLICY WORKSHOP (11–12 March 2014)

Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) Design Institute

and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

Discussion on the policy development process to ensure buy-in from all

(and with the attention of the relevant minister):

• Advancement of new strategies through possible multiple viewpoints to

ensure a rich diversity of ideas.

• Development of methods for problem ‘naming’ and ‘framing’ in the

structuring of the policy.

• Discussion on critical inquiry of tools that could foster the examination of

research depositories and data sets: some of which may be conflicting or

incomplete.

• Facilitate strategies for grappling with divergent values, worldviews, and

ideologies.

• Capturing agreements to ratify and prepare for implementation.

ECONOMIC INTERVENTIONS WERE IDENTIFIED AS

Subsidising – financial compensation for design services by

government to businesses and organizations to stimulate growth.

Investing – investing in established design associations and

networks that promote and assist other organizations in utilizing

design as a strategic tool.

Networks – networking with other creative industries to add value.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Accreditation – Awards or certifications, acting as a

benchmark in good design practice.

Promotion and public awareness – Guides, pamphlets,

exhibitions, festivals, websites, publishing reports, research

papers and case studies, PR and sponsorships.

Curriculum skills / Education – Design talent development

reflecting the ambition and competitiveness of a nation’s

design sector

MISTRA PROJECTARTS AND DEVELOPMENT: THE EVOLVING SOUTH AFRICAN CHALLENGE

Looking at five key areas:

• developing an understanding and a vision for the arts;

• exploring officialdom (government and private) and the

arts;

• exploring education and the arts;

• critique the presentation of the arts in the National

Development Plan and Vision 2030;

• global dynamics and impact on the arts.

Thank you!