European Innovation Festival IF... held in Tallinn from 16 to 23 September 2011 07.08.2010

In 2009 an agreement was made with six European cities for the organisation of the Innovation Festival IF... The project was initiated by PRO INNO Europe to promote innovation in different countries. Locations of the Festival: Barcelona (2009), Milan, Kortijk and Lissabon (2010), Vilnius and Tallinn (2011).  IF... 

The aim of the two-year project is to strengthen the identity of innovation in these regions, boost cooperation between different organisations and raise the profile of the countries. The festival in Tallinn from 16 to 23 September 2011 will include Innovation Conference, Design Night Festival, an exhibition introducing the history of Estonian innovation and design as well as other innovation-related events. The main event of the Innovation Festival is the European Design Management Award Gala, including an exhibition and award ceremony.

The festival in Tallinn will focus on social innovation and design. Preparatory work for the Innovation Festival 2011 in Estonia has already begun. Estonian Association of Designers will propose to carry through the innovation project within the platform of Design For All, to develop Tallinn, the upcoming European Capital of Culture, into a city that is attentive to the present time, human-friendly and open to everyone. EAD has initiated the Tallinn For All project which is aimed at:

– turning Tallinn into a more easily accessible and convenient travel destination through social involvement, avoiding the discrimination of different human groups (the elderly, mothers with small children, disabled people and others);

– obtaining tangible results which draw the public’s attention to certain problematic aspects of universal design;

– introducing the methodology of the Design For All project to the participants through practical experience;

Participants in the Tallinn For All project will include Estonian and French universities, the city of Tallinn, Tallinn Transport Department, Tallinn Communal Department, Estonian Chamber of Disabled People, Tallinn Association of People With Moving Disability and other socially sensitive institutions. The opening event of the project, introductory seminar “Cities For All” will take place on 23 September 2010 as part of the Design Night Festival. This will be followed by workshops supervised by foreign experts.

 

The Innovation Festival in Tallinn will be organised in collaboration with InnoEstonia and Foundation Tallinn 2011.

EAD is open to cooperation proposals and is willing to incorporate different projects in the Festival’s program.