Thirteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The launch of Design Society (www.designsociety.cn) on 1 December 2017, whilst the beginning for a unique new public design institution for China, has represented an achievement for a pioneer collaboration between the V&A from London and a major state-own company in China, China Merchants Shekou - two organizations, both founded in the middle of the 19th century thousands of miles apart, brought together by a common belief in the power of design and creativity as a common language. The partnership is built on shared vision and ongoing conversations driven by a critical moment of creativity and innovation, as the city Shenzhen pivots from industrial engine to an international creative capital. Design Society considers public inclusiveness is not a way to lower access, but a way to generate meaningful creativity to invigorate the nowadays institutional practises. It has successively established a wide scope of collaborative projects with schools, international institutions, local urban villages, businesses, and governments during the past two years, with attempts to validate new culture and help people responding to specific social issues. In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of international institutions are setting their branches to other countries, eg. Pompidou in Shanghai. Reflections are needed: 1. What is the most essential values of the collaboration as such where there is no competent insider? 2. What does inclusiveness mean? 3. How could a new public institution get a life, can it stay at the centre of social lives? Design Society model and its efforts are instrumental.