Design Trust launches new Design Trust Studio space

After eight years since the establishment of Design Trust, an initiative of Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, finally opens its first physical space, Design Trust Studio, in Hong Kong, to expand on community outreach, grantee archive and showcase of the visionary work of grantees and mentees in this 1500 sq. ft. multi-functional space. This would not be possible without the generous gift from Ms. Elizabeth Chu, Board Member and former Trustee, with further support from Mr. Kamsen Lau, Chairman of the Board, and Ms. Denise Lau, Board Member, as well as continuing commitment from leadership team members: Ms. Marisa Yiu, Mr. Alan Lo, Ms. Joyce Tam, Mr. Ivan Pun, Ms. Gabriela Kennedy and Mr. Jonathan Cheung, alongside all Trustees.

“The year 2022 represents so much for all of us” Marisa Yiu, the Co-Founder/ Executive Director of Design Trust says, “a year of challenges, ongoing pressures of the environment, health and wellbeing; yet, it has also demonstrated an energetic restoration of our community’s strength to come together, and remain optimistic through creative collaboration. Design has the role to knit communities together, openly, and cultural collaboration especially across borders whether physical and virtual.  I remain optimistic for us here in Hong Kong, our region and our role and cannot express how grateful we are for all the community coming together to support what we do, and especially to Ms. Elizabeth Chu for her generosity to shape our future with a permanent home”.

With the new permanent home as a forward-looking archive and gallery space for regional and international design and research projects, we are thrilled to share we have supported over 523 grantees, mentees and fellows to date since 2014. Eight years ago, we created this initiative with a sincere commitment to advancing design competency, catalysing our programmes to benefit and inspire the public on the role of design, as well as supporting emerging scholars and designers research on urgent topics. Throughout the year 2022 and looking ahead to 2023, we will continue to share great works from past grantees, ongoing and new programmes, to create exciting and meaningful engagement and experimentation in Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area and beyond.

The new Design Trust Studio will kick-off with the Inaugural Showcase charting and highlighting past grantees’ works to advocate and make visible the process and positive role of design in the region and also internationally. From publications, films to design prototypes and archival materials, it will not only highlight the achievement of our grantees but more importantly reveals the process of design and research to further advocate the positive role of design. A special series of talks and dialogues will be curated with the new space as a base to further connect with design communities in Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world. The enormous growth of our core grants programme, which offers funding to designers, curators, collectives and non-profit organisations for project proposals has been exciting to witness in the last years. Supporting local and regional designers and scholars, our grantee community consists of 70% Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area based grantees, whose projects extend beyond the region into 47 cities internationally, celebrating and sharing knowledge and expertise with an international audience. DESIGN TRUST will be announcing the soft launch in October to November 2022, with a series of small open house studio visits and dialogue events this Fall- Winter 2022. Stay posted with our team.