Winter Greetings from Design Trust | Message from Executive Director

Message from Marisa Yiu, Co-Founder / Executive Director

Design Trust wishes you a happy new year with good health, energy and seasonal celebration with loved ones. We look forward to sustaining the spirit and power of collaboration to work together for the new year of 2022 and beyond. Looking at this year’s 2021 creative journey and now entering into a “new normal” or “post normal” with the uncertainties and challenges still from COVID-19, it reminds us how important our city’s history, community, creative resources, and the power of collective imagination, speed of collaboration to work together is prominent and strong. This is represented by the spirit of our recent Design Trust Gala 2021 that was held on 16th December 2021. Over the last eight years, Design Trust has built a strong community of creative individuals and collectives focusing on positioning Hong Kong as a leading centre of design in the region, as well as globally. We have supported and touched over 488 designer projects and programmes. Two of the four micro-parks: Yi Pei Square Playground and Portland Street Rest Garden as part of the programme “PLAY IS FOR THE PEOPLE” (2018) under the Design Trust Futures Studio (DTFS) initiative have been successively launched in April and September for the enjoyment of the public. Yi Pei Square Playground was selected as winner of DFA Design for Asia Awards 2021 Grand Award. All these accomplishments and recognition of the hard work of our design team, mentors and cross-collaborative efforts with government to local agencies inspires us to keep the positive momentum going.

After a two-year hiatus, the Design Trust Gala returned with Prada as title sponsor, with an exciting nod of enthusiasm from our Creative Collaborators William Lim, Elaine Yan Ling Ng, and Mak Ying Tung 2; Cao Fei’s grateful support to show her NOVA film, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble’s performance, with countless supporters, table patrons, auction donors, and Board and Benefit Committee members. All fundraising proceeds from the auction and gala dinner, secured now, goes towards robust initiatives to benefit the public, and Hong Kong’s forefront role in research, design development projects, and community programmes, to keep the positive momentum for microparks projects under Design Trust Futures Studio, and curatorial fellowships with M+ Museum. M+  recently opened its door on 12th November 2021, and next March 2022 we will host M+ / Design Trust symposium with our 12 past and current fellows. We hope to launch in 2022 a renewed invigoration fellowship programme with existing and new partners in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Macau of the Greater Bay Area region, and further, to Shanghai; whilst amplifying, further our international cultural exchanges in various cities worldwide. We are so empowered by all of the contributions and support received during the Gala and beyond for our growth. 

On behalf of my Board of Directors and team members, Design Trust wishes you a happy new year with good health, energy and positive momentum. We look forward to sustaining this spirit and the power of collaboration to work together to the year of 2022 and beyond.

Thank you!

Best,

Marisa Yiu