Dundee UNESCO City of Design
Dundee is a remarkable city with a population of 147,000 inhabitants; small and compact but reaching far beyond its boundaries with a thriving and innovative design heart. Just a century ago, Dundee was an economic power house; a centre for the textile trade and shipbuilding. Although now mass production is almost gone, design is still an integral part of Dundee’s contemporary creative scene, with expertise in fashion & textiles, art & jewellery as well as a wealth of digital companies making their mark.
What makes this Designation special?
The prestigious title of UNESCO City of Design recognises Dundee's diverse contributions to fields including: comics such as the Beano and Dandy, medical research including the invention of aspirin, textile design as having been the world centre of the jute textile industry and universal video games like Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Dundee has also been recognised as being the only city in Scotland to have its own dedicated design museum; V&A Dundee.
Related events and initiatives abound in this Scottish city, including the annual Dundee Month of Design that takes place across the city throughout the month of May, and the biannual Dundee Design Festival which showcases the work of local and national designers, raising the profile of design.
Home to two leading universities for Art and Design, and Dundee & Angus College who co-founded the UK’s first Service Design Academy with Open Change, Dundee is a vibrant design hub for students to live and study in.
Most importantly, it is the passion and the values of the people who contribute to Dundee’s design sector that has led to Dundee becoming the first (and currently only) UNESCO City of Design in the UK.
