PARTNERS
THE COMMISSIONER – TRISTRAM HUNT
Dr Tristram Hunt is the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London – the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance. Since taking up the post in 2017, Dr Hunt has prioritised support for design education in UK schools, expansion of the photography department, and encouraging debate around the history of the museum’s global collections. Dr Hunt is leading on the transition to a multi-site museum, with V&A Dundee, the redesign of the Museum of Childhood, and the development of a new museum and open access Collections and Research Centre in Stratford, East London. Prior to joining the V&A, Dr Hunt was Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central and Shadow Secretary of State for Education. He has a doctorate in Victorian history from Cambridge University and is the author of several books, including Ten Cities That Made an Empire (2014).
THE DESIGNER – JASPER MORRISON
Jasper Morrison is a leading British designer, best known for his work in furniture, lighting, electrical products and tableware. Born in London in 1959, he graduated in Design from Kingston Polytechnic in 1982. He followed this with a Master’s at the Royal College of Art, and a year at Berlin’s HdK art school on a scholarship.
Upon graduation Jasper set up his Office for Design in London in 1986. He has since done numerous installations and collaborations worldwide, with major brands including Muji, Samsung and Maharam. In 2009 he opened the Jasper Morrison Shop, inspired by the exhibition Super Normal for Axis Gallery in Tokyo, which he did in collaboration with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. The Shop presents an exhibition each year during London Design Festival.
Jasper Morrison Ltd currently has offices in London, Tokyo and Paris.
AHEC
For over 25 years the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of international wood promotion, successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC’s global programme of activities secure a future for American hardwoods by demonstrating the performance and aesthetic potential of these sustainable materials, while providing valuable creative inspiration and technical advice.
BENCHMARK
Benchmark is a leading company of craftspeople and designers, founded 30 years ago by Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe. Based in West Berkshire on a converted farm, the team is now 50 strong in over 40,000 sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spraying, specialist metalworking and upholstery, as well as design studio and furniture showroom. Benchmark works extensively on design solutions for hotels, restaurants, public buildings, offices and private residences.
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
The London Design Festival is a key constituent of London’s autumn creative season, alongside London Fashion Week, Frieze Art Fair and the London Film Festival. Established in 2003 its role is to celebrate and promote London as the world’s design capital and gateway to the international design community and it has now established a reputation as one of the largest and most exciting design events in the world. This year the Festival will run from 15-23 September and over 400 events and installations will be on offer across the capital, from an exciting programme at the V&A to plus over 300 partners who will participate in the nine-day Festival.
V&A
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK’s national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.
