China creates, 9 December, 19:30 @ Pakhuis de Zwijger

China Creates

 Is 'Created in China' the new 'Made in China'?

Date: 9 December 2014

Time: 19:30

Venue: Pakhuis de Zwijger 

Free admission. Reserve here.

Since Richard Florida and Charles Landry have written popular theories on the importance of the creative class, promoting creative industry has become an important part of city development world wide. Also Chinese cities have discovered the importance of creating an identity in order to save their global trading position. While in the past China was the factory for the world, the place for cheap manufacturing of products designed in the Western world, China now has ambitions to find its own designing identity. Products are no longer only made in china, but also designed in China. The result is a new, young generation of designers, architects and other creative people. Also the government is involved building large amounts of creative parks. By now, Shenzhen and Beijing have become Cities of Design in the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO.

What does this new creativity look like in China? And what role does the government in China take while promoting its creative industries? This evening we talk about creative industry in China with researchers and designers.

Speakers include:

• Linda Vlassenrood of the International New Town Institute

• Monique Knapen of the China Desk of DutchCulture

• Cola Zhang of Dutchinese

• Martin Probst of MLA+