National Craft Gallery are delighted to invite you to join us for a free public talk this Wednesday 25th May, 6.30pm, as part of the programme of events for Liminal – Irish design at the threshold, the exhibition currently on show until 3 July.

Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW), which were located in the Castle Yard, established Kilkenny as the home of craft and design. The KDW were a revolutionary concept which introduced modernity to Irish design and set standards that changed attitudes on design both in Ireland and further afield. KDW was the first of its kind, a state-sponsored design agency which invited some of the most innovative designers and craftspeople to relocate to Kilkenny to share their skills and develop the Irish design sector, building links with industry and growing the market for Irish design and manufacture. 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of KDW and fittingly was the year designated to the promotion of design in Ireland, Irish Design 2015 was a year-long programme of events aiming to raise the profile of Irish design and increase awareness of the value of design both nationally and internationally. As part of teh programme Irish Design 2015 developed a standout flagship exhibition, Liminal – Irish design at the threshold, which travelled to design weeks around the world, showcasing the best of Irish design and craft from Milan to Eindhoven and New York back to Dublin and Kilkenny.

In this public talk, three expert speakers; Dr. Linda King, Lecturer in Design at IADT, Dr. PJ White, Lecturer and Research Leader at Design Core Carlow, and John Cleere of Red Lemonade Creative, will reflect on the KDW and its significant legacy and discuss the evolution of Irish design from the 1960s through to today and what they see as the future direction for design in Ireland. Book your place for the talk: evolving-design.eventbrite.ie

Download the free iPad app to find out more about KDW from kdwapp.com