(Archive) The Arena

The Arena

The Arena is a live talks, debate and performance platform that takes place at the centre of the annual DAE Graduation Show. The Arena was born in 2016 out of an urge to challenge contemporary design discourse. At that time, it had become evident that many of the graduates taking part in the Graduation Show were no longer focussed on creating static objects. Investigative methods relating to research, journalism and institutional critique were increasingly visible in projects. Performance was not only being used to communicate the final ideas of some designers, but had also become a key strategic tool to drive ongoing design processes. And it was becoming a strong feature within the Graduation Show. The Arena, therefore, was started in order to offer a space for emerging designers to not only present their work, but to also engage in conversations about the ins and outs of design. This primarily took place through presentations and performance as well as debates and roundtable conversations. These discussions and presentations were well attended by visitors to the Graduation Show as well DAE students.