Ocan
OUR CIRCLES / PROJECTS
Dutch Design Week 2024
Our first Design Reparations initiative brought together the design community and traditional communities through two sessions exploring ancestral knowledge, colonial histories and reciprocity.
In collaboration with:
the Story
Rethinking design through ancestral knowledge
Design Reparations started with a commitment to put resources and design skills behind Indigenous-led initiatives, while creating opportunities to learn, unlearn and act.
At Dutch Design Week 2024, we organised two sessions in collaboration with Ocan and Kenge Content Hive. One explored Caribbean culture in relation to Dutch colonialism; the other focused on Samia culture and the preservation of ancestral knowledge.
Both sessions invited participants to reflect on how colonial histories shape design, whose knowledge is valued, and how designers can contribute to more reciprocal relationships with traditional communities.
The initiative was supported by the Stimuleringsfonds and a crowdfunding campaign supported by Cultuurfonds Brabant.
How we gathered
Caribbean culture and colonial histories — with Ocan
We explored Caribbean culture in relation to Dutch colonialism, looking at questions of identity, belonging and collective support within Caribbean communities in the Netherlands.
Preserving Samia knowledge — with Kenge Content Hive
We focused on the knowledge of Samia elders and its connection to nature and everyday life. The session explored ways to document and share this heritage, including through books, documentaries, online archives and educational materials.
Gathering resources
Alongside the sessions, we organised a crowdfunding campaign to mobilise resources for Indigenous-led initiatives and support the work of our community partners. The campaign raised €3,580 from 32 donors.
join us
Do you want to support?
We would like to organise more conversations that bring different cultural perspectives and knowledge systems into the design community. We welcome collaborations with cultural practitioners, community organisations, educational institutions and funding partners to create spaces for exchange, learning and reflection.
THE TEAM
Who makes it happen
STORIES AND NEWS
Stories about the project
Reweaving Design: ancestrality, reciprocity, and complexity in practice
Ian Francis Onyango with the designers at the workshop during Dutch Design Week. Photo by Cecilia Scolaro This article emerges from an ongoing conversation between Cecilia and Tiago, founder of Design Reparations, about their shared experiences at Dutch Design Week (DDW). In the midst of the event’s fast-paced innovation and speculation about the future, they […]
READ MORE