The Six Cities Design Festival, Scotland’s biggest ever celebration of design, takes place from 17 May to 3 June across Scotland.

The boundary between craft and design is often blurred; however, whatever definition we impose on the two words the reality is that the first nationwide Design Festival certainly includes craft.

The centrepiece of the festival is the Scottish Show 07 at The Lighthouse in Glasgow from 17 May to 12 August showing work by 34 designers.  This show, which follows on from the success of the Scottish Show 2004/05, has been extended to include fashion and textiles for the first time.

Internationally established designers can be seen alongside stars of the future with new toiles by Timorous Beasties on show alongside innovative light sensitive wallpapers by emerging designer Johanna Basford.  A curious collection of little knitted creatures by Donna Wilson are inspired by the “everyday oddities and deformities of life”.  Jewellers Susan Kerr, Marianne Anderson, Pernilla Rozenberg and Laura Murray, ceramicist Katy West, fashion design company Olanic and Snowpony are amongst the other exhibitors who create a strong craft presence.

In Stirling the Buy Designer Marketplace taking place in Port Street on 26 May will show ceramics, fashion, accessories, millinery, furniture and jewellery by designers from Stirling and Central Scotland including furniture by Angus Ross, ceramics by Ceri White and Cosima Semphill, jewellery by Angela Learoyd and Louise Carstairs and cushions by Fabiia.

The unusually named 3Dinburgh takes place in West Princes Street Gardens near St Cuthbert's Church in Edinburgh from the 19 to the 26 of May 2007.  Again, craft can be found here with ceramic objects by Campbellfirth, jewellery by Jane McAllister, woven textiles by James Donald of PickOne, headpieces by Sally-Ann Provan, printed textiles by Tessuti, Harris Tweed bags by Katherine Emtage and eco friendly furniture by Blue Marmalade.

New Designs in the Making from 16 May to 3 June in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness showcases the creativity of four designer makers inspired by the Highlands with textiles from Alison Bell, jewellery by Patricia Neimann, wood by furniture designer, Malcolm Mack and ceramics combined with metal by Daniel Kavenagh.

HomeRoom - And This one Feels just Right at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery shows furniture, textile, jewellery, glass, ceramic, and basketwork by designers commissioned to create new pieces of work to furnish a room.
 
The exhibition has taken traditional design and craft skills and given makers  the opportunity to re-interpret their skills in a contemporary way. Makers exhibiting include Caroline Dear, Glasstrom, Gilly Langton, Daniel Kavenagh, Lucy Woodley, Linda Soos, Angus Clyne, Alistair Mckay, Richard Davies, Malcolm Mack, Sandra Fryer, Catherine Davies, Dympna Rochford, Linda Livingstone, Helga Tait, Penny and David Woodely.

The pupils of Mulbuie primary school designed a new tartan for Highland 2007 and the designers have used this as inspiration for their new work.

Alongside this exhibition is This one Feels Just Right which celebrates our affectionate relationship with that household favourite – the chair. In the spirit of Goldilocks, there is a unique array of chairs featuring the work of Glasstorm, Sarah Barnes, Helga Tait, John McGeoch, Donna Wilson and Rosie Newman.  Visitors are invited to try them out and see which one ‘feels just right’.

These are just a few highlights of this nationwide celebration of design which also includes talks, workshops, business training and many other events.  Explore the full programme of events at www.six-cities.com