This Summer sees the launch of the Birmingham Design Festival – a celebration of the local, national and international design industry, held from 7th to 10th June, at venues around the city...

Through a carefully-curated programme based around the theme 'Forward' the festival, which has been organised by a team of designers and event organisers who work in the city, hopes to encourage interaction, inspiration and conversation on how design will shape the future in our rapidly changing world.

The programme of designers and studios confirmed for the festival includes printmakers, illustrators, typesetters, animators, architects, UX aficionados, product designers, digital talent and good people changing the design industry from the top down and the bottom up.

The event hopes to attract a broad spectrum of visitors, from industry professionals to design students, alongside visitors who merely enjoy a casual critique of the modern world. The programme of events will offer an exciting opportunity to engage with a broad range of disciplines and top practitioners from the UK and beyond – not to mention exciting local talent.

The much-anticipated events will be held in some of the city's most impressive and innovative venues across the festival's three Design Districts.

The festival will kick off on Thursday with An Evening Extravaganza of Printed Passion! the first of three very special ensemble evening events in the Graphic District. The opening night features four practising designers who represent the very cream of the crop, and have a passion for print: Rejane Dal Bello, Craig Oldham, Astrid Stavro and Anthony Burrill.

Friday in the Graphic District will see an amazing line-up of thinkers, designers and creative maestros who are all experts on branding and advertising, hosted by Patrick Burgoyne, Editor of Creative Review. An Adventure into Advertising & Bighearted Branding! will feature Jack Renwick, Trevor Beattie, Jim Sutherland and Marina Willer.

Over in the Digital district on Friday the event Future Interfaces will celebrate the future of user interface design, featuring talented designers Basak Haznedaroglu, Andrew Booth, Sam Munnings and Gemma Kingsley who are all making futuristic UI for film, TV and digital product.

Saturday afternoon will see a special screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story at The Electric Cinema with an introduction from Andrew Booth (Creative Director BLIND Ltd) and Laura Dishington (Lead Designer on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Blade Runner 2049) who collaborated on the film.

On into Saturday evening the third and final celebration in the Graphic District, An Illuminating Celebration of Colour, Craft & Creativity! will take place at the impressive Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Alongside these headline events, the festival programme will feature workshops, talks, exhibitions, demonstrations and screenings curated into three Design Districts across the four days. The Graphic district will be in the city centre, the Digital district in the Digbeth area of the city and the Product district will feature venues in the city's historic and unique Jewellery Quarter.

The festival curators have taken great care to include both modern and historic venues across Birmingham, in order to showcase the innovative institutions and rich heritage the city has to offer.

Each district will have a hub venue which will play host to a diverse programme of FREE talks featuring some of the world's most innovative, award-winning creative studios including R/GA, Rosie Lee, B-Reel, Make, Gensler and DBLG.

Tickets for these free events are also available online: birminghamdesignfestival.org.uk