‘What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.’

Pericles, (495-429 B.C)

In October of this year, three hundred passionate Production Designers travelled to the small island of Spetses, Greece to exchange knowledge, skills, stories, and the challenges we collectively face. The Production Designers Gathering was a 5-day event structured as a mixture of panels, workshops, and social gatherings such as mindfulness practice, sketching sessions, walks around the island and communal dinners to network.

Talks included Fostering Creativity, What Makes a Great Art Department, Wellbeing at Work, Building Worlds, VFX Collaboration, Research and Inspiration, Sustainable Production Design, Production Designers United, Advocacy and more. The Gathering provided a safe and inspiring place for designers to talk openly about their processes, and how being a designer is integrated into their day-to-day life.

This gathering of like-minded creatives has started important discussions on a global scale and has created a network for designers to make positive changes in the industry. We are not alone. I am excited for what these connections can bring to future of design in Australia and beyond.

#PutDesignersOnTheClapperboard

Production Designs United Panel: Chuck Parker (ADG Executive Director, USA), Fiona Donovan (APDG Vice President, Australia), Diego Garcia (ATAAC, Colombia), May Davies (BFDG / Bectu, UK), Inbal Weinberg (United Scenic Artists, PD Collective, USA) (Moderator)

Emerging Designers (centre) : Ara Nuri Steel and Courtney Westbrook

Fostering Creativity Panel: K.K. Barrett (Her), Estefania Larrain (Neruda), Naomi Shohan (Constantine), Jean-Vincent Puzos (Amour), Inbal Weinberg (Moderator) (Suspiria)

Article and photographs provided by Courtney Westbrook 2022