Ad Gefrin Design Challenge aimed at creative Northumberland businesses

Northumberland based creative businesses are being invited by The Rural Design Centre Innovation Project (RDCIP) and Ad Gefrin to take part in a locally-focused design challenge. The aim of the challenge is to design, create and produce bespoke new gift products with the ultimate chance to sell them through the highly anticipated Ad Gefrin Visitor Experience and Distillery when it opens in Wooler in 2022.

In teaming up to support business owners and designer-makers through the process, Ad Gefrin and the RDCIP are aiming to help local businesses to generate, test and develop new goods that celebrate the best of Northumberland.

Launching on Monday 26^th July, Northumberland businesses are invited to sign up for the challenge by visiting the RDCIP website.   Here they will find out how they can get involved, what Ad Gefrin are looking for and what sort of support is on offer to ensure that this challenge is able to successfully bring to life the creativity, ingenuity and quality of rural businesses. However, there will be plenty of time after this date for designer-makers to show their interest and sign up for the Challenge.

Products should be unique, environmentally sustainable, commercially viable and of course, rooted in Northumbrian culture. They could be inspired by (but not restricted to): Textiles, Glass, Leather, Jewellery, Ceramics and Wood.

The new Ad Gefrin visitor experience and distillery will provide a magnet for tourism, as well as an important export boost for the region. Commenting on the launch of the new challenge, Eileen Ferguson, Partner in Ad Gefrin with her husband, Alan, said: “Northumberland is a county with innovation and creativity at its very core. At Ad Gefrin, we are focused on becoming a place where local heritage, culture, food, arts and crafts will be re-imagined, celebrated and promoted in a contemporary future-facing marketplace. In bringing together exciting new creations from within our community in this new challenge, we hope to continue inspiring and supporting local businesses, and forge even stronger bonds with our local area.”

To mentor and help businesses throughout the process, creatives will be offered invaluable professional insight and grant support. At the end of the challenge there will be the opportunity to pitch for a commission to be stocked by Ad Gefrin and sold through their new state-of-the art visitor destination and online.

Nick Devitt from The Rural Design Centre Innovation Project said: “This new design challenge is such an exciting opportunity for local businesses to showcase their creativity and craft. We are all really looking forward to not only seeing what innovations rural businesses come up with, but also to supporting them throughout their design process.”

If you would like to get involved and feel that you could rise to the challenge, then we want to hear from you!”

 To register or find out more information please go to - https://www.rural-innovation.co.uk/events