Mayo native is a finalist in Design & Crafts Council Ireland's Future Makers Awards
Diane Best from Mayo has been shortlisted in the 'Student and Recent Graduates' category for this year’s Future Makers Awards from Design & Crafts Council Ireland.
Established in 2009, Future Makers is a Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) initiative which recognises talent, potential and creativity. It is a platform to showcase the talent of the next generation of makers, designers and craftspeople looking to take the step from training into enterprise and it provides them with much-needed financial support.
With a total awards value of €25,000, it is one of the largest prize-funded design and craft award programmes in Europe.
This year’s competition saw an impressive range of entries from all around Ireland, with each one demonstrating a unique approach to creating beautiful and functional works of art.
From furniture and fashion design to ceramics and glassblowing, the shortlisted makers represent the most innovative and creative young designers and makers in Ireland, spanning both student and emerging practitioner categories.
Rosemary Steen, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said: “Future Makers is a fantastic initiative that recognises students and emerging makers that are championing design across Ireland. The shortlisted candidates represent the most innovative and creative young designers and makers in the country, and they have demonstrated exceptional skill, creativity and potential in their respective fields.
“The awards are a steppingstone that can propel their career to new heights in their chosen discipline. I’d like to wish all those shortlisted the very best of luck in the awards ceremony.”
The judges for this year’s Future Makers include: Victoria Donovan, a silversmith with almost 40 years of experience; Irish fashion designer, owner of The Linen Shirt Company and founder of Fashion Connect Ireland, Anneliese Duffy Fallon; Katie Dominy, co-founder and CEO of Arts Thread and The Global Creative Graduate Show; Fiona Sheehan, an entrepreneur and brand owner with over 25 years of experience in the design, manufacturing, wholesale and distribution of Irish-made products; and Belén Llamas-Ferrier, an apprentice of André Buchs’s and an expert in antique frames and techniques, as well as in the design of contemporary frames.
The winners and runners-up will be announced for each category at the Future Makers Awards on Tuesday, September 3, in the RDS Dublin. Find out more at https://www.dcci.ie/dcci-future-makers.