Integration through creative collaboration: design in the context of social integration
What began as a social awareness campaign Illegal Beauty also soon became a cultural network motivating an ongoing collaboration between individuals, communities, and organizations involving ‘People without papers’. The campaign aimed to stimulate an intelligent and critical discussion about the legal invisibility of humans, and design became a tool for discussing “human illegality”. Participants applied their knowledge and skills to creative collaborations with various invited artists and designers from Belgium.
A label and brand identity became the tool to shape and inform this complex dialogue for public presentation and discussion. Moreover, several events for the Illegal Beauty campaign were produced; a catwalk, concert, and art exhibitions, each adding to a more nuanced and informed public event.
Here collaborative design was used as a successful facilitator for shifting political debate into a multi-channeled dialogue.