In 2014 in Milan, BE OPEN launched the Young Talent Award programme to scout out emerging designers and give them support whilst they develop their work.
BE OPEN’s Young Talent Award allowed the Foundation to act as a patron of contemporary design, seeking out and incubating new talent. The ultimate aim is to showcase brilliant young designers and integrate them into the working world, bringing their thinking to life.
In 2014 the theme was North/South/East/West, with a focus on industrial design.
The emphasis in this prize was on productivity scholarships, research and theoretical speculation. Candidates were to be in the transitionary phase between academia and professional life. They should have been able to demonstrate sound design capabilities, but were judged on their potential, rather then on work achieved to date.
The Award intended to act as a bursary to support day-to-day living expenses, so that winners could continue to work at their own pace, experiment with both practical and imaginative projects and discuss their ideas for production with corporates, laboratories, industry professionals and mentors. BE OPEN also supported the production of any one product made by the winner during the year.
