The Call for Submissions is now closed. Thank you to all those who participated and submitted a response to the brief below! All the submissions are now showcased in an online gallery. Check out the gallery and browse through the responses by clicking on the button below.

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Introduction

Language is not only a product of human life – it is a pre-requisite that humans require to form relationships. As a fundamental form of expression, language binds us together.

A language can be visual – made up of complex ideas of truth deeply rooted in symbols, custom and imagery. Mother Tongue is about the power of language – verbal and visual, formal and informal. First language. Native language. It honours languages at risk of being lost in our globalising society and those that have survived the forces of colonisation.

Mother Tongue is a healing process – stimulating creative dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous designers, students of design, poets and writers. Mother Tongue is a cross-cultural platform to open discussion around the role of contemporary indigenous design and to encourage collaborative projects that deepen our understanding of people’s culture in our visual world of this 21 century.

“We need a culture shift. Can design reconcile differences? “Let’s begin a journey of understanding – fostering a new respect for life, nature and the natural world. Let’s value the principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity and kinship.”

- David Lancashire, Melbourne (Australia)

To read the full brief, download the Call for Submissions (PDF – 568KB).