Hello, and welcome to the first London Design Festival bulletin of the year. We're busy planning activity for September, so this bulletin is aimed at giving you an update on bits of news alongside a small selection of design activity in London happening now.

Each monthly bulletin will act as a countdown to the 2010 London Design Festival (18-26 September). So, just eight months to go then!

Events in London

The Festival may be a some time away, but there is ALWAYS an interesting range of design events taking place in London. Here we take a very selective pick of happenings being staged by some of our partner organisations:

Kemistry Gallery
The small but dynamic Kemistry Gallery in Shoreditch opened its latest show last week, with Danish designers Nan Na Hvass and Sofie Hannibal presenting silkscreen images, posters and wooden sculptures from interpreted random data.. A graphic experience well worth having!

Design Museum
The second part of Design Museum's Designers in Residence programme starts 27 January. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation supported initiative sees interventions from Asif Khan, Bethan Wood and Farm transform the ground floor of the Museum.

Royal College of Art
The RCA's Work In Progress shows continue (3-9 February) with different departments demonstrating the talent behind on-going projects. At the college galleries you'll find contributions from the Architecture, Vehicle Design, Printmaking and Animation among others, with some pieces for sale / commission.

Nan Na Hvass and Sofie Hannibal at Kemistry Gallery

Hidden Art
The eagerly awaited annual Hidden Art Awards take place at Rich Mix, 4 February. William Knight - the Festival's Deputy Director is one judges assessing the year's output from across the Hidden Art family.

Catch it while you can...

Design Real
The Serpentine Gallery's ground-breaking design show Design Real ends 7 February. If you've yet to visit the striking homage to contemporary product design make sure you do before it's too late!

Designersblock
The designersblock duo, Rory Dodd and Piers Roberts have a hectic start to 2010. They're currently on the cover of IDFX magazine and plotting their next show at Interiors 2010 at the NEC in Birmingham (24 - 27 January).

Viaduct Sale
No January is complete without a rummage around a sale room. There are lots to choose from, but a favourite is always Viaduct. Finishes 23 January.

Design Real at the Serpentine Gallery

Calls for entry

Award season is nearly upon us. Was 2009 a vintage year for you? Then get entering...

Grafik Design Awards
The launch of the Grafik Design Awards sees the UK's first awards dedicated solely to graphic design. Judges include Manchester’s legendary art director Peter Saville, Kate Moross (note the spelling), Wim Crouwel and Poke's Nik Roope. Deadline: 31 January

Cockpit Arts
If you are a designer-maker who has been in business for at least three years and you're looking for a boost to your business, the newly launched Cockpit Arts Award may be for you. The winner will receive a place at a Cockpit Arts incubator with a package worth £4,000. Deadline: 1 March

D&AD Awards
Your chance to win a yellow pencil is coming up fast. Deadline: 27 January

Future shows

We're big Ron Arad fans, and so it seems is the Barbican given the extensive programme of talks and events around the forthcoming Restless exhibition. The show opens 18 February and runs until mid May.

The London Festival of Architecture
The next LFA takes place 19 June - 4 July. A workshop is taking place 1 February (6-8pm) for potential event organisers at the RIBA. See here for more detail on the Festival, and get building for the LFA.

The University of the Arts London is soon to launch Futurising a website (going live in February) and festival (June) which, they say, ‘is the very first recruitment and opportunities festival specifically designed for creative graduates'. If you're interested in supporting or getting involved in Futurising contact info@futurising.org

Talks & Conferences…

V&A Connects
The V&A Connects programme lanches at the end of January. Staged on the last Tuesday of every month, V&A Connects offers a series of informal discussions and the opportunity for a drink and chat with creative professionals. Details of the first two sessions below, but the line up has been confirmed until June see here for more.

26 January V&A Connects - with onedotzero
Digital Futures: Storytelling in the Digital Domain
A show and tell session that invites you to bring along your own one-line story…

23 February: V&A Connects - with RIBA and Aberrant Architecture
Join V&A Architects in Residence Kevin Haley and David Chambers for a surreal twist on the future workplace.

All V&A Connects talks are: £8, £6 concessions (includes drinks)
Book online or call +44 (0)20 7942 2211

Royal College of Art
Two talks that are part of the Part of the Architecture Foundation’s London-Rome series…

9 February, 7pm in Lecture Theatre 1: Mao in conversation with AOC. The talk features Rome based practice Mao with young London architects the AOC. Chaired by RCA Head of Architecture, Professor Nigel Coates.

16 February, 7pm in Lecture Theatre 1: Andrea Stipa in conversation with Carmody Groarke, Italian architect Andrea Stipa and the two founding partners of Carmody Groarke Architects. Chaired by Ellis Woodman from BD Magazine.

Places are free but need to be booked in advance by email: architecture@rca.ac.uk

Get in touch

If you'd like to know more about the London Design Festival, or take part in the programme we'd like to hear from you Email us or follow us on Facebook & Twitter for regular updates.

Our next newsletter will be sent 18 February (by which time it'll be 7 months to go until the London Festival 2010!).