Celestial Origins is this year’s theme for the AngloGold Ashanti AuDITIONS competition. This concept draws inspiration from the story of gold's beginnings, which can be traced back billions of years and light-years away to the core of a star. The inherent value of gold is amplified by its celestial, almost otherworldly properties that journeyed across the universe and were passed down to Earth – much like our ancestry and cultural traditions are passed down from one generation to the next.
AuDITIONS is a design competition established by AngloGold Ashanti to encourage original and striking contemporary gold design. The competition has been running since 1999 and it targets both students and design professionals. Its aim is to raise the profile of design in South Africa and reposition gold as a valuable and desirable commodity. It is about creating shared value through the AngloGold Ashanti brand, by including the greater community in conversations around gold and by sharing its resources and knowledge with the gold industry beyond mining to support downstream activities.
While the emphasis of the competition is on the use of gold in the design and manufacture of bespoke jewellery and gold accessories, equally important is the focus on skills transfer and development. As such, the competition is a vehicle for nurturing, promoting and showcasing the skills of South Africa’s most talented designers, across all creative disciplines.
All prospective entrants are invited to attend Gold Seminars, which take place in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in the last week of July 2013. These seminars will explore different aspects of both gold and jewellery design, with a practical component and a special presentation by a world-renowned jewellery designer.
Competition prizes include having the winning works manufactured into a finished gold piece, a generous cash component, tickets to Design Indaba 2015 and a minted gold bar.
Download the entry form here. Deadline: 30 August 2013.
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