Jurnate del Design – Sicilian Design Week
The Sicilian Design Week blending craftsmanship, social innovation, and sustainability
About Jurnate del Design
Jurnate del Design, the Design Week of Sicily
Jurnate del Design is a widespread event that transforms Sicily into a vast laboratory for the future. Promoted by the Messina Community Foundation in collaboration with the Horcynus Orca Foundation, the Komad designer collective, The Playful Living, and the Toy Bee laboratory, the festival takes design out of the showrooms and into the heart of the territory. Ceramics, goldsmithing, textiles, and traditional crafts become the raw material for designing new models of sustainable development and social economy.
A widespread week across Messina and Sicily
The festival's headquarters are in Messina, the city on the Strait, with the Horcynus Orca Park in Capo Peloro serving as the creative hub and home to the emerging Design Center. However, workshops are held across the island, involving Patti, in the Messina area, and Mirabella Imbaccari, in the Catania area, along with other centers like Palermo, creating a network that connects communities, high schools, universities, and businesses.
Design as a social tool
The guiding principle of Jurnate del Design is clear: design is not experienced as a simple aesthetic exercise, but as a planning process capable of regenerating craftsmanship, local cultures, and the regional economy. Leading Italian designers coordinate interactive workshops and labs alongside students, artisans, and cooperatives formed by workers from struggling businesses, with the goal of turning tradition into new job opportunities.
Workshops and protagonists
- Sicilian ceramics in Patti, with the relaunch of the work of Ceramiche Siciliane Pattesi;
- Art toys and designer toys curated by toy designer Bernardo Corbellini with students from the E. Basile Institute;
- Bobbin lace and play-therapy in Mirabella Imbaccari, with the Opera del Tombolo;
- Messina goldsmithing and neighborhood brand identity, coordinated by designers such as Luca Fois from Polidesign in Milan.
A biennial festival
Jurnate del Design follows a biennial schedule: the first year is dedicated to design and concept development, while the following year focuses on presenting the realized projects and products. Supported by PN Metro Plus funds through the Municipality of Messina, the event has become a key appointment for those who view design as a driver of social and cultural regeneration in Sicily.
Jurnate del Design — edition 2026
2026 Edition – «Si può fare»
The second edition of Jurnate del Design was held from February 23 to March 1, 2026, with the theme «Si può fare», reaffirming the festival's vocation to bridge design with social innovation. The opening, on the morning of February 23 at the Municipality of Messina, featured an introductory lecture by creative advisor Luca Fois and speeches by Gaetano Giunta, president of the Messina Foundation, Franco Olivieri of the Horcynus Orca Foundation, and Mayor Federico Basile.
Interactive workshops involved Italian designers, students, and cooperatives: in Patti, the revival of ceramics with Ceramiche Siciliane Pattesi and architect Marta Meda; in Messina, art toys curated by toy designer Bernardo Corbellini with the E. Basile Institute; and in Mirabella Imbaccari, bobbin lace as a tool for play-therapy with the Opera del Tombolo. The festival, supported by the Messina Community Foundation and the «Colapesce» project with PN Metro Plus funds, confirmed the Horcynus Orca Park as the island's future Design Center.
Programme Jurnate del Design 2026
2026 Program
- February 23 – Inauguration at the Municipality of Messina with an introductory lecture by Luca Fois and institutional speeches by the Messina Foundation, the Horcynus Orca Foundation, and the Municipality of Messina.
- Patti – Sicilian ceramics workshop with Ceramiche Siciliane Pattesi and architect Marta Meda.
- Messina – Art toys workshop with toy designer Bernardo Corbellini and students from the E. Basile Institute.
- Mirabella Imbaccari – Bobbin lace and play-therapy workshop with the Opera del Tombolo and Bernardo Corbellini.
- February 28 – March 1 – Presentation of results and final seminar on communication models and territorial identity.
Highlights Jurnate del Design 2026
- Edition theme: «Si può fare»
- Widespread workshops between Messina, Patti, and Mirabella Imbaccari
- Prominent designers: Luca Fois, Bernardo Corbellini, Marta Meda
- Ceramics, art toys, and bobbin lace reinterpreted in a contemporary key
- Partners: Horcynus Orca Foundation, Komad, The Playful Living, Toy Bee, University of Messina, Slow Food Italia
Prices Jurnate del Design 2026
Practical information — Jurnate del Design
Where
Jurnate del Design takes place across various locations including Messina (Horcynus Orca Park, Capo Peloro, and city venues), Patti, Mirabella Imbaccari, and other Sicilian centers. The main venue is the Horcynus Orca Park, in the Torre Faro area of Messina.
How to get there
Messina is accessible by train (Messina Centrale station) and by car via the A20 Messina-Palermo and A18 Messina-Catania motorways; the Horcynus Orca Park is located at Capo Peloro, at the northern tip of the city. From Reggio Calabria, you can arrive via the ferries that cross the Strait.
Information
The program, workshops, and participation details are published on the Messina Community Foundation website (fdcmessina.org). Many activities are aimed at schools, students, and local operators.
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Where does it take place — Jurnate del Design
Parco Horcynus Orca