SVA Made in Yame is an intensive product design program that takes you deep into the cultural heart of Japan. Study with the finest craftspeople; visit ancient temples and shrines; and relish the food, architecture and landscape of this extraordinary country. Yame is a small, rural city on the western island of Kyushu, located one hour from Fukuoka, one of the largest cities in Japan. Though best known for its green tea, Yame is also home to an extraordinary concentration of traditional crafts and cultural preservation, and it provides an exceptional context in which to practice translating traditional Japanese crafts and forms into contemporary product designs.
The program includes inspirational trips into the surrounding hills, green tea fields and a centuries-old sake brewery. Upon completion of the course, interested participants will have the opportunity to show their work to buyers at the MoMA Design Store.
Prerequisites: Applicants must have completed at least two years of college-level studies, and have some knowledge of three-dimensional design for production.
Note: A portfolio of at least six samples of three-dimensional design or design sketching must be submitted following a completed application form. Acceptance to this program is based upon portfolio review.
Tuition Includes: Travel from Fukuoka City to Yame, local transportation, lodging in Fukuoka and Yame with breakfast, admission to sites and museums, welcome and farewell meals and most lunches.
Activity Level: 2-3 on the RPE Scale