Irish Design Week, Day Four: Distinctive Repetition

Distinctive Repetition in collaboration with Design & Crafts Council Ireland presents ‘To Be a Part of Something’.

An immersive event, featuring performances by Seán MacErlaine and Tomoko Sauvage, Dan Trueman, and Benjamin Dwyer, as well as contributions by Garth Knox, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Fiona Hallinan, and Dr Jonathan C.Creasy.

There are certain projects where close collaboration and symbiosis are not just a method, but a necessity. Visual communication for musicians and storytellers is one of the clearest examples of this, and Distinctive Repetition has been profoundly privileged to work with some of the finest contemporary musicians in Ireland and abroad. These projects are always a labour of love, a venture into new territories, with new languages learned and sometimes invented along the way. During this immersive event, we will be joined by a selection of musicians, publishers, and artists, connected through their engagement with the practice of Irish design.

An exploration of boundaries (and their blurring), we will illuminate the processes and relationships that enable us to communicate visually about sound and music, revealing design as complementary, as a tool of translation, and an artistic expression in its own right.

Distinctive Repetition

Established by Rossi McAuley in 2012, Distinctive Repetition is a Dublin-based design studio with a deep-rooted commitment to culture, creativity, and community. Highly awarded for its work, the studio has been honoured to be recognised across numerous disciplines in the annual ICAD Awards (Institute of Creative Advertising and Design), has received various 100 Archive selections since its inception, and most recently was awarded on a European level at the ADCE* in 2024.

Our practice is grounded in collaboration, and we work closely with clients from initial concept to final execution, ensuring each project is resonant, relevant, and strategically sound. We seek to make the abstract tangible and to communicate remarkable ideas, no matter how big or small. We believe in design that tells stories and shifts perspectives, and we’re passionate about working with those who share that vision. We make Time Machines, so we can communicate the best of who we are to people we will never meet.

Design Diplomacy featuring Banjo Beale and Anna Sutcliffe

Design Diplomacy. 6:15pm-7:15pm
Design Diplomacy is a concept developed by Helsinki Design Week, and produces unique, intimate conversations between two creative minds. During the event the international design professional meets an Irish designer over a card game of questions. Visitors will have an opportunity to experience carefully curated and unique conversations as in each situation the participants meet for the first time.

Australian Designer: Banjo Beale

Banjo Beale is an Australian designer, author and TV presenter who has made the remote Scottish islands his home. After leaving a career in advertising in Australia, he travelled the world before settling on the Isle of Mull with his partner Ro. There, Banjo embraced island life and developed a resourceful, sustainable design philosophy rooted in repurposing and creativity with whatever materials are at hand.

Banjo rose to prominence after winning the BBC’s Interior Design Masters and went on to front Designing the Hebrides, his BAFTA award winning BBC series that follows his inventive makeovers of lighthouses, castles and bothies across Scotland’s rugged island landscapes.

Banjo is also the host of Scotland’s Home of the Year on BBC Scotland, travelling from the city to the Highlands and islands. His book Wild Isle Style continues this ethos, celebrating design that is characterful, sustainable and deeply inspired by place.

In 2025, Banjo and Ro took on their boldest challenge yet, relocating to the tiny community owned Isle of Ulva, signing a rent and repair lease, investing their life savings to transform a crumbling mansion into their home and a boutique retreat. Their journey is being filmed for a new BBC series, The Grand Island Hotel, capturing the trials and triumphs of reimagining heritage architecture in one of Scotland’s wildest and most remote locations.

Irish Designer: Anna Sutcliffe

Anna Sutcliffe is the founder of House of Achill, a design studio creating unique products and bespoke garments inspired by the landscapes and heritage of Achill Island and Ireland. With a focus on using Irish materials and local production, Anna’s work celebrates contemporary creativity rooted in tradition. The playful yet thoughtful designs have been recognised with a nomination in the Irish Country Magazine Craft Awards, and collaborations include designing for Mucros Weavers of Killarney.

Beyond the studio, Anna is dedicated to strengthening Ireland’s craft and design communities. She serves as Chairperson of the Island Guild, a new initiative representing makers on Ireland’s offshore islands, and works as a Development Officer for the Mayo and Donegal offshore islands with Comhar na nOileán, supporting cultural and economic sustainability. Bridging design, community, and place, Anna brings a perspective that connects local craft with global conversations.

Join us at the Royal Irish Academy of Music for an evening filled with inspiring discussions, innovative ideas, and creative collaborations.

Also check out other Arts events in Dublin, Music events in Dublin, Entertainment events in Dublin.