The Making of the Future: Now
Published by Edinburgh Art Festival, 2017

Edited by Sorcha Carey and Jane Connarty

Designed by James Brook

ISBN 978 0 9929909 3 0

Softback | 165 x 210 mm | 56 pages
Printed by Allander, Edinburgh, on Cocoon Offset 100% recycled paper 160 gsm with an 
8-page section of Cocoon 100% Silk 170gsm

This is the fourth book that I have designed for the Edinburgh Art Festival, it accompanied The Making of the Future: Now, the Festival’s 2017 commissions programme. 

The Making of the Future: Now ‘invites artists to reflect on two important anniversaries 
for our city – the foundation of the first Edinburgh Festival in 1947, and the publication in 1917 of Patrick Geddes’ The Making of the Future: A Manifesto and a Project. Separated by a generation, both were born directly out of the experience of global conflict, and a strong belief that artists could play a critical role in helping societies to imagine new and better ways of living. Presenting new projects by Scottish and international artists at sites in around Edinburgh’s Old Town, The Making of the Future: Now pays homage to the physical and intellectual legacy of Geddes and the festival in our city, and makes a claim for the continued relevance of their ideas today.’

Artists include: Bobby Niven, Zoë Walker and Neil Bromwich, Toby Paterson, and Shannon Te Ao with ‘Garden Residencies’ from Neil Bickerton, Alison Scott, Daisy Lafarge, and Deirdre Nelson. The book includes Patrick Geddes' essay, The Making of the Future: A Manifesto and a Project as an eight page section at the back of the book, printed on a different paper stock from the main body of the book.


Sorcha Carey, Director, Edinburgh Art Festival: We have worked with James Brook on a number of different festival design projects since 2014, ranging from substantial exhibition catalogues, smaller interpretation booklets and leaflets, through to devising bespoke identities for discrete projects and initiatives. He has a wealth of knowledge of typography, graphic design, print and book production, is incredibly thoughtful and considered in his approach, and always responds to a brief with creativity and rigour in equal measure. I can’t recommend him highly enough. 
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