Directing the Sasakawa Awards
UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
An experience to celebrate 10 years of disaster risk reduction
- Brand Strategy
- Graphic Design
- Event
- Video
The Sasakawa Awards are held annually as part of a conference organised by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR – formally UNISDR). For its 10th year in 2015, the conference took place in Sendai in the north of Japan.
Eat was tasked with planning and executing an event to celebrate 10 years of achievements of Sasakawa Award winners. This involved developing the overall concept, creative direction, stage-set production and event management, as well as working with a team of UNDRR representatives across multiple regions and time zones.
We approached the event as a multi-disciplinary project that would bring together design, film and dance to take the audience on an emotional journey
We approached the event as a multi-disciplinary project that would bring together design, film and dance to take the audience on an emotional journey and highlight the achievements of organisation. Visually, our theme was ‘ribbons’ – a versatile device, deep rooted within many cultures, which would tie the diverse elements within the event together.
These elements ranged from the stage design to the creation of a short film celebrating the contribution the Sasakawa Awards has made to disaster risk reduction around the world, as well as a live dance performance.
A series of stylised ‘tanabata’ trees made from Re-board, a high-strength recycled cardboard greeted participants at the entrance to the event. Attendees were invited to attach ribbons to the trees, allowing them to ‘blossom’ over the course of the event.