The elita cultural association was formed in Milan in 2005 to develop a local network of people working in music and the new media. That year saw the first Elita Festival, a music event of the highest standard that adds to the rich cultural offer of Milan Design Week. The festival is a networking platform that, for a whole week, brings together the finest local music production and the best clubs, as well as presenting its own line-up of artists drawn from the cream of the world's music scene – more than 50 names this year, including Paul Kalkbrenner, Carl Craig, DJ GrandmasterFlash, Battles and the DJ Kicks project.

Music and so much more, Elita has always organised exhibitions, performances, workshops, lectures and more. This year saw activities ranging from an exhibition design in the Teatro Franco Parenti, elita's headquarters, curated by Atelier Forte to The Wild Side of the Street street-culture exhibition at the Don Gallery, passing via the Jamscape installation by Jawbone and Yves Bèhar, Arrington de Dionyso's Suara Naga, Claudio Cassano's AI Neiko and a talk with Santeria and The Hub – to mention only a few of the dates on the Wild Culture programme, which ended on Sunday with the Elita Design Award, held in collaboration with IED. Ten installations were shortlisted for this and then a jury composed of Valentina Ventrelli, Rossella Bertolazzi, Massimo Torrigiani and Umberto Angelini, chose Torafu Archiects' Canon installation on Sunday evening, at SuperStudio Più, via Tortona 27.

As well as all this, fine food and wine were also on offer plus the customary market of local designer self-productions, found all year round at Elita Sunday Park.

12-17 April
Headquarters - Teatro Franco Parenti
Via Pier Lombardo 14, Milano