ENGLISH VERSION
The Folkwang University of the Arts is offering two Designer/Artist-in-Residence fellowships from July 27, 2026 to October 24, 2026 as part of the transfer project Sustainability by Design (SBYD), focusing on the themes Narratives and Tech.
The project Sustainability by Design, funded under the “Innovative Hochschule” program by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Aerospace (BMFTR) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK), runs from January 1, 2023 until the end of 2027 within the Industrial Design group at the Faculty of Design. The goal of SBYD is to transfer knowledge from sustainability research into society and the economy through design.
Applications are open to Ghanaian artists and designers who wish to develop an independent project in this context.
Residency: NARRATIVES
We are looking for artists, designers, researchers, or storytellers who engage with the question:
How can narratives challenge dominant linear logic and open up spaces for a sustainable future?
Across different cultures, stories about circular economy, sufficiency, regeneration, care, and community reveal diverse relationships with raw materials and resources. We view these narratives not only as descriptions of past or future possibilities, but as tools for action in the present.
Residency: TECH
For the TECH residency, we are looking for a person who will focus on the question: How can new technologies (e.g. Internet of Things, AI, Generative Manufacturing, Extended Reality, DIY-Electronics) be part of the transformation towards sustainable living or production manners?
The fellowship includes:
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€1,000 per month stipend to cover living expenses (€3,000 total for the three-month residency)
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Free accommodation for the duration of the residency (a private room per fellow in a shared furnished apartment)
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€1,500 material budget
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Travel costs covered (economy class) from Ghana to Essen and back
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A studio at the Folkwang University building on the grounds of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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Access to well-equipped university facilities, including:
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Wood, metal, ceramic, and plastics workshops
(including CNC milling, laser cutting, ceramic 3D printing, etc.) -
Bio lab / experimental kitchen
(cooking and food processing equipment, dehydrator, laminar flow workstation, autoclave, microscope with 4K camera, incubator, fermentation tools, etc.) -
Textile workshop
(Kniterate digital knitting machine, manual knitting machines, CNC embroidery machine, various sewing machines, etc.) -
Digital design labs
(additive manufacturing, XR technologies, physical computing, electronics, etc.) -
Photo studios and facilities for high-quality fine art printing
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Exhibition of the developed work at Dutch Design Week 2026 in Eindhoven (NL)
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Access to a network of partners, including sustainability research institutes such as Wuppertal Institute and Fraunhofer UMSICHT, as well as the SBYD team (15 members from various design disciplines)
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Access to a regional network of museums and craftspeople specializing in diverse materials and techniques
Further details and application information can be found in the PDF.
For questions, the SBYD team can be contacted at: sbyd@folkwang-uni.de.