Open Call for Designers in Residence in Pforzheim 2020

International Scholarship program for young designers in Pforzheim, Germany.

Designers in Residence addresses to young designers working in the fields of jewelry, fashion, accessory and industrial design. Fully equipped workplaces in the workshops of the creative center will be available for the scholarship holders’ use, as well as accommodation for the period of the scholarship. If required, the scholarship holders can also use the workshops of Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. In addition, each scholarship holder receives monthly support and a reimbursement of the travel expenses for arrival and departure. The results of the work fellowship will be presented in an exhibition at the EMMA – Creative Center Pforzheim as well as in cooperation with the Design Center Baden – Württemberg in Stuttgart.
 
After their graduation, designers often do not have the time to develop their own projects, says Almut Benkert, head of the Creative Industries Department in Pforzheim and of the EMMA Creative Center. During the last years we recognized how important it is to our scholarship holders to have the time and the calmness to really focus on their work and also to experiment with new material or new techniques.

The scholarship takes place from April 1 to June 30, 2020 in Pforzheim, Germany. The scholarship holders are invited to work at the EMMA Creative Center, which is the central platform for creative people in Pforzheim. The creative center is housed on the premises of a former swimming pool designed in the art nouveau style next to the river Enz in Pforzheim. It has an area of 3000m² and offers workshops and coworking workplaces, ateliers, offices and exhibition spaces. The town of Pforzheim is also characterized by an active creative scene which is focused on the area of design. Numerous university graduates, young entrepreneurs, freelancers and companies in the creative industry work in Pforzheim. The faculty of design at Pforzheim University has established Pforzheim as a university town with an international reputation.


Conditions:
The scholarship program is directed towards young international designers in the areas of jewellery, fashion, accessory and industrial design. Applicants must have completed studies at a university of applied sciences or university, must not be older than 35 years and / or must have completed their studies not longer than two years ago. Language skills in German or English are required. 


Scholarship benefits
In total there will be three scholarships. Of all applications, the three best will be considered. The scholarship includes use of fully equipped workshop and coworking workplaces in the EMMA Creative Center in Pforzheim and free accommodation for the period of three months. As required, it will also be possible to use the workshop facilities of the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. In addition, each scholarship holder will receive a monthly support of 1,000 euros together with travel costs for the journey from and back to home. A special allowance will be made available for material costs. The results of the scholarship will be presented in an exhibition at the EMMA Creative Center in Pforzheim and in cooperation with the Design Center Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. Those accepting the scholarship are required to be in residence. The scholarship holder may only be absent for a maximum of 10 days.


Jury
A jury of renowned designers who are also available to support the scholarship holders and to give advice chooses the scholarship holders:

Sam Tho Duong attended the city’s Hochschule für Gestaltung, where he earned his diploma in 2002 after training as a goldsmith in Pforzheim. Since then, he is working as a freelance designer in Pforzheim and is known for his detailed and complex jewelry, especially for his Frozen series, which features freshwater rice pearls. His work is presented in private collections and museums worldwide, for example in the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, the Museum of Art and Design in New York or the CODA Museum in Apeldoorn. Furthermore, he received several awards, such as the Staatspreis Baden-Württemberg, Friedrich Becker prize or the Herbert-Hofmann prize.

Stefan Lippert is one of the managing partners of UP Designstudio, one of the larger product design consultancies in Germany. The office works for its predominantly market-leading clients in the fields of user experience - innovation - design. The work of UP Designstudio has won more than forty renowned international design awards for creative solutions in design and development. In addition to his work as managing director and consultant at UP Designstudio, Stefan Lippert is also active as a startup-entrepreneur. This is how the ELMOTO electric motorcycle and GIBBON Slacklines were created under his management.

Bettina Weiss studied fashion design at Pforzheim University after her tailor graduation and an employment at the theatre. During her studies, she worked as a Technical & Color Designer for Adidas Stella Mc Cartney and afterwards for Adidas Sport Performance Design. Currently, Bettina Weiss is Senior Designer at Adidas Heartbeat Sports/Specialist Sports. Since 2016, she is also lecturing in Sportswear and Leisure Wear at Pforzheim University´s Faculty of Design.


Key Dates
22.11.2019 Last day to apply.
Mid of December 2019 Decision will be made.
01.04.2020 - 30.06.2020,  A.i.R in Pforzheim, Germany.


„Designers in Residence“ is sponsored by:
Sparkasse Pforzheim Calw, C. Hafner GmbH + Co.KG, Rotary Club Pforzheim-Schloßberg, Witzenmann GmbH, La Biosthétique Paris, Klingel and yellow design gmbh.