Open Call for Avans students: Stuttgart Summer Camp 2026

The Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (Caradt) invites Avans students to apply for participation in the second edition of the Stuttgart Summer Camp 2026. This Summer Camp offers an intensive and collective learning experience in the heart of Stuttgart. Together with students and teachers from across Europe (Norway, Germany, Romania, Serbia and Switzerland), you will explore new ways of understanding and transforming the contemporary city centre.

This year we will explore Stuttgart’s inner city, which may appear ordinary at first glance. Shaped by post-war reconstruction, it is dominated by shopping centres, service buildings and highways cutting through the urban fabric. Yet beneath this surface lies a largely hidden world. Extensive underground systems of basements, tunnels, car parks and storage spaces connect buildings into one continuous structure: the guts of the city.

During the camp, you will work in interdisciplinary teams to uncover and reinterpret this hidden dimension. What happens if we no longer see the city as a collection of separate buildings, but as a single, interconnected spatial body? And what new possibilities for use and public life might emerge from this perspective?

The programme combines on-site research and exploration. For two weeks, you will live and work closely together in an intensive learning environment, sharing daily routines as well as ideas. You will take part in workshops, lectures, group discussions and presentations, all rooted in the specific conditions of the site.

This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in art, architecture, urban design or spatial practices, and for those motivated to engage with pressing questions about the future of cities. Get ready for a unique learning experience!

Location: Stuttgart, inner city
Dates: 30 August to 12 September
Participants: 3rd and 4th year BA students, and MA students from Avans
Selection: 5 to 7 students

All costs for travel, accommodation and meals will be covered by the organizers: the Wüstenrot Foundation in co-operation with urbanes.land gGmbH Stuttgart and Belius GmbH Berlin.

For more information and to get an idea, take a look at the previous edition: https://caradt.nl/2024/07/31/learning-and-collaborating-at-the-river-summer-camp-in-stuttgart/

To apply, send a short motivation letter (max. 1 page A4) and a portfolio to Renée van Oploo, rjc.vanoploo@avans.nl,

and to Rob Leijdekkers, rfa.leijdekkers@avans.nl

Deadline: Friday, 22 May
If you’re invited for an interview, this will take place in the last week of May and the first week of June together with Rob Leijdekkers & Renée van Oploo