Time for (S) Heroes Open Call 2026 — Sustainable Fashion, Installation & Performance
Form a team of 3-5 to develop and submit a collaborative project exploring sustainable heroism through fashion, costume design, installation, or performance.
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →- Deadline
- 37 days left
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- Up to 10 fully supported residencies; mentorship from 20+ experts; free learning materials and capacity-building support; production support estimated at €300–600 per team; project coverage of presentation and exhibition costs; access to specialist facilities and circular-economy materials at Kouvola residency; opportunity to enter Incubation Program and showcase work at exhibitions across Europe
- Location
- Barcelona, Spain; Kouvola, Finland (residencies); Riga, Latvia (Design Wave Festival)
- Exhibition window
- Feb 1, 2027 → May 31, 2027
About
Overview
Time for (S) Heroes invites emerging designers, artists, and creators to develop new expressions of sustainable heroism through fashion, costume design, art installation, and performing arts. Applicants form teams of 3-5 through the project's digital portal, post an early project idea, and develop it collaboratively before submitting a final application. Proposals are expected to grow through mentoring, prototyping, and public exhibition.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 20 September 2026
- Jury evaluation: October 2026
- Design Wave Festival (further development/remaining residency selection): 27-29 November 2026, Riga, Latvia
- Residencies: February 2027 (Barcelona, Spain); May 2027 (Kouvola, Finland)
Eligibility
Intended especially for emerging designers, artists, and creators—including students, recent graduates, early-career professionals, self-taught creators, and creative practitioners with equivalent skills. No age restriction; suggested level is an ongoing Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent competencies. Teams must be multidisciplinary and international with 3-5 members and one designated project owner. Participants must be from Creative Europe eligible countries (EU member states, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, and Tunisia—some only in specific strands).
Theme
Sustainable heroism, explored through three core threads: Sustainability (environmental, social, economic, and cultural responsibility, not material choice alone); Heroism reimagined (as collective, everyday, caring, repair-oriented, quiet, embodied, critical, vulnerable, or transformative); and Creative digitality (digital tools, presentation, augmentation, or interaction used meaningfully in design expression or its dissemination).
Categories
- Fashion
- Costume design
- Installation
- Performance
- Design
- Digital
- Interdisciplinary Arts
Benefits & Awards
- Free learning materials and capacity-building support through the project's digital portal
- Mentorship from 20+ experts for advancing teams
- Up to 10 teams selected for fully supported residencies in Barcelona (February 2027) and Kouvola (May 2027)
- Preparatory and production support for residency teams, estimated at approximately €300–600 per team
- Project coverage of presentation and exhibition costs during and after residencies
- Opportunity to enter Incubation Program
- Opportunity to showcase work at exhibitions across Europe
- Access to specialist facilities at Kouvola residency (virtual production studio, holographic projection, 3D printing)
- Access to circular-economy materials via Ekomaa Recycling Store
How to Apply
Online application through the project's digital portal. Teams post an early project idea and develop it collaboratively before submitting a final application.
Additional Details
- Application fee: None
- Up to 5 teams may be selected directly for residencies after jury evaluation; remaining places filled through Design Wave Festival
- Teams applying for digital exhibition only do not compete for residency places
- Proposal must be the team's own work; third-party or AI-generated material may only be used with proper rights and disclosure
- Applicants should note themes needing trigger warnings or sensitive facilitation
- Standard Creative Europe conditions apply: no double funding, no profit generation from grant support, only eligible/necessary costs covered
- Award
- Up to 10 fully supported residencies; mentorship from 20+ experts; free learning materials and capacity-building support; production support estimated at €300–600 per team; project coverage of presentation and exhibition costs; access to specialist facilities and circular-economy materials at Kouvola residency; opportunity to enter Incubation Program and showcase work at exhibitions across Europe
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Theme
- Sustainable heroism explored through three core threads: sustainability (environmental, social, economic, and cultural responsibility); heroism reimagined (as collective, everyday, caring, repair-oriented, quiet, embodied, critical, vulnerable, or transformative); and creative digitality (meaningful use of digital tools in design expression or dissemination).
- Eligibility
- Open to emerging designers, artists, and creators (students, recent graduates, early-career professionals, self-taught, or equivalent) forming multidisciplinary teams of 3-5 from Creative Europe eligible countries.
- Audience
- Emerging designers, artists, and creators, including students, recent graduates, early-career professionals, self-taught creators, and creative practitioners with equivalent skills
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.