STADTARBEIT Erste Bank Social Design Award 2024

VIENNA DESIGN WEEK/Ines Bacher

The Stadtarbeit format has been an essential part of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK for many years and is supported by the Erste Bank sponsoring programme – Vermehrt Schönes! – in collaboration with Caritas Vienna. The format is dedicated to social design and supports lively exchange and growing dialogue in this field.

Stadtarbeit supports projects that deal with societal issues of social interaction. This can involve the analysis of urban and social spaces, improving the coexistence of different social groups, or addressing the living conditions of minorities in the city. The projects take place in public spaces and also in collaboration with social institutions, aiming to be accessible and understandable to the public.

Participation and implementation of the project at the festival are made possible by a positive jury decision. Concepts developed in collaboration with Caritas, other NGOs or associations, and platforms in the respective focus districts are particularly welcome. The three projects selected by the jury will be provided with an implementation budget of €4,000 each (including VAT).

WE ARE INVITING

We are inviting
designers / architects / artists / city planners / community strategists / creative
professionals / developers / critical thinkers / sociologists / urban enthusiasts

to submit
IDEAS, CONCEPTS, and PROJECTS dealing with the social structures of the city and the associated challenges for the SOCIAL DESIGN format STADTARBEIT of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK

Application deadline: 21 April 2024
 

THEME

STADTARBEIT: 10 YEARS OF SOCIAL DESIGN FOR VIENNA

“A decade of Stadtarbeit - that's ten years full of committed experiments about how we want to shape our coexistence in Vienna and the world.”
(Gabriel Roland, Director, VIENNA DESIGN WEEK)

“When we began supporting the theme of Social Design as a focal point over 10 years ago, we later linked the format with an award to draw more attention to the people working in this field and the projects that arise from it. The Erste Bank Social Design Award will be presented for the tenth time this year, and we are delighted.”
(Ruth Goubran, Head of Sponsoring, Erste Bank)

Since 2012, with the support of the Erste Bank sponsoring programme – Vermehrt Schönes! – the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK has been creating a framework for the implementation of Social Design ideas through its Stadtarbeit format. The Stadtarbeit projects, selected from an open call, address the social challenges of urban living, analyze urban spaces, and ideally improve the interactions among social groups. They focus on the needs and interests of residents and simultaneously, strengthen the resilience of local communities against social, ecological, and economic challenges.

In recent years, the Stadtarbeit format has evolved continuously. Successful projects are characterized primarily by the following features

  • PARTICIPATION: Stadtarbeit projects promote low-threshold interaction. They engage both the residents of the city or neighbourhood and the visitors of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. Through diverse approaches and creative concepts, they create platforms for constructive exchange among all stakeholders – including those who are not part of the design discourse. The projects encourage active participation and enable lively encounters that lead to a new understanding of the city and the needs of its communities.
     
  • WELFARE: Stadtarbeit projects also closely collaborate with NGOs, local associations, and nonprofit initiatives. For instance, Caritas has established a longstanding partnership with the format. Through these partnerships, the projects build upon the work and networks of existing communities and can bring creative impulses into established processes.
     
  • LOCALITY: Stadtarbeit projects contribute to solving concrete problems – in a neighborhood, district, or local community. Through their presence in public spaces, they create a direct connection to the people on the ground.
     
  • SUSTAINABILITY: Stadtarbeit projects are implemented during the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK and may also aim to have an impact beyond the duration of the festival. They use the temporary framework of the festival to provide impulses and exert a positive influence on the urban environment as well as the social and cultural fabric.
     
  • ENGAGEMENT: The teams behind the Stadtarbeit projects demonstrate great commitment to their cause. This is evident in their willingness to invest time, energy, and resources to achieve successful project implementation during the festival. In addition to the motivation to engage with people, successful Stadtarbeit projects are characterized by initiative in shaping the programme, reliability in communication, and a willingness to take responsibility.

WHO CAN I PARTICIPATE?

Stadtarbeit enables groups and individuals to realize a Social Design project during the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2024, reaching both an international professional audience and local communities.

All interested parties who wish to explore new approaches or further develop existing projects for the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK are warmly invited to apply!

WHAT WE OFFER

  • From the submissions, a jury will select 3 Stadtarbeit projects to be realized during the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2024. 
  • Each project will receive an implementation budget of €4,000 (including VAT).
  • Support and guidance from the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK team in organizing and implementing the project. 
  • The projects are part of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK programme and will be presented to the public as a central part of the festival. 
  • The projects will be promoted in advance on social media, the website, and in the newsletter.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

  • The project must be accessible to visitors of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. Stated opening hours must be adhered to. 
  • Additional events during the festival and within the festival programme are encouraged (e.g., opening receptions, closing events, educational programmes, workshops, readings, guided tours, etc.).
  • The VIENNA DESIGN WEEK opening ceremony and closing events should also be considered. 
  • Time for setup and dismantling must be planned and coordinated with the responsible team members of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. 
  • The same conditions apply to both local and international applicants.

JURY:

  • Ruth Goubran, Erste Bank
  • Clemens Foschi, Caritas Wien
  • Lena Rücker, MA18 - Stadt Wien 
  • Gabriel Roland and Hanna Facchinelli, VIENNA DESIGN WEEK

DEADLINES AND DATES

  • Application Deadline: 21 April 
  • Jury Meeting: End of April
  • Kick-Off Event: End of May / Beginning of June
  • Editorial deadline for festival guide: End of June
  •  VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2024: 20 September until 29 September 2024

HOW TO APPLY?

  1. Fill out the CONTACT FORM
  2. Write a PROJECT PROPOSAL  
  3. APPLICATION (max. 5 MB) to: stadtarbeit@viennadesignweek.at

DOWNLOADMATERIAL
OPEN CALL
PROJECT PROPOSAL
CONTACT FORM

QUESTIONS?
Hanna Facchinelli
Project Manager
stadtarbeit@viennadesignweek.at