Let us design how we want to live – but how exactly? In 2026, the Frankfurt RheinMain region will be the World Design Capital. Under the motto Design for Democracy, we aim to harness the potential of design for our shared living environment in the region in 2026, but also today, with everyone who wants to be involved. To this end, the WDC team, in collaboration with the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, will host a summer academy at the El Barrio Festival from 23–25 August 2024. The aim of the event is to gather your ideas for a better future and provide an opportunity to test live how designing together can transform the world and our coexistence.
Screen Printing Workshop in collaboration with JAKOB&TATZE and designs by various designers from the region
How do you get a message across to the wider public? The speed and directness of screen printing made it the method of choice for political movements: whether it was Atelier Populaire in Paris during the 1968 protests or the See Red Women’s Workshop in London in the 1970s. Through the screen, the power of creative expression is directly transferred, reproduced and still leaves room for experimentation. Let’s explore together how design can become a tool of social change through screen printing.
For the printable designs, we have invited designers from the region to create a graphic statement on Design for Democracy. The designs incorporate pop culture references, are sometimes illustrative, sometimes purely typographic, and convey the plurality of our society through their diversity. Printable shirts will be available for purchase, but you can also bring your own textiles. These should be as light- and plain-coloured (white, pastel) as possible, made of at least 80% cotton and should not have any appliqués like zippers.
Saturday, 24 August 2024, 12:00–19:00
CHAIRS FOR CHANGE
Building Stools with Studio Jonathan Radetz
Even the Ulm School of Design built stools to democratise German post-war society. We continue this tradition by jointly designing new possibilities for more or less improvised seating – places to sit, settle oneself and even squat. In doing so, we also create new ways of gathering together, sitting across from each other and engaging in discussions in a circle of chairs, thereby also designing the way we live together.
The 3VIERTEL stool by Jonathan Radetz is a material-efficient piece of seating furniture that, thanks to its participatory design concept, can be built by anyone under guidance. At first glance, it appears less like a traditional stool and more like a gesture of hospitality – a free place for everyone.
Sunday, 25 August 2024, 12:00–19:00
CREATE AND COLLABORATE
Community Textile Art Workshop in collaboration with the Create art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.
Textile metaphors often describe our life together: we are intertwined, entangled in shared problems, act in concert, and sometimes lose our way. Create, the art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, invites you to experiment and jointly design with textiles. Here, too, the focus is on co-design.
In this walk-in workshop, we will use stencils to intuitively create new patterns on fabric, inspired by textile artist Hamid Zénati. His work is known for its diverse patterns and shapes and the combination of various materials, colours and techniques. This exciting artistic practice will guide participants in designing washbags and natural fabric pieces, bringing them to life with dynamic shapes and vibrant accents.
Friday–Sunday, 23–25 August 2024, 20:00–22:00
DRINKS FOR DEMOCRACY
The beauty of asking questions lies in the invitation to explore together. In collaboration with Demokratiedeckel e.V., we have printed a series of questions – all centred around “Let us design how we want to live” – on beermats. Visitors are invited to join us at the bar to discuss these questions and contribute their perspectives. For each discussed beermat, you’ll get a (non-alcoholic) WDC Signature Drink as a thank you.
Friday–Sunday, 23–25 August 2024, ongoing
CALL FOR CO-CREATION
Mitmach-Telefon von Felix Adam, Student der HfG Offenbach
Pick up the phone and get directly connected! The Join-in Line by Felix Adam, student at HfG Offenbach, is a direct line to the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026. As a search movement, inspiration and participation tool, the telephone line invites everyone to contribute to the World Design Capital 2026 programme, make suggestions and provide answers to questions that ultimately affect us all.
When the phone rings, simply pick up the receiver and dial a number – specific questions are waiting at the other end of the line, which can be answered directly on the phone.
WDC 2026 Summer Academy x El Barrio
Friday 15:00–19:00
PRINTS WITH POWER
Screen Printing Workshop in collaboration with JAKOB&TATZE and designs by various designers from the region
Saturday 12:00–19:00
CHAIRS FOR CHANGE
Building Stools with Studio Jonathan Radetz
Sunday 12:00–19:00
CREATE AND COLLABORATE
Community Textile Art Workshop in collaboration with the Create art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.
every evening 20:00–22:00
DRINKS FOR DEMOCRACY
Open discussion in a relaxed atmosphere with the World Design Capital 2026 team
ongoing
CALL FOR CO-CREATION
Join-in Line by Felix Adam, student at HfG Offenbach
Let us design how we want to live – but how exactly? In 2026, the Frankfurt RheinMain region will be the World Design Capital. Under the motto Design for Democracy, we aim to harness the potential of design for our shared living environment in the region in 2026, but also today, with everyone who wants to be involved. To this end, the WDC team, in collaboration with the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, will host a summer academy at the El Barrio Festival from 23–25 August 2024. The aim of the event is to gather your ideas for a better future and provide an opportunity to test live how designing together can transform the world and our coexistence.
Screen Printing Workshop in collaboration with JAKOB&TATZE and designs by various designers from the region
How do you get a message across to the wider public? The speed and directness of screen printing made it the method of choice for political movements: whether it was Atelier Populaire in Paris during the 1968 protests or the See Red Women’s Workshop in London in the 1970s. Through the screen, the power of creative expression is directly transferred, reproduced and still leaves room for experimentation. Let’s explore together how design can become a tool of social change through screen printing.
For the printable designs, we have invited designers from the region to create a graphic statement on Design for Democracy. The designs incorporate pop culture references, are sometimes illustrative, sometimes purely typographic, and convey the plurality of our society through their diversity. Printable shirts will be available for purchase, but you can also bring your own textiles. These should be as light- and plain-coloured (white, pastel) as possible, made of at least 80% cotton and should not have any appliqués like zippers.
Saturday, 24 August 2024, 12:00–19:00
CHAIRS FOR CHANGE
Building Stools with Studio Jonathan Radetz
Even the Ulm School of Design built stools to democratise German post-war society. We continue this tradition by jointly designing new possibilities for more or less improvised seating – places to sit, settle oneself and even squat. In doing so, we also create new ways of gathering together, sitting across from each other and engaging in discussions in a circle of chairs, thereby also designing the way we live together.
The 3VIERTEL stool by Jonathan Radetz is a material-efficient piece of seating furniture that, thanks to its participatory design concept, can be built by anyone under guidance. At first glance, it appears less like a traditional stool and more like a gesture of hospitality – a free place for everyone.
Sunday, 25 August 2024, 12:00–19:00
CREATE AND COLLABORATE
Community Textile Art Workshop in collaboration with the Create art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.
Textile metaphors often describe our life together: we are intertwined, entangled in shared problems, act in concert, and sometimes lose our way. Create, the art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, invites you to experiment and jointly design with textiles. Here, too, the focus is on co-design.
In this walk-in workshop, we will use stencils to intuitively create new patterns on fabric, inspired by textile artist Hamid Zénati. His work is known for its diverse patterns and shapes and the combination of various materials, colours and techniques. This exciting artistic practice will guide participants in designing washbags and natural fabric pieces, bringing them to life with dynamic shapes and vibrant accents.
Friday–Sunday, 23–25 August 2024, 20:00–22:00
DRINKS FOR DEMOCRACY
The beauty of asking questions lies in the invitation to explore together. In collaboration with Demokratiedeckel e.V., we have printed a series of questions – all centred around “Let us design how we want to live” – on beermats. Visitors are invited to join us at the bar to discuss these questions and contribute their perspectives. For each discussed beermat, you’ll get a (non-alcoholic) WDC Signature Drink as a thank you.
Friday–Sunday, 23–25 August 2024, ongoing
CALL FOR CO-CREATION
Mitmach-Telefon von Felix Adam, Student der HfG Offenbach
Pick up the phone and get directly connected! The Join-in Line by Felix Adam, student at HfG Offenbach, is a direct line to the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026. As a search movement, inspiration and participation tool, the telephone line invites everyone to contribute to the World Design Capital 2026 programme, make suggestions and provide answers to questions that ultimately affect us all.
When the phone rings, simply pick up the receiver and dial a number – specific questions are waiting at the other end of the line, which can be answered directly on the phone.
WDC 2026 Summer Academy x El Barrio
Friday 15:00–19:00
PRINTS WITH POWER
Screen Printing Workshop in collaboration with JAKOB&TATZE and designs by various designers from the region
Saturday 12:00–19:00
CHAIRS FOR CHANGE
Building Stools with Studio Jonathan Radetz
Sunday 12:00–19:00
CREATE AND COLLABORATE
Community Textile Art Workshop in collaboration with the Create art education programme of the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.
every evening 20:00–22:00
DRINKS FOR DEMOCRACY
Open discussion in a relaxed atmosphere with the World Design Capital 2026 team
ongoing
CALL FOR CO-CREATION
Join-in Line by Felix Adam, student at HfG Offenbach
