Do you have an idea connecting art, design and sustainability?
The Time for (S)heroes Open Call is an opportunity to take it further. Apply by 20 September. Here’s what you need to know.
Written by Maria A. Decuzzi
Is this Open Call for you?
Time for (S)heroes is looking for emerging designers, artists and creators. This may include students, recent graduates, early-career professionals, self-taught creators and creative practitioners who have ideas they want to develop. There is no age restriction, and while an ongoing bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is suggested, equivalent skills and knowhow are also recognised. The Open Call welcomes projects that connect creative practice with new approaches to sustainability.
Applying means committing to a collaborative development process. Participants first register their idea through the Digital Portal, form a team of 3 to 5 people, develop their concept together and prepare a final proposal. After the jury evaluation, some teams may move directly to the residency pathway, while others may be invited to continue developing their project through the Design Wave Festival. In other words, this is not a one-off application, but a process that requires time, collaboration and openness.
Projects can move across fashion, costume design, art, performance and digital practices, with interdisciplinary approaches encouraged. An early-stage idea is enough — your project does not need to be fully developed before applying.
The essentials
- Fields: fashion design, costume design, art installations and performing arts, with digital elements encouraged.
- Interdisciplinary projects: welcome. Categories can overlap, but each proposal should identify one main category.
- Idea stage: an early-stage concept is enough to start.
- Idea registration: posting an idea on the Digital Portal does not mean submitting your final application to the Open Call. It is the first step of the process, designed to help participants share ideas, find potential collaborators and build their teams before submitting the final proposal.
- Team formation: 3 to 5 people, either with people you already know or through the Portal.
- Eligibility: participation is subject to Creative Europe rules. Make sure all team members meet the relevant country and participation requirements.
- Final application: once your project and team are ready, submit the completed proposal by 20 September 2026 at 23:59 EEST.
- What happens next: after jury evaluation in October, up to 5 teams may be selected directly for residencies in Spain or Finland. Other selected proposals may continue developing at the Design Wave Festival in November in Latvia through a hybrid, hackathon-style programme involving workshops, mentoring and expert feedback, with the option to participate onsite or online. The remaining residency places will then be selected, with up to 10 teams in total joining the residency programme.
Our advice: do not skip the Applicant Guide and take the process step by step.
A good idea is better together
Do you have an idea, but no team yet? That does not mean you cannot take part. Time for (S)heroes is designed to encourage collaboration, and the Digital Portal can help participants connect with potential team members. You might already know who you want to work with — or you might find someone new whose skills or perspective brings something different to your idea.
Think of it as a mix and match of creative perspectives. Perhaps you are a fashion designer looking for someone with digital skills, or a student who knows exactly which classmate would make the right creative partner. Teams can bring together different disciplines and backgrounds, and international collaboration between participants from the Creative Europe countries is encouraged. Sometimes, the right collaboration can take an idea somewhere you would not have reached alone.
Where can this opportunity take you?
The Open Call process can continue in different directions. Following the jury evaluation in October, up to five teams may be selected directly for residencies in Finland or Spain. Other proposals that meet the evaluation criteria may be invited to further develop their projects through the Design Wave Festival in November in Riga, Latvia.
This festival and hackathon-style development phase brings together workshops, mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration and expert feedback, with participation planned in a hybrid format, both onsite or online. Following this stage, the remaining residency places will be selected, with up to ten teams in total joining the residency programme.
But the Open Call can also be a way into the wider Time for (S)heroes journey. Beyond the application process, the project creates opportunities for creative development, international connections and professional visibility through mentoring, and physical and digital exhibitions. Participants can also become part of a wider community of ambassadors and creative professionals.
This is what makes the opportunity particularly interesting. We believe that some of the most creative work emerges when different perspectives meet, and Time for (S)heroes creates spaces for experimentation, collaboration and new directions. With sustainability at the centre of the process — not as a label to add, but as something to explore, learn about and better understand through creative practice — the project invites creatives to explore how their work can contribute to more sustainable ways of creating, designing and producing.
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we invite you to explore the Open Call and learn more about the project on the Time for (S)heroes website.
Time for (S)heroes brings together six project partners from across Europe, with the support of Creative Europe.
– South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk)
– Tallinn Business Incubator (TBI)
– Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC)
– ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture
– Kosmoskosmos
– Latvian Technological Center (LTC)
