Through its Open Call, Driving the Human invites designers, artists, scientists, initiatives, and agents from any other fields of expertise from anywhere in the world, to join us in shaping sustainable and collective futures that combine science, technology, and the arts in a transdisciplinary and collaborative approach. With this truly Open Call, we want to inspire individuals, collectives, and organizations with from varied backgrounds to share their perspectives and visions of what can be possible. We very much look forward to seeing new ideas and concepts on how to design a future and ignite transformation.

More details about the project can be accessed here.

The deadline for application is Friday, April 9, 2021, at 11:59pm CET.

Applying is only possible via the online application form. However, if you would like to send additional material via postal mail, please contact us at: hello@drivingthehuman.com. Please note that we cannot return any material sent to us via postal mail.

Please make sure that you hold the copyrights to all submitted material. We may use parts of your application in our documentation, even if you are not selected for participation in the project’s next stages.

Driving the Human only accepts applications in English. Furthermore, all public events and communication take place in English.

In the application form, you will be requested to enter the following:

• Basic information: name, year of birth (used solely for internal administrative purposes), current address, country of residence, citizenship(s), and email.
• Your project title.
• Your project proposal (up to 2,500 characters max).
• Your extended concept* (10 MB max).
• Your portfolio (optional, 10 MB max).
• Your compliance with the Terms and Conditions.

*In general, the extended concept document requires that you:

• Clearly define your project idea and express what you want to achieve.
• Indicate the stage your project is in (concept, in-progress, in production, etc.)
• Sketch the content and format of your participation at the Driving the Human event in Berlin, in October 2021. What is the relation between the format (performance, presentation, talk, workshop, screening, installation, etc.) and what you are seeking to convey?
• Outline the main budgetary needs of the project, as well as the production steps and key materials needed.
• Describe how the project could benefit from being a part of Driving the Human.

There are no restrictions or requirements regarding disciplines or genres, and no overarching theme. However, we strongly advise applicants to reflect on how their proposal aligns with notions of sustainable and collective futures, eco-social renewal, as well as ideas of transdisciplinarity and collaboration. Similarly, we invite you to reflect on the public nature of the Driving the Human events, which require that you convey your proposal to an audience.

The selection process starts with a careful review of all applications. Following an initial selection by the jury, twenty-one proposals will be presented at the Driving the Human event in Berlin, October 2021. Following this event, the jury and a board of experts select, from the twenty-one proposals, seven finalists. These seven proposals will be developed further and first presented in-depth at a public presentation in Munich, December 2021; and finally as prototypes at the concluding Driving the Human event in Berlin, in December 2022. Please see a diagram with the full Driving the Human Timeline here.

Chosen participants receive an artist fee for their participation in the Driving the Human Event in Berlin, October 2021. Travel and accommodation are covered by Driving the Human (if you apply as a duo or collective, please note that Driving the Human can only cover the cost of one representative).

Following the event in October 2021, the seven selected contributors will get the chance to fine-tune their proposals based on the feedback from the jury and board of experts, and present a revised version in Munich in December 2021. During 2022, each of the seven projects will continue to be developed with the support and know-how by the Driving the Human partner institutions, plus external collaboration wherever that makes sense. The final prototypes will be first presented to the public in Berlin in December 2022. Each participant receives an artist fee and a production budget to realize their prototypes, as detailed in our Terms and Conditions.

For more information see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).