Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle is awarding two sustainability scholarships in 2026 and 2027 as part of the “Reallabor ZEKIWA Zeitz” (RZZ) project. Students and graduates of the BURG’s art and design departments can apply. The application deadline for the first round is February 15, 2026.
With the sustainability scholarships in Zeitz, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle enables artistic, creative and research work in the context of a city in transition. The three-month working scholarship offers space to further develop one’s own practice on site and to deal with local, social, spatial and material conditions. Accommodation in Zeitz is provided free of charge. The call for applications is aimed at students and graduates of the BURG in the fields of art and design who have completed a degree by August 2026 at the latest or whose degree was completed no more than three years ago – regardless of whether it is a bachelor’s, diploma, master’s, master student, doctorate or state examination degree.
Thematic focus 2026: Material and immaterial residual materials
For 2026, projects are being sought that deal with “material and immaterial residual materials”. This focus is closely linked to the past and present of the city of Zeitz, the thematic focus of the RZZ and current sustainability issues.
Zeitz is characterized by far-reaching transformation processes – from the historical royal seat to the industrial location in the Central German lignite mining region to today’s structural change. There are many material and immaterial traces of these developments in the city, which harbor potential that has received little attention to date. The scholarship invites you to explore these “residual materials”, to reinterpret them and to use them as a resource for artistic, creative or research work. We are looking for positions that open up a new perspective on Zeitz: with curiosity for what remains and what can emerge from it.
Scope of the scholarship
The scholarship period runs from August 1 to October 31, 2026. The funding amounts to 1,650 euros per month and a budget of 1,000 euros is available for material costs in connection with the artistic work during the course of the scholarship. The works created as part of the scholarship will be made publicly accessible.
About the Reallabor ZEKIWA Zeitz (RZZ)
The Reallabor ZEKIWA Zeitz (RZZ) is revitalizing the site of the former baby carriage factory in Zeitz and developing it into a model project for circular, sustainable and collaborative planning, building and design. Architects, designers, artists and scientists are working closely with the urban community to test new models and solutions on site and under real conditions.
It is about much more than the redevelopment of an industrial wasteland: the real laboratory is an open space for learning and experimentation. Cultural education programs, workshops, research projects and artistic impulses have an impact on the city from the real-world laboratory. They create spaces for exchange, participation and new ideas for use.
The real-world laboratory is supported by a multidisciplinary association consisting of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Forum Rathenau e. V. and the city of Zeitz. The project is based on the guiding principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) – “beautiful, sustainable, together” – and is funded by the European Union and the state of Saxony-Anhalt via the Just Transition Fund (JTF).
Application deadline: February 15, 2026