The Humboldt Residency Programme brings together a transdisciplinary, international group of twelve participants consisting of Humboldtians and early career researchers with writers, artists, civil society actors and social entrepreneurs.
During the six-week residency in Brandenburg/Berlin, participants will meet daily in shared working spaces enjoying the unique opportunity of extensive time and freedom to gain an in depth understanding of each other’s work across a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds, build transdisciplinary bridges, explore synergies, pose bold questions, think visionary, and connect with relevant stakeholders in Berlin and internationally.
While the participants themselves will be enriched by learning from each other, they will also select and implement innovative formats to communicate their key messages with target audiences outside of academia.
Democracy 2.26: Designing Political Participation
For a healthy democracy, it is essential that citizens participate beyond election cycles. To ensure the resilience of contemporary democracies, they need to adapt to regional and socio-cultural demands and increase accessibility and participation for all their members. The Humboldt Residency Programme 2026 is responding to this need by critically examining political participation as a concept, as well as by designing and experimenting with innovative, informal political participation formats – grounded in the belief that democratic values are fundamental to security, cultural diversity, and economic prosperity.
Programme Dates
The programme runs from June to October 2026 and includes:
- 23 June: Virtual kick-off meeting
- 3 – 14 August: Two-week residency at the Cultural Foundation Schloss Wiepersdorf
- 14 August – 11 September: Four-week residency in Berlin
- September – October: Remote finalisation of output formats
- 27 October: Virtual wrap-up event
The AvH welcomes applications from individuals from all (academic) disciplines who can prove a relevant connection to the annual theme either in their work or other forms of engagement. AvH explicitly invites applications from people with innovative or creative approaches to the topic.
