Call for Participants: Traces of forgotten memories

Hard facts

• When: 01.12.2026 - 08.12.2026
• Where: Belgrade, Serbia
• Language: English

The call is open to participants

• Aged 18–35 years
• Residing in Germany, Poland or Serbia
• Young artists and young adults with an interest in art, including, in particular, those without formal artistic training and without academic background
• Sinti and Roma, as well as other young adults who are embedded in relevant networks

About the project

During the international artistic and research residency in Belgrade, participants will learn about the genocide against Sinti and Roma and will develop artistic concepts for commemorative objects or installations. However, they will not be implemented on their own. Back in the respective countries, the ideas and draft concepts are turned into tangible commemorative objects through a decentralised and collaborative process involving young apprentices, vocational school students or young people at the start of their working lives.

In the role as multipliers, each participant of the project “traces of forgotten memory” creates an art object with a group of 4–6 young people. As an applicant, you should have an interest in educational approaches centred on arts, craftsmanship and the culture of remembrance, and be able to pass on the knowledge gained during the project to a broader network or community. The aim is to channel the knowledge gained about the not-well known part of history in this way specifically into networks at vocational schools and nonacademic groups of young people.

The resulting work is open to interpretation – it could be pictures, photo series, installations, music, or works in wood or clay. The art object will be exhibited for two years, ideally directly at the vocational school, institution or community where the young people are based. A budget is provided for the materials needed to create the art object, which the multipliers manage in cooperation with the partner organisations in the respective countries.

Costs

There is no participation fee. Travel, accommodation and meals are fully covered. After selection, participants will receive detailed information on how to book their journey to the venue in consultation with the organisers. Travel costs will be reimbursed during the project week in Belgrade.

Practical information about beginning and ending:

The art residency will start on December 1st with a first activity at 17:00. Dinner will be provided at 18:30. All participants should arrive by then. The art residency will end on December 8th at 09:00. The last breakfast will be provided from 08:00-09:00.

Project partners

Fundacja Krzyżowa dla Porozumienia Europejskiego (Krzyżowa, Poland)

ShoahLab Holocaust Studies Laboratory, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory (IFDT)

University of Belgrade (Serbia)

How to apply

Please fill in the application form by 25th October 2026.

The participants will be selected on the basis of motivation and the available number of places per country. We encourage you to apply early, as participants with particularly strong applications are invited to join the programme whilst the selection process is still ongoing You will be informed by 30.10.2026 if you can participate and then receive more details.

You can download the Call as PDF here.

Contact

If you have questions, feel free to contact Kerim Somun (somun@kreisau.de) or Eva Kell (kell@kreisau.de).

Additional notes

No previous seminar experience or existing network is required to apply. What matters most to us is that you answer authentically. We warmly encourage young people from all backgrounds and levels of experience to apply – your perspective and motivation are what count!

Funders