INTERNATIONAL MAKER RESIDENCE PROGRAM

APPLICATIONS FOR 2026
OPENING SOON!

Our makers united - MAKER RESIDENCE // Call for Makers

Dear Makers,

We are excited to announce the third edition of our Maker Residence Program as part of the makers united festival, taking place in June 2026.

Before applying, please read all information carefully, check the dates and budgets, and take a look at our website and social media channels to get a feeling for our organisation, the program and the Chemnitz region - feel free to copy/paste this text and read a translation in your language of choice.

Our online presence:

Website: makers-united.de/impressionen
Instagram: instagram.com/makers_united_chemnitz
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/makersunited

You can also find an overview of Makerspaces on our website.

About the Program

The Maker association (Maker e.V) is a non-profit association organising the yearly makers united festival in Chemnitz and the Maker Residence Program in the greater Chemnitz region.

Our aim is to connect and support makers and makerspaces locally and internationally, creating long-term exchange of knowledge, skills and ideas.

The Maker Residence invites international makers to spend around 10 days in one of several makerspaces in the region, followed by participation in makers united 2026 in Chemnitz.
The program focuses on exchange of knowledge and culture, collaboration, networking and hands-on making.

We invite non-German makers to apply with an idea, concept or open-ended project. Projects of all kinds are welcome: design challenges, material experiments, conceptual work, technical prototypes, traditional crafts or anything that simply needs to be made.

We are especially interested in projects connected to sustainability, circular use of resources, STEAM education, mediation, participation, dialogue and critical thinking.

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics and describes an approach to learning through inquiry, creativity, dialogue and practical experimentation.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants should:

preferably reside within the European Union
have reasonable English language skills
be open, communicative and respectful of diversity
be interested in international exchange and long-term networking
be willing to share skills, learn from others and work independently
ideally have experience with workshops or participatory formats

Selecting a specific space does not guarantee placement. You may also apply without choosing a space; we will curate a suitable match.

Our budget is mainly designed for applicants from the European Union. Applicants from other parts of the world are welcome, but additional travel costs beyond the available budget must be self-financed.

As we can only provide budgets for individual makers and projects, couples or project partners will need to share one budget and accommodation.

Unfortunately, this residency is not suitable for bringing younger children.

Dates and Expectations

Makers are expected to be in residence at their selected makerspace from:

June 17 or 18 until June 25, 2026

On Thursday June 25, all Maker Residents travel to Chemnitz to prepare for makers united and meet the other residents during an network event.

On Friday June 26, makers united opens for schools from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Maker Residents are expected to offer participatory simple workshops, related to their work, for small student groups at their stands. You can also cooperate with other makers to offer a workshop.

Workshop format:
6 groups, 45-50 minutes each, approx. 5 students per group, aged 9–16

On Saturday June 27, makers united is open to the general public. Residents present their projects
in a participatory way and may also sell maker items or DIY-kits.
In the evening we have an informal get-together.

On Sunday June 28, we will host a brunch for reflection and networking.

Return travel is planned for June 29, 2026.

A Letter of Agreement and financial form will be signed between Maker e.V. and all selected participants. Invoices are possible - please discuss this with your contact person.

What We Offer

Maker e.V. provides:

personal support before and during the residency
contact in English, Dutch or German
exchange with local makerspaces and co-residents
multiple network events for all Maker Residents
participation and presentation at makers united 2026
visibility through our website and social media
accommodation budget for the period of residency
accommodation in Chemnitz during makers united (when not already located in Chemnitz)
mobility support as a flat rate of €500
material to work with in a 300€ budget via the host Makerspace
a lively international, sustainable and growing network of makers

Participants in the residency program are advised to familiarise themselves with the applicable per diem and expenses for 'stay abroad' in tax liability regulations relevant to their respective host country.
This might be beneficial for your Tax application.

For mobility in the region, we recommend using the Deutsche Bahn app and considering the Deutschlandticket, which allows travel on buses, trams and regional trains in all of Germany.

Please book travel in time and choose environmentally responsible travel options where possible.

Program Schedule 2026

June 17/18: Arrival at host makerspace
June 17/18–25: Maker Residence period
June 25: Travel to Chemnitz, set-up and network event
June 26: Young Makers Day for schools, 8:00 am–2:00 pm (6 simple workshops)
June 27: makers united festival (open for the broad audience - participative offers)
June 27 evening: Informal get-together
June 28: makers united Brunch, reflection and networking
June 29: Return travel

How to Apply

Please,

Read all information carefully
Check our website and social media channels to see if it fits
Look into the participating makerspaces
Make sure the dates work for you
Check travel options and budgets
Fill in the application form completely
Stay communicative during the preparation and residency phase :)

Checklist Before Applying

By applying, you confirm that:

you have read the information above
you understand the concept of the Maker Residence and makers united
you know what to expect and what is expected of you
you are available for the residency and festival dates
you have checked possible travel options
you understand the available budgets
you are able and willing to work independently
you are interested in international networking
you want to share your skills and knowledge and learn from others

If this resonates with you, please submit your application before:

May 15th 2026 midnight

You will hear from us by:

May 20th 2026

Looking forward!

Warm regards,

Maker e.V.

MAKER
SPACE

Some of our participating makerspaces

Auprotec

interior detail

Olbernhauer Hutzenstübl

UW Etzdorf

Auf Weiter Flur Augustusburg

Sternenlabor Plauen

Esche Lab

Kulturgut Linda e.V.

FabLab Stadtfabrikanten

Kulturhaus KLackx

Klub Solitaer Chemnitz

Experiment Kitchen

Interior Bar

Vector Lab CNC Kreativachse Chemnitz

Chaostreff

Makerspaces

MAKER RESIDENCE PROGRAM 2024

For our Maker Residence program 2024 we could invite
25 European makers with 12 different nationalities
aged 21 to 63 years to each work in parallel
1 of our 12 selected makerspaces in Chemnitz Region
in the run-up to the makers united festival,
where they presented a participatory and educational project.
We have organized several network events and aimed for a sustainable connection between all makers and makerspaces together with other international guests.

Our Maker Residence is a successful and unique project that has been created
a European network around makers united, on which basis we will realize exciting cooperative projects and a second edition of the Maker Residence program in the year of
Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025.

The Maker Residence 2024 was made possible by
the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport

Screenshot 2026-04-29 at 12.21_edited.pn

Screenshot 2026-04-29 at 12.24_edited.pn

Application form 2025

application form

Sorry, but this form is now closed.

Applications for the Maker Residence program 2026 are closed.

First name

Last name

Phone

Address

Country of residence

Nationality

I speak the following languages

I have participated in this program before (yes/no)

Year of birth

I have workshop experience

yes

I am available for the Maker Residence and..

I will be participating 17.6.-29.6.

I will be participating 18.6.-29.6.

I can not make these dates, but would like to participate..*

..these dates would be possible for me (have to include at least 4 residency days and makers united)*

My fields of work (simple terms like engineering, woodwork, electronics, programming, textile, biomaterials, upcycling etc...)

My fields of work focus primarily on..(upcycling, recycling, recourse management, environmental issues in general, research, social issues etc..)

My preferred makerspace (choose from the profiles on this page or you can also fill in some keywords to help us curate and match

Project description / Plan for residency (what will you be working on during the time prior to makers united)

I can imagine my workshops with the schools on Friday to be... (please give us an idea of what will be done, made, addressed; you can use it to test a new workshopformat, gain insights or offer a playful approach to your theme )

Materials and equipment expected to be needed for the residency (there is a set budget of 300€ for new materials that is managed by the host /with clear needs it is arranged to order and have materials delivered yourself - consider recycling and upcycling

Materials and equipment expected to be needed for the workshops (this needs to be anticipated in the over-all budget or managed with your host or partner / the workshops are not about consuming and bringing products home but focus on learning)

notes (something else we or you need to know?)

Link to website

Link to socials

I have read and agree to the Data Protection information - DATENSCHUTZ

MEET the MAKERS Makerprofiles of previous Maker Residents coming soon....

Edurne Herrán (ESP)

Edurne Herrán is a multidisciplinary artist based in Berlin, originally from Ingolstadt-Donau and raised in the Basque Country (Spain). She holds a BA from the University of the Basque Country, along with MFAs in Art Research & Creation, Cultural Management and Contemporary Photography, plus advanced studies in Costume Styling and Solfège.
Her work engages with everyday life, exploring human encounters and communication. Leveraging new technologies and social dynamics, she contextualizes her pieces around the emotional impact of digital interaction, often involving public participation to create a performative dimension. Currently, she develops her artistic practice, teaches workshops, and collaborates with Berlin’s Ferdinand Freiligrath Schule in upcycling and redesign projects.
Her motto is: Just make it!

Ferdinand Doblhammer (AUT)

Ferdinand Doblhammer, born 1996, works in the fields of media art, music and design. His works deal with data security in an environment of constantly growing virtualization, the thereby provoked borders and border crossings. He tries to point out problems regarding media policies in our nowadays world through the (mis-)use of machine learning systems, video and installation.

Nerea Lekuona (ESP)

The work of Nerea Lekuona (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1976) is always an exercise in adaptation to the medium, intuition, and insight. In her proposals, the treatment of images, letters, writing, action, mediation, and the analysis of the current circumstances intersect.

Starting from graphic and visual aspects, installation, intervention, and expanded formats have gradually gained ground in her artistic project, where she combines all her expressive resources with a critical perspective on the world we share. Thus, her work represents a full display of technical skills, where the hybridization of formats, political reflections, social sensitivity, cunning, and irony invite a distancing from established norms and forms.

(picture © Guggenheim Bilbao)

Logge Romani (ITA)

We are Karl Logge and Marta Romani — originally from Sydney in Australia and Brescia in North Italy, we live and work in Sardinia, Italy as a collaborative artist duo.

Our joint practice is influenced by the deep-time of places, cycles and seasons and is closely connected to nature, territory and cultural memory. This ongoing research started in 2014 after moving to the island of Sant’Antioco to become students of the master of traditional weaving Chiara Vigo. Over the last five years we have been absorbing many kinds of knowledge and techniques and have begun reworking our existing methods that include live-art, material-specific interrogations and site-responsive installation to begin a new phase of practice that looks at how the ancient aspects of weaving, spinning and dying can be used to explore themes of crisis, adaptation and interconnectedness. Working with colour, time, repetition and nature we now create works that mobilize the space of art as a memory-scope by engaging the material alchemy and timeless gestures of weaving as a platform for generating new modes of transmission, exchange and encounter.

Wout Zweers (NL)

I am artist, engineer, designer, in the order you like. One of the big lessons in my work was that these professions are depending upon each other and experience, knowledge in one area easily flows to the other place. After my study irrigation sciences in Wageningen I moved to Enschede in 1987 for becoming better in making videomovies and documentaries at the AKI, the fine arts academy. However I discovered sculpture, welding gear, graphic art and quickly shifted to the workshops where I could work with wood, steel, ink, all tangible materials. I graduated in mixed media and stayed in Enschede, have a nice studio here, gathered tools, experience, friends that I still rely on. I built stage sets, sculptures, gave various classes and workshops. I love making things, inventing, building, tinkering. At this very moment the circle has closed: I met my former water engineering profession and work now again with water, rivers, landscapes, making models of them, drafting.

(Image by Aileen Slot for Newsroom Enschede)

Tom Violleau (FR)

As an industrial designer, i'm passionate about rapid prototyping and circular economy. I'm a creative person who like to pass on knowledge to people. I usually work with design schools, fab labs and non-profit organizations.

I developed a process for creating objects from 3D printer plastic waste featuring a colorful marble effect. I typically make small items such as jewelry, tops, combs, and more. During my residency at Aut Weiter Flur in 2024, I invited kids to create sculptures using these plastic remnants along with wood scraps from a laser cutter. The result is a vibrant collection of robots, dinosaurs, and abstract sculptures made from discarded materials.

Anastasiia Lopatiuk (UKR)

As an upcycling artist and designer, Anastasiia has dedicated herself to eco-artistic practices, repurposing and transforming "waste" materials into new decorative and functional objects under her upcycling project called Metåfora. The main idea is to reveal the new potential of abondoned things and materials that seem to have lost their value, and to endow them with new meaning, function and beauty, as she feels it, and at the same time take care of nature, preserve resources. She works with different materials (fabric, plastic, wood, paper, etc.) and old or abondoned objects, which she reinterpret artistically, combining traditional crafts and tools with modern technologies and mediums. One of the main and favorite areas of her work is the transformation of textile ''waste''. Anastasiia creates accessories, wearable and decorative artworks using remnants and scraps of fabric, textiles, yarn, and also transform used clothes that people bring to her for transformations.

Fedele Tagarelli (ITA)

Fedele is an Electrical Engineer (Ph.D.) with a focus on optoelectronics, automation, and semiconductor device design. His expertise lies in creating and optimizing experimental setups to study advanced materials under extreme conditions, such as cryogenic temperatures. With a strong foundation in microfabrication and interdisciplinary collaboration, he has worked on projects ranging from high-precision optoelectronic systems at EPFL’s LANES lab to battery management for Hyperloop prototypes. Fedele is passionate about tackling complex engineering challenges and advancing our understanding of emerging technologies in quantum and photonic applications.

Rémi Plault (FR)

Rémi Plault is a self-taught contemporary French artist, specializing in the creation of metal, kinetic works. After exploring the metallurgy trade, Rémi quickly shifted his career towards art, showcasing his unique talent for working with metal in a creative and poetic way.

His works stand out for their diversity and depth. Two years ago, Rémi created his first monumental project, the "Vegetal Wall," for the entrance hall of a building in Paris. This piece, crafted with welded metal rods, integrates tropical plants, bringing freshness and life into the urban environment.

Last year, he completed a notable collaboration with the hotel-restaurant La Chaumière in Aubigny-sur-Nère, creating a metal stag in a bellowing posture, which has since become a symbol of the establishment.

Berenike Corcuera (PER / DE)

Berenike Corcuera is a textiles and fibre visual artist who explores spirituality and belonging in her work. She graduated in 2019 from BA Fashion Design with Print at Central Saint Martins (CSM).

Born in Peru, she grew up as a “third culture kid in Brussels to a German mother and Peruvian father”. Her textile craft practice brings about her struggle to identify her geographical and spiritual roots.

Mélanie Thomas (FR)

As a passionate and committed industrial designer, I believe that creativity, sharing and cooperation are the keys to individual and collective emancipation.

After several years (>7 years) spent in fablabs in Lyon and Neuchâtel, I joined the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences (SATW) to promote the next generation of technicians and engineers in French-speaking Switzerland.
At the same time, I'm involved in the Fablab in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where I hold various positions as treasurer, vice-president, trainer and workshop leader.
I'm passionate about inclusion, accessibility and gender equality, as well as the values of low-tech, minimalism and frugality.

Convinced that digital fabrication can be a lever for empowerment for everyone, I'm committed every day to creating spaces for sharing and empowerment

Jeremy Leung (HK)

Jeremy Leung holds a MMus in Music Technology from Utrecht University of the Arts, His interdisciplinary portfolio includes recent work on sonic branding for the Kaboom Festival (NL), Curator of Third Place, a Youtube channel promotes Dutch artists with stylised production and builder of the sonic crystal irido that aims to enhance audio/acoustic experience in enclosed spaces with multimodal stimulus. irido is picked up by AMS institute for their startup booster program, showcased at Schiphol Airport, Mikser Festival 2024 in Serbia and with its acoustic properties measured at the TU Delft.

Jessica Swift (UK)

Based in West Yorkshire, Jessica Swift is a Bradford based 24 year old contemporary artist. She primarily works in contemporary sculpture and abstract painting. Interested in the methods of making, she aims to allow the viewer to think about the process behind her work, rather than just the finished piece as a whole. This stems from her prefered way of learning due to being dyslexic - Her work values colour and texture as this is how she feels people and herself learn from her work best.

Pavel Ruzyak

Pavel Ruzyak is the co-initiator and workshopleader of Osvěta z.s. Prague
He studied at the Konrad Wolf Babelsberg Film University in Germany and at FAMU in Prague, focusing on directing, where he graduated in 2016. His second academic background lies at the intersection of theology and philosophy at HTF UK. As a filmmaker, he has directed short and medium-length films that have been shown in competitions at over 40 international film festivals and have received multiple awards. He was also selected to participate in numerous international workshops and collaborations in the fields of film, social issues, youth, and research.

Since 2017, he has been working on initiatives within the Prague-based association Osvět z.s., where he developed filmmaking education for visually impaired people, especially young people. He also implements this initiative in general education schools through workshops aimed at bringing young people closer to their visually impaired peers through cinematography. For makers united he worked on Toy design for visually impaired people.

Maker Profiles