The EU BIP Workshop 2026 – Lucid Dreams happy Palace aims to bring together students and educators from across Europe in a transdisciplinary artistic laboratory. The objective is to explore speculative, performative, and immersive approaches to digital culture, using experimental media tools and embodied practices. Thematically centered around the idea of the happy palace as a metaphor for fluid, joyful, and visionary spaces, the workshop invites participants to create hybrid forms—merging analog and digital, architecture and imagination, technology and emotion. The programme culminates in a public presentation at the Lucid Dreams Festival in May 2026, showcasing the outcomes of collaborative research and artistic prototyping.

Driven by innovation and engagement, the programme addresses these core priorities to prepare participants for tomorrow’s digital world:

• Digital transformation
• Digital design
• Media art
• Experimental media
• Digital performance
• Participation in democratic life, shared values, and civic engagement

Methods and Outcomes

The workshop combines online preparation with an intensive on-site week, fostering collaborative, transdisciplinary creation. Methods include experimental prototyping, AI-assisted design, XR/AR performance, and the blending of digital tools with analog materials. Outcomes include immersive installations, interactive performances, and hybrid artworks developed by international student teams.

These will be publicly presented during the Lucid Dreams Festival (22–23 May 2026) as a professional showcase of artistic research and co-creation.

Programme

The virtual phase is designed to prepare participants conceptually and logistically for the on-site collaboration.

• Online meetings are held on 11 March and 25 March 2026 (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)

During these sessions, students and lecturers from all participating institutions will meet to:

• Get to know each other and form interdisciplinary working groups
• Exchange initial ideas and artistic concepts aligned with the workshop the workshop theme
• Discuss methodological approaches, technical requirements, and collaboration tools
• Begin developing project outlines and identify shared interests across media and disciplines

The virtual component lays the foundation for a productive on-site experience, fostering early engagement, mutual inspiration, and a sense of artistic community. It also introduces the hybrid nature of the programme, blending remote and in-person phases into one cohesive learning journey.