Schmiede - Playground of Ideas
Synopsis
Schmiede – Playground of Ideas is a festival for creatives, a collective process where ideas are nurtured and come to life. Schmiede stands for three things: create, network, present. It empowers the process of social networking by bringing together the essentials: space, infrastructure, food, people, and freedom to explore.
Schmiede creates a networking community with around 300 people, from experts to students from different creative areas and spheres of interest. The Schmiede network revolves around digital media but comprises much more. Over the years it has hosted smiths (as the participants of the event are called) from all over the world and from all kinds of backgrounds, who meet in an abandoned industrial salt refinery to work together sharing ideas, projects and experiences. The event program features various activities such as talks, meetings, workshops, sharing and performances, created to promote and stimulate the creativity of the participants.
The event also has an edition aimed at children called “Mini Schmiede”. This project is similar to the main event, but in Mini Schmiede children are invited to spend two days with young mentors in activities related to STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Target Audience
Media artists, musicians, programmers, filmmakers, performers, writers, dancers, game developers and other producers, experts or students in the creative area, looking for a networking space where they can develop and share their ideas.
Goals
Schmiede Hallein:
- Promote and stimulate the creativity of the participants.
- Allow participants to share ideas, projects and experiences.
- Create a networking community so participants can meet other creatives and other projects, developing their own ideas by working together.
Mini Schmiede:
- Instill an optimistic STEM mindset in children by getting them to do activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
- Promote children’s independence, creativity, and social skills.
- Explore relationships positively, reducing technical fears of contact.
- Promote activities related to physical technology and handcrafts (such as building robots) disconnecting children from the computers and tablets.
Skills developed
Schmiede Hallein:
- Creativity
- Digital media skills
- Team work
- Critical sense
- Skills in music, photography, film/video, dance, literature, games, among other fields related to the creative area
Mini Schmiede:
- Creativity
- Independence
- Social relationships
- Team work
- Critical sense
- New understanding of technology and handcrafts
Why is it a good practice in the creative area?
Schmiede Hallein provides a basic cooperative prototyping environment and an infrastructure full of impulses and passionate people. It is a festival where media and art come together, allowing international artists (professional and amateur) to join a networking community to work on projects focused on arts, hacking and entrepreneurship.
The festival is aimed at creative professionals and students from all over the world, who during 10 days are invited to meet each other, share ideas and projects and participate in diverse activities, such as workshops, talks, showcases and performances, giving them new ideas, new points of view, and new tools of inspiration for their creations.
In addition to these activities, participants have time to talk about their ideas and work on their own projects, creating a large exchange network, not only for ideas but also for culture. These types of activities stimulate the creativity of the participants, and allows people from all over the world to work together with other artists to create performances and develop projects in areas such as music, photography, cinema, dance, literature, games, among several fields linked to creativity.
The event also has the Mini Schmiede edition, aimed at kids, where during two days the children have the opportunity to develop their creativity and productivity by creating robots, built with motors and components taken from electronic devices.
One of the main goals of this mini event is to develop activities where children can disconnect from the interfaces they use every day, focusing on other aspects of technology such as engineering and handcrafts. In this way, children have the opportunity to stimulate their creative interaction, their independence, and their interpersonal relationships, developing technical and mental tools in a fun way. In the end, the robots face each other in dance or resistance contests, giving the children a purpose for their creations in addition to developing technical and creative skills.
Training Team
- A core team who will manage the program and the schedule of activities, and who can assist the participants when necessary. Most collaborations at Schmiede Hallein are free-formed and self-managed.
- For the Mini Schmiede part of the event (aimed at children) you will need people with experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, who are able to lead the activities and be responsible for the children.
Duration proposed
Schmiede Hallein: 10 days
Mini Schmiede: 2 days
Promoting Organization
Schmiede Hallein
Starting Year
2003
You can follow them on…
Website:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/schmiedehallein
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/schmiedehallein/
Videos:
Schmiede Hallein