In a world mediated by technology, creating public spaces where people can pause, feel and connect has become essential. Circular Cultures Design School returns and redefines intimacy, connection and care, inviting creative professionals and businesses to design spaces, experiences or objects and explore alternative ways for technology to interact with public space and our everyday lives.

From 21 to 25 January 2025, through three different strands, we experiment with new design practices, emerging technologies and sustainable materials to transform the way we relate.

Circular Cultures (Making Matters) is a joint initiative of Onassis ONX and the British Council. With a focus on promoting sustainable design and circularity, Circular Cultures annually invites designers to experiment with emerging technologies and discover new possibilities, where the naturalness of materials meets the limitless possibilities of the digital world. The programme is part of the activities in Athens of Onassis ONX, the international new media and digital culture platform of the Onassis Foundation.
The Circular Cultures Design School is implemented in collaboration with Smart Attica EDIH and co-funded by the European Union. It aims to support creative professionals and businesses to develop their design practices and explore the intersection of sustainability and circular design with creativity, innovation and new technologies.

Radical Affection: Design for the soul

The programme is divided into 3 strands, each of which is tailored to specific professional groups, promoting a deeper understanding and innovative approaches in their fields.

Participants are invited to design spaces, objects and experiences for physical, virtual and hybrid environments that foster affection, intimacy and companionship, redefining the way people experience community and identity.

“The term ‘radical affection’ […] is an invitation to tender acts of individual and collective imagination through which new axes of care, connection and resilience can be created.”

– Carolyn F. Strauss, “Seeking Radical Affection”