Many curious people have great ideas, but only a few see the limelight. ECHO Academy provides a roadmap for creating campaigns that have reach and impact: Introducing participants to a network of prominent artists, creatives, and experts will guide them in turning their ideas into impactful campaigns that inspire and drive change.

The aim of ECHO 

ECHO harnesses the power of art and culture to spark a debate about Europe’s future. By offering educational programmes in five European countries, ECHO empowers young artists and changemakers to explore and work with pressing social issues, from AI, to migration and climate change. Join ECHO in creating a dialogue that resonates across our continent, inspiring a new wave of people building Europe for the better.

The Academy timeline

• Aug. – Sep. – Open Call
• Early Oct. – Announcement of this year’s candidates 
• Week 18 Nov. – Start of the ECHO Academy
• 25-29 Nov. – Campaign Design Sprint @ Nxt Lab 
• 1 Dec. – 5 Jan. – Production Weeks
• 5 Jan. – 10/16 Jan. – ECHO Events
• End of Jan. – Reverb Closing Event

The Open Call

From August to September, the ECHO Academy accepted applications from young creatives and innovators aged 18-30 years, from which a pool of 15 from various disciplines and experiences will be selected to join this year’s Academy programme. 

The Programme

Starting in November 2024, ECHO kicks off its Academy in Amsterdam at Nxt Museum, bringing together young creatives and thinkers from across Europe to focus on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation. Over approximately 12 weeks, they’ll engage in workshops and activities led by artists and experts from various fields to support and inspire them in developing their creative campaign. 

The theme: AI and Digitisation

AI arguably offers us many opportunities, from higher efficiency to solving the most complex questions. But it also poses possible challenges, from misleading deep fakes, biases in AI models (race, gender, physical differences), and surveillance capitalism. In other words, we need to find solutions to protect our fundamental rights and democracy as a whole. 

During the programme, the participants will work in teams to create and launch their campaigns around this theme, using a dedicated campaign budget to drive real change and inspire their peers. They’ll receive training from renowned artists, campaign experts, and industry leaders on how to craft effective campaigns and make a meaningful impact.

The Guest Speakers 

> Nadia Piet, pioneering design strategist at the intersection of AI and creativity

 

> Thomas Wolf, leading AI researcher

 

> Dr. Matthew J. Dennis, ethics and philosophy scholar

 

> Melanie Linehan, Nxt Museum’s Marketing Director