EuroFabrique DesignCamp Chaumont

5th to the 9th of February 2024

The EuroFabrique Design Camp took place from the 5th to the 9th of February 2024 in Chaumont, France, at the Centre for Graphic Design Le Signe. This event brought together 42 graphic design students and teachers from 10 schools across seven European countries.

The primary goal of the Design Camp was to develop an adaptable visual identity toolkit for EuroFabrique. Building on the findings from the previous Think Camp, participants experimented with various visual parameters, including typography, color, and shapes, based on suggestions from the Cluj workshop. They worked around the EuroFabrique theme to develop a common visual toolkit that could be reused for different EuroFabrique formats in the future.

The program featured a workshop focused on producing a cohesive visual identity. A varied programme of lectures, presentations, and meetings with internationally renowned studios and local cultural players supported design students in their explorations and creations. Élodie Boyer, who has been running a small ‘brand factory’ since 2002 and founded a publishing house in 2011 (editions-non-standard.com), accompanied the students throughout the week, while Erik de Vlaam from Studio Dumbar/ Dept® gave his vision of the possibilities of a dynamic visual identity and creative processes at a conference for the participants. A DJ set by DJ Païkan, sharing his retro-futuristic electronic universe, brought the working week to a close. Additionally, studio visits enriched the experience. Team-building activities were integral to the camp, with each day starting and ending with group discussions. At the end of the week, a presentation and feedback session allowed participants to reflect on the impact of their collective work. Evening activities, including film screenings, welcome cocktails, organized dinners, and DJ sets, were organized to foster exchanges among participants. The Design Camp resulted in the proposal of four main visual concepts, from which one, titled “Flags,” was chosen to promote the upcoming EuroFabrique Art Camp in Portugal.

At the same time, a space at the Gaîté Lyrique (Paris) dedicated to EuroFabrique presented the work in progress at the Design Camp from 9 February. The students’ work and a basic version of the graphic toolbox were presented to the public. On the eve of the European elections, the Gaîté Lyrique dedicated its 2024 opening season to Europe with a special programme entitled EU.TOPIA.

This event, co-funded by the Europe Creative program of the European Union, was organized in association with ANdEA, Association nationale des écoles supérieures d’art et de design (France), The Transylvanian Creative Industries Cluster Association (Romania), and the Cerveira Art Biennial Foundation (Portugal). It also involved the participation of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, TH Köln, the Academy of Fine Arts in Vilnius, the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology in Warsaw, Polytechnic of Portalegre, Art Academy Latvia, HEAR Strasbourg Mulhouse, ESADHaR Le Havre, KABK Den Haag, and ANRT Nancy, in association with the Gaîté Lyrique and the Office Franco-Allemand pour la Jeunesse.