Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme
Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Design & Cities 2025 | 3rd Edition, Dublin (Ireland)
Theme: Autumnal Myth
BIP ID: 2024-1-IE02-KA131-HED-000224904-1
Dates: 28 October – 1 November 2025
Host: TU Dublin School of Art and Design
Partners: Riga Technical University (Latvia) and Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
The third edition of the Erasmus+ Design & Cities Blended Intensive Programme brought together students and educators from TU Dublin School of Art and Design, Ireland, Riga Technical University Institute of Architecture and Design, Latvia, and Brno University of Technology faculty of Architecture, the Czech Republic to explore the thyme of Myth - a creative dialogue between folklore, storytelling, visual communication, and design.
Rooted in Ireland’s mythological traditions, the programme invited participants to reimagine cultural narratives through contemporary design practices. Over the course of an intensive week of lectures, workshops, and site visits, students examined how myth shapes identity, creativity, and the collective imagination of place.
Participants engaged in myth-inspired workshops led by artists and lecturers, including Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert from folklore.ie, Clare Prouvost, Steve Doogan, Ben Readman and Dr Aija Freimane from TU Dublin School of Art and Design, along with our international partners, professors Dr Andra Ulme, Dr Uģis Bratuškins, Dr Karin Pisarikova, and Elīna Elere. Activities included Cadavre Exquis(Exquisite Corpse) workshop and other Dada-inspired word and image games. Participants playfully dismantled classic myths from diverse cultures, reimagining and reconstructing them into new visual narratives through monoprint, collage, and risograph poster-making.
Through the Design & Cities: Autumnal Myth programme, students developed creative and analytical skills while contributing to a shared European dialogue on cultural continuity, sustainability, and imagination. The final exhibition features created posters and visual narratives, showcasing how myths from the past can inspire contemporary design and new ways of seeing the world.
This project embodied the spirit of Erasmus+: creativity, collaboration, and cultural exchange through art and design.
Project leaders: Dr Aija Freimane (aija.freimane@tudublin.ie) and Ben Readman (Benjamin.readman@tudublin.ie)
