Urban Festival UIT invites students, artists, and creatives to submit proposals for temporary public installations responding to the theme “Playful City”. Taking place in Tartu, Estonia from August 13–17, 2025, this edition of UIT explores how play can transform urban environments, spark social interaction.
By Creatives Unite CommunityDeadline for applications: April 24, 2025
Organizer: Urban Festival UIT
Who It’s For: Students and creatives in architecture, design, installation art, sculpture, and urban space experimentation
Festival dates: August 13–17, 2025
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Apply here.
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About Playful City at UIT 2025
Urban Festival UIT announces an open call for the 2025 festival installations, themed "Playful City". Inspired by philosopher Eik Hermann’s concept of ambivalent spaces—urban places without fixed meaning—the festival invites works that awaken wonder, interaction, and slowness in everyday life.
Whether by repurposing city elements or creating new playful structures, installations should encourage participants to pause, play, and connect, offering space for spontaneity and shared experience in the public realm. The open call is mostly aimed at city-loving students of art and architecture, but everyone interested in experimenting with installation in public space is welcome to participate.
About the Theme
Play is not just for children – it is just as important for adults, positively impacting the body, mind, and social interactions. It brings freshness to urban life, encourages spontaneous encounters, and sparks creativity. At the same time, playfulness in public space is also a critical response to the constant pressure for productivity, inviting people to slow down, enjoy the moment, and rediscover the city in new ways. Through this installation program, the festival aims to explore how playful interventions shape our relationship with urban space, encourage social interaction, and inspire citizens to co-create a unique and engaging urban environment.
The challenge for artists is to transform ordinary or overlooked places into playful ones and create opportunities for strangers to meet through play. Participants are free to repurpose existing elements of the city or create entirely new structures. The focus can be on the broader urban population or specific groups such as seniors, neighbors, skateboarders, cyclists, dog walkers, etc. It is also encouraged to draw inspiration from oneself and create something that sparks playfulness.
Why Apply
Participating in UIT 2025 offers the chance to co-create the urban experience, transforming overlooked spaces into sites of imagination and connection. Selected participants will receive:
- Artist fee of €1500 per project
- Production costs covered up to €1500
- Accommodation and transportation expenses covered
- Projects from both Estonia and Europe are welcome.
The festival is supported by the City of Tartu and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
For more information about the festival and the open call please visit UIT's official website.
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Main image credit: Linnafestival UIΤ' Facebook page.
