From June 30 to July 4, 2025, Dresden once again became a hub of mixing, molding, and making. For the fourth time, the Concrete ART Project — a collaboration between the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 280 at TU Dresden and the Dresden Youth Art School — offered a unique summer experience for children. Over the course of five days, 22 kids aged 8 to 14 discovered concrete from an entirely new perspective not just as a building material, but as a medium full of creative potential.
In four different workshops at Schloss Albrechtsberg, the young participants explored the versatility of concrete in combination with materials such as wood, clay, textiles, and paper. They experimented, researched, modeled, painted—and were often amazed. What seems heavy and gray at first glance can be transformed in the right hands into imaginative decorations, sculptures, or small everyday objects.
The creative workshop work was enriched by a nature-focused excursion across the grounds of Schloss Albrechtsberg. Here, the children learned about the brilliant construction tricks found in nature: How do blades of grass manage to stay upright? Why do maple seeds fly like little helicopters? And how does touch-me-not (Impatiens) work? The group also discussed how much energy is needed to produce just one kilogram of concrete and why learning from nature is essential for building more sustainably.
As in previous years, the project was supported by an interdisciplinary team of artists and researchers from TU Dresden. They provided technical support, scientific insight, and exciting hands-on experiments related to carbon concrete and sustainable building technologies.
A highlight of the week was the final exhibition, where the children proudly presented their creations to their families demonstrating how inspiring the fusion of art and science can truly be.
The project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and participation was free of charge.
Participant Age Range: 8–14 years
Location: Schloss Albrechtsberg – Arts & Crafts Workshop, Ceramics Studio, Left and Right Coach Houses
Fee: Free of charge – funded by DFG
Instructors: Nadine Wölk, Nella Chrominski, Naomi Bick, Andreas Eckard
Scientific Support: Kerstin Speck, Silke Scheerer, Tobias Hatzfeld, Johannes Reimer, Lissy Flechsig, Leonie Koch, Skerdilajt Cengu, Jasmin Dräger, Jonathan Schmidt, Silvia Reißig
Educational Support: Johanna Rehm
Public Relations Support: Stefan Gröschel
Dates: June 30 – July 4, 2025, from 10 AM to 5 PM each day