Atlantic Wonder

Is there any better way of teaching how to design human relationships with Nature than actually staying in Nature, or on an island in the middle of the Ocean?

The Atlantic Wonder summer school is a six-day design-led workshop centred around interdisciplinary contributions of design theory and practice. It aims to trigger learning, reflection, collaboration and to build nature inspired design methods and processes, drawing inspiration from the island of Madeira’s rich subtropical ecosystem.

The summer school is based on field work such as exploration through the island with the guidance of local experts in biology, natural science and bio agriculture. In addition the international designers, artists and thinkers are mentored participants in nature centered around design solutions. Visiting and experiencing various Madeira landscapes and environments, meeting local citizens, engaging in fruitful conversations allowed the participants to reflect on Madeira, its present conditions, future risks, problems and potentialities.

The summer school is aimed at building future scenarios as elements of conversation between experts and local stakeholders, such as communities, enterprises and institutions.

Atlantic Wonder 1st edition 15-20 July 2018; 2nd edition 23–30 July 2019.