Language

English

Start date

July 2027

Frequency

Part-time

Duration

3 Weeks

Credits

90 Hours

Price

€ 2,800

Explore the culture, identity and transformations of each city to turn observation of the surrounding environment into new ideas, narratives and creative proposals.

The Art, Culture & Design Summer Course offers a creative immersion in Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona to explore how culture, identity, territory and design can help us understand and transform the contexts we inhabit. Over three weeks, you will discover cultural practices, ways of life and contemporary creative expressions while analysing the social, urban, technological and environmental transformations reshaping our cities and the way we live, interact and create.

You will work directly with your surroundings through urban explorations, observation, fieldwork, visits and encounters with professionals. You will use contextual research and visual documentation tools to interpret each territory, identify signals of change and connect different disciplines and perspectives. The experience combines research and critical thinking with hands-on experimentation to transform your observations into concepts, narratives, experiences and prototypes.

Each city brings a different perspective to the journey: in Madrid, you will explore its cultural and artistic context and work with photography, visual storytelling and prototyping; in Bilbao, you will analyse urban transformation through architecture, culture and gastronomy; and in Barcelona, you will investigate the changes shaping Mediterranean cities using Future Thinking and Speculative Design tools.

This programme is taught at the IED campuses in Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona.

Information to decide

Develop a critical and multidisciplinary perspective to address contemporary challenges from new points of view.

The three cities share a common methodological framework, adapted to the cultural, territorial and creative context of each location. The learning process progresses from research and understanding of the context to the development and communication of a proposal.

The process is structured around six stages: Context, Observation, Connection, Experimentation, Ideation and Reflection. You will begin with contextual research and fieldwork, connect your findings with different disciplines and perspectives, and put them into practice through workshops, materials, techniques and technologies.

Finally, you will work on the development and prototyping of concepts, learning how to communicate both the process and the outcomes, while reflecting on the possibilities discovered throughout the experience.

This course is aimed at people interested in art, culture, design and the creative industries who want to broaden their perspective through an international and multidisciplinary experience.

It is particularly suitable for curious profiles who are open to exploring different contexts, connecting disciplines and experimenting with new ways of researching, thinking and creating.

Because it allows you to learn through three cities and three different creative contexts, connecting culture, territory and design within a single learning journey. Each week offers a different perspective that broadens the way you interpret your surroundings and allows you to compare perspectives, ways of life and processes of transformation.

Choose this course if you want to understand how to turn research and direct experience into creative knowledge. You will work with observation, fieldwork, visual documentation and contextual analysis tools to identify changes, connections and opportunities based on what is happening around you.

Throughout the programme, you will combine an interdisciplinary approach with processes of experimentation, ideation and prototyping, using different materials, techniques, technologies and languages to shape concepts, narratives and experiences.

The journey through Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona makes the change of context a fundamental part of the learning experience: three cities with different identities, creative ecosystems and transformation processes that will allow you to enrich your perspective and build a broader, more critical understanding of the relationship between culture, territory and creativity.

Syllabus

The course is structured around three different urban contexts that you will explore through contextual research, fieldwork, experimentation and creative development.

Madrid: From the Inside

You will explore Madrid's cultural and artistic scene through photography, urban observation and direct contact with creative spaces and professionals. The experience is complemented by experimentation and prototyping processes in the laboratories at IED Madrid.



Bilbao: Urban Transformation and Culture

You will analyse Bilbao as an example of urban regeneration, exploring how architecture, culture and gastronomy have contributed to transforming the city's identity and its relationship with the territory.



Barcelona: Mediterranean Futures

You will use Barcelona as a laboratory to identify social, technological, cultural and environmental transformations. Through Future Thinking and Speculative Design tools, you will explore scenarios and possible futures.



Contextual Research and Observation

You will work with research, fieldwork, mapping and visual documentation tools to interpret environments, communities and practices, turning your findings into new perspectives.



Experimentation, Prototyping and Storytelling

You will transform observations and ideas into concepts, experiences and prototypes using materials, techniques and technologies, while also using visual storytelling to document and communicate the creative process.

News

14 October 2026

TypoLAB by Gonzalo Muñoz wins a LADAWARD 2026 Award

The project adds another international accolade to its list of achievements, winning in the Student–Digital category.

06 October 2026

Public Program IED.60, October 2026

This month, IED’s Public Program continues to take design beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for dialogue with audiences, cultural institutions, businesses and professional communities.

24 September 2026

IED Madrid alumni Moisés Nieto Receives the Maison Pyramide Showroom Award at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid

The designer has been recognised with the Commercial Potential Award for his latest collection, presented at the 84th edition of the Madrid runway

18 September 2026

Inclusion, equity and diversity: the journey continues

One year after achieving the UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an increasingly inclusive, equitable workplace culture that values diversity.

11 September 2026

Issue 4: Material World - Plural Intelligences

What happens when we recognize the intelligence of materials and learn to work with it responsibly, collectively, and collaboratively?

07 September 2026

Fashion show and festival: the IED Public Programme is back

In September, IED's Public Program returns with a calendar of events across its campuses in Italy and Spain, offering opportunities for dialogue, exchange and discovery open to the community and the wider public.

02 September 2026

Six talents from the IED community to take part in Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

EGO, the catwalk dedicated to emerging fashion designers, will feature four alumni and one student from our community this year, while lecturer Juan Vidal will present his collection at a private, invitation-only event.

28 August 2026

What does sustainability mean for a design school?

When discussing sustainability, the debate often focuses on environmental impacts and the responsible use of resources. But what does sustainability mean, in practical terms, for a school that educates future designers, creatives and professionals capable of driving change?

03 July 2026

July: Exhibitions, Installations and New Horizons for IED.60 Public Program

With the arrival of July, IED Graduation Days enter their busiest phase across IED’s Italian campuses, bringing with them a series of public events designed to showcase the ideas, projects and research developed by students.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

22 October 2026 - 23 December 2026

Florence

The Ballad of the Blue Kind

From 22 October to 23 December 2026, IED Firenze and Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi present The Ballad of the Blue Kind by artist Benni Bosetto, a new project specifically conceived for two venues: IED Firenze and Palazzo Strozzi.

Exhibitions and Festival

23 October 2026 - 25 October 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid in the 7th Edition of Recreo Book Art Fair

The school is developing GRADA, a collaborative project with Recreo that transforms the fair’s auditorium into a space for meeting, play and participation