Applications Open for the CREAConnect Brussels Hackathon

Applications are now open for the third CREAConnect Hackathon, taking place in Brussels, Belgium, from June 9 to June 12, 2026. This edition invites students, young professionals, and practitioners from across Europe to explore how Third Places can strengthen social bonds in cities.

The Brussels Hackathon is part of the CREAConnect programme, a European initiative funded under the Creative Europe Programme that brings together cultural and creative hubs across Europe to experiment with new approaches to social cohesion and locally grounded innovation.

A collaborative lab for ideas and experimentation

Hosted in Brussels by pali pali, this hackathon brings together participants from diverse disciplines including design, architecture, urban studies, cultural management, social sciences, entrepreneurship, and the arts.

Rather than functioning as a traditional competition, the hackathon operates as a collaborative laboratory, where participants work in interdisciplinary teams with local organisations and international mentors to develop concrete responses to real challenges.

Participants will explore the central question guiding this edition:

How can Third Places move from shared presence to meaningful social bonds?

Brussels provides a particularly rich context for this exploration. The city hosts a dense network of community centres, cultural spaces, cafés, shared workspaces, libraries, and informal meeting places that function as Third Places — spaces where people gather beyond home and work. At the same time, Brussels’ diversity, complex governance structures, and uneven access to shared spaces make it an ideal environment to study how social connections emerge, evolve, or sometimes fail.

A two-phase programme

The hackathon is structured in two stages designed to help participants develop informed and grounded proposals.

1. Online Capacity-Building Phase April 20 – June 8, 2026

Selected participants begin with an online preparation programme including webinars, mentoring sessions, and collaborative work. This phase allows participants to:

  • Understand the Brussels context and the local challenges
  • Meet fellow participants and form interdisciplinary teams
  • Engage with mentors and local actors
  • Develop initial project ideas and receive feedback

Participants typically dedicate 7 to 11 hours in total during this preparation phase.

2. On-Site Hackathon in Brussels June 9 – June 12, 2026

Teams then gather in Brussels for four intensive days of collaborative work. During the hackathon, participants refine their ideas, prototype solutions, test assumptions, and prepare their final proposals.

The event culminates in a public pitching session, where teams present their projects to a professional jury. Selected teams may also join future CREAConnect hackathons as “buddies,” expanding their engagement with the wider European network.

Mentors and local partners

Throughout the process, teams will be supported by both local and international mentors. Local mentors bring direct knowledge of the Brussels ecosystem and the realities of Third Places in the city, while international mentors contribute cross-European perspectives and expertise.

The Brussels edition also collaborates with local challenge owners including organisations such as LaVallée, Communa, and 51N4E, who bring concrete cases and contexts for participants to explore.

Who can apply

The programme is open to:

  • Students in the final stages of their studies
  • Recent graduates
  • Young professionals and practitioners

Applicants should have an interest in fields such as design, architecture, urban studies, sociology, cultural management, public policy, entrepreneurship, or the arts, and must be residents or citizens of a Creative Europe eligible country.

Participants are expected to actively engage in both phases of the programme and have a good working level of English (minimum B2).

How to apply

The application deadline is April 10, 2026.

Interested applicants can find more information and submit their application through the links below.

Apply (EN): https://forms.gle/NmU73KwEdHC71PnXA

Apply (FR): https://forms.gle/TeGkw5tBtFUbnS9W9

Brochure (EN): https://bit.ly/4sIneeO

Brochure (FR): https://bit.ly/3P5wBXr

Students, young professionals, designers, researchers, and practitioners interested in social innovation, urban spaces, and community building are encouraged to apply.

Project website: https://www.creaconnect.eu

CREAConnect hackathons are designed to bring together emerging and experienced practitioners from across Europe to experiment, collaborate, and develop practical ideas that strengthen the role of Third Places in urban life.

If you are interested in social innovation, community spaces, and collaborative problem-solving, Brussels is the place to start.