Creative Playgrounds

Creative Playgrounds is a presentation and networking format event that explores the intersections of art, science, technology, and society, with a strong emphasis on digital arts, interactivity, interdisciplinarity, and expert dialogue.

Nearly a decade of continuous experimentation has shaped a tradition that today resonates under the name Creative Playgrounds – a format initiated by DIG platform, later carried forward in close cooperation with Technical University of Košice and a wide network of partners. Since its very beginnings, this initiative has acted as a living laboratory for media art, innovation, and cross-disciplinary dialogue, where artists, researchers, and industry pioneers test the limits of creativity. From the first symposiums in Kosice, through hybrid online editions, Creative Playgrounds has persistently contributed to the international profile of the city of Kosice and its recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts (2017).

This year’s edition does not emerge from a void – it grows organically from that established lineage. The novelty lies in its connection to the Ulysseus European University and the involvement of new partners, which enrich the platform with broader perspectives and transnational collaborations. TUKE, as the main organizer, anchors the event in the academic and cultural landscape of the region, while DIG joins as an event partner, extending the dialogue that has, since the beginning, intertwined local vision with global currents.

Participants will experience a hybrid mix of formats—from panel discussions and expert talks to interactive VR sessions, digital cross-platform presentations, and unique exhibition formats. The event highlights how creativity serves as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and social transformation, while also linking to the broader Ulysseus Research & Innovation groups in the fields of Digital Culture and Creative Industries and Innovation Strategies for Cultural Heritage.

Building on the Art&Tech Session held earlier during Ulysseus R&I Conference 2025, this event deepens the conversation by bringing together European strategies, hybrid media environments, gaming, robotics, and sound/media art theory into a forward-looking exploration of the cultural and creative industries (CCI). It emphasizes acting locally while thinking globally, framing visionary strategies for the 21st century.

• Conference presentations and talks
• Panel discussions on future topics in art, science, and technology
• Art-Science exhibitions in Campus Gallery TUKE
• Hybrid media toolkits and interactive playgrounds
• Multimedia events with artists and students
• VR and gaming industry sessions
• Core Labs & RobLab presentations
• joint Ulysseus Research & Innovation groups around the topic of CCI
• Ulysseus partners networking and cross-university perspectives

The event is organised by the Ulysseus European University and is part of the Ulysseus Košice Week. The will be held at the Technical University of Košice in Slovakia.

The Technical University of Košice (TUKE), established in 1952, is Slovakia’s flagship technical university, offering more than 100 study programmes to nearly 10,000 students across nine faculties. Nestled in the vibrant, student-friendly city of Košice, TUKE blends research-led teaching with an entrepreneurial spirit. Its on-campus University Science Park TECHNICOM anchors a dynamic ecosystem for technology transfer, start-ups and European Digital Innovation Hub services, making Košice a hotspot for sustainable, digital innovation.

Within the Ulysseus European University, TUKE plays a important role in advancing the Digital Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) based on R&I Group, fostering international collaboration in areas such as digital arts or creativity. Through the Faculty of Arts (FU TUKE), the university combines academic expertise with artistic invention, building bridges between research, education, and cultural practice to drive forward new forms of cooperation and innovation.