Projekthof Karnitz is a place where  - since 1997 – people learn through experiences and by trying to experience the future. People from different generations live and work together at the Projekthof which is literally translated: Project farm.

It is a space for culture and nature in the very rural region called Mecklenburgische Schweiz. The Projekthof invites culture, education, science, craft, and joint activities to take place.

In Karnitz, we develop and create stories of possible futures. Our activities are directed at change on our Projekthof and in the region: in our thinking and in what we do.

We work and reflect our work on its usefulness. We learn nature, from each other, from the people in our region and from our guests and partners from all over the world. Our activities are open for everyone. We try to create free space and offer our knowledge, experiences, methods, as well as our networks, our curiosity and our space.

Our aim is to create a vivid and resilient region. The experiences that we make as well as the errors we commit in doing climate farming, use of renewable energy and resources, in working towards a good life in times of uncertainty are spread to all interested fellows. In order to do so, we have festivals, summer schools, workshops, and create learning landscapes. We collect world views of change, transformative knowledge, old wisdom and new techniques – from the region and from all over the world.

We are a very heterogenous group. Permanent and free staff, volunteers and supporters, followers and international fellows build our team. We also host the team of our academic partner KMGNE and work with artists and scientists in residence as well as with people who are seeking for personal change. For us, the diversity is essential. Everybody is welcome: from engineer to artist, entrepreneur, sociologist, carpenter, bricklayer, gardener to students and everyone who looks for change towards a more ESD oriented conviction.

International Summer University

For eleven years now, the International Summer University "Transmedia Storytelling: Culture of Climate Change" takes place in Karnitz, very remote rural Germany.
The capacity building is designed as a blended-learning offer which culminates in a two-week face-to-face session with intense scenario building exercises which lead to the production of a variety of narrative formats such as video spots, podcasts, community art, animation, theatre and many more. All transmedia products aim at creating new narratives towards social-ecological transformation, and due to their orientation towards the future their messages imply transformative action. However, the creation of scenarios, messages and transmedia products live from the collaborative, participatory and deliberative work in the face-to-face period, also because media professionals accompany the production. The Summer University brings together scientists, artists, activists, environmentalists, people from administration, media and arts, thus bringing together different disciplines and mindsets in order to create more robust and action-oriented climate stories of the future.

Our conviction: Climate change and other human-made phenomena will cause deep changes and these issues remain existential; which is why they cannot be postponed to a later point in time and ESD needs to go on.

This year’s call for participation can be found at https://ccclab.info/karnitz/