Vienna Design Week

Vienna Design Week is Austria’s largest curated design festival, our four shortlisted artists and winner from the Illustration Residency Programme will have the opportunity to showcase their work during the festival in a dedicated exhibition space curated by Cluster, in collaboration with the Illustrators Fair.

In addition, Sebastian Freudenschuss, sits on the Illustration Residency Jury Panel, as the official representative of Vienna Design Week. 

Founded in 2007, Vienna Design Week welcomes over 40,000 visitors annually and is internationally recognised for championing innovative contemporary design across disciplines including illustration, graphic and product design, architecture, craft, and digital, experimental and critical practices.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting creative talent through international dialogue and meaningful professional opportunities.

Illustrators’ Fair

the UK's largest free illustration fair and one of London's leading events celebrating independent illustration, printmaking, comics, zines, and artist-led publishing. Bringing together over 100 hand-picked illustrators twice a year in King's Cross, the fair has become a key platform for discovering and supporting contemporary illustration.

Together, we're creating even more opportunities for illustrators to exhibit, connect, and grow:

- 10 free applications to Cluster's 2026 Illustration Residency Open Call for members of The Illustrators' Fair 2026 cohort.
- 10 additional applications with a 30% discount, making the programme accessible to even more artists.
- Two artists from the Illustrators' Fair's July 2026 cohort will be selected by Cluster to exhibit at Vienna Design Week in September 2026, presented under both Cluster's and the Illustrators' Fair's partnership.
- The winner of the Cluster Illustration Residency will receive a free exhibition space at the Illustrators' Fair in December 2026, providing an exciting platform to showcase their work to thousands of visitors.

This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to supporting illustrators beyond a single event - creating lasting opportunities through exhibitions, international showcases, and creative exchange.

Beetroot

Beetroot is a design studio based in Thessaloniki, Greece. Since 2000, it has been using design to shape stories, identities and experiences. Its work has been displayed in museums, galleries and festivals around the globe. After moving to its new headquarters in the summer of 2021, the team also runs a space that is open to the community — an ecosystem designed to nurture and support creativity. In 2023, Beetroot’s partners and creative directors, Vangelis Liakos, Alexis Nikou and Yiannis Charalambopoulos, became members of AGI, Alliance Graphique Internationale.

Totally Reps

Founded by Kat Irannejad, Totally Reps is a visual artist representation and creative agency dedicated to championing a diverse roster of artists while fostering long-lasting client relationships. Working with some of the world’s most iconic brands, agencies, and publishers, Totally Reps was built on the belief that meaningful collaboration and bespoke visual art are central to the most engaging creative work in the industry.