The Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto will host the second edition of the Ligatures Summer School, a three-day international event dedicated to the intersections of writing, calligraphy, typography, and language systems as cultural and visual practices. From July 16 to 18, participants will engage in hands-on workshops, research presentations, and cross-disciplinary discussions around the material and computational dimensions of letterforms.

The program includes two practical workshops in the two days preceding the main event: an analog drawing and expressive lettering session led by Julien Priez, a lettering artist and professional type designer currently at Commercial Type. And a creative coding workshop using DrawBot and Python, led by Maurice Meilleur, assistant professor at Iowa State University.

On July 18, the main event day will feature a series of short presentations and round table discussions by young researchers and students from bachelor's to master's students. The program is followed by a keynote address by Maurice Meilleur titled “Constructing Legacies: Archives, Algorithms, and the Future of Design Heritage.” The keynote will reflect on the role of archival research and computational methods in reinterpreting design heritage, with a special focus on Meilleur’s research into the experimental lettering systems and design legacy of Dutch designer Jurriaan Schrofer preserved in the University of Amsterdam's archives.

The Summer School will conclude with an informal and open social moment for participants and the local design community to connect and exchange ideas in a relaxed setting.

Participation in the main event day is free but requires registration.

The workshops have a small symbolic registration fee and a very limited capacity, so book your spot now!