Interview with Advisory Board member Heleen Elferink: 'Collaboration is the key to innovation'
The Advisory Board of CIIIC consists of 21 carefully selected members who provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to our program team on key content areas. As representatives of the IX community and ambassadors of IX in the Netherlands, they are crucial for the connection with the industry. But who are these members, what do they do, and – especially – how do they view IX?
In part 11, Heleen Elferink from the Education Institute CMI (Communication, Media and Information Technology) in Rotterdam
Who are you, what do you do?
‘I am Heleen Elferink, director of the Institute for Communication, Media, and Information Technology at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and chair of the Supervisory Board of Stichting DEN (formerly Digital Heritage Netherlands), a knowledge institute for culture & digital transformation and the driving force for digital transformation in culture.
With our education and research in Rotterdam, we work on new digital applications. In the projects we conduct with students and research, we see every day how much impact this can have. I find it inspiring to see how driven our students are to make Rotterdam and their surroundings more beautiful.’
“Students who give the viewer, the experiencer, the chance to experience the world in their own way with their projects – it touches me every time.”
Why 'immersive', what do you have with new content/technology?
'I find it impressive to see how much impact immersive content can have when you use the technology in the right way. An immersive experience can truly touch you, as you experience a story so much more intensely. Students who give the viewer, the experiencer, the chance to experience the world in their own way with their projects – it touches me every time. Just like I found the immersive exhibition Bigger and Closer (not smaller and further away) in London of David Hockney's work so impressive a few years ago.
But to create a good immersive experience, many different disciplines – such as designers, communication professionals, programmers, and experts from the field you want to talk about – need to come together. I find that enormously fascinating too: seeing how disciplines can strengthen each other.'
“To create a good immersive experience, many different disciplines need to come together.”
Why did you want to join the Advisory Board, what specifically attracted you to the program?
‘It's precisely the different perspectives and disciplines in the Advisory Board that appeal to me. Because – just like with an immersive experience itself – we need each other to sustainably strengthen the sector together.’
What is your IX dream/mission?
‘That we use immersive experiences to better understand each other. That we use immersive technology to put ourselves in each other's shoes, to better understand how someone else experiences the world around them.’
Which developments in the field do you see as important to strengthen and why? Or: in your view, what is the most important development in the IX field (as part of the creative industry)?
‘To build powerful immersive experiences, many disciplines, as mentioned, need to come together. And we need to understand well what everyone's role is in a design process. I find it gratifying to be able to contribute with our education to training good immersive professionals who can collaborate from their own strengths and professionalism in a team with other disciplines; that is the key to innovation.’
“For me, public values are not a mere obligation, but rather a motivation to want to engage with immersive technology.”
Public values play an important role at CIIIC, how do you view this? Extra stimulating or a possible obstacle?
‘Absolutely stimulating. It's great to be able to use immersive technologies to strengthen understanding for each other and increase inclusivity in our society. For me, public values are not an obligation, but rather a driving force to want to work with immersive technology.’
Finally, the Advisory Board gives advice – what is your message to the community? And how can they find and ‘engage’ you to potentially share their ideas with the community?
‘I enjoy working on educating young people for the immersive field. And I like to connect different disciplines to become stronger together. You can always contact me directly for that approach or email through adviesraad@ciiic.nl.’
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Photography: Ben Houdijk