Interview with Advisory Council Member Jos Feijen: 'Don't Shy Away from Experimentation'
The Advisory Council 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 connecting with the industry. But who are these members, what do they do, and – most importantly – how do they view IX?
In part 3, Jos Feijen from the Effenaar.
Who are you, what do you do?
“I am Jos Feijen, director of the music venue Effenaar in Eindhoven, director of Effenaar Lab, festival director of Hit The City (end of August in Eindhoven), chairman of Music Tech Nederland and member of the board of Music Tech Europe.
I am also a co-founder of the communication agency Zandbeek where I worked as a strategic advisor until 2014, and a co-founder of the network of independent international event agencies 27 Names, of which I was chairman until 2012.
I am a proud father of two studying children. And in my free time, you can regularly find me – with very varying success – on the golf course.”
“The cultural sector is still insufficiently aware of the possibilities that immersive offers.”
Why 'immersive', what is your connection with new content/technology?
“I am fascinated by developments that bring about changes in organizations/in society. What is the impact of these changes on people, on systems? How do we deal with them? How, why, and when do we embrace them? Often they are inevitable, but they can be managed.
It is my belief that what we call immersive will change our society in a way we do not yet know. A way we need to discover together. Additionally, I believe that culture can play a leading role in this because culture does not start from technology but from its meaning and experience. Artists question and challenge technology, seeing it as a new dimension to tell their story.
Immersive technologies offer artists a new form of expression, and thus the audience a new form of experience. It is incredibly interesting to shape this together.”
Why did you want to join the Advisory Board, what specifically appealed to you in/about the program?
“The cultural sector is not sufficiently aware of the possibilities that immersive offers. The creative industry - of which IX is a part - places too little value on experimentation in the cultural sector. I know both worlds well and would like to connect them.”
What is your IX dream/mission?
“My IX mission is that a new generation of artists will flourish for whom immersive is an integral part of their work; where IX is an additional way to tell their story.”
What developments in the field do you see that you find important to strengthen and why? Or: what in your view is the most important development in the IX field (as part of the creative industry)?
“For me, the most important development is not in technology but in creating an ecosystem where immersive can thrive. From a cultural perspective, creating space, time, and facilities that facilitate experimentation is of utmost importance!”
Public values play an important role at CIIIC, how do you view that? Extra stimulating or a potential obstacle?
“For me, public values are a non-issue; without recognition and adherence to them, the program lacks its social foundation. I see them as essential prerequisites that should mainly be stimulating. In some cases, they can certainly also be a (practical) obstacle, in the sense that they then provide a basis for a good discussion.”
Finally, the Advisory Board gives advice – what is your message to the community? And how can they find you and 'use' you to possibly share their ideas with the community?
“Think outside the box, don't shy away from experimentation. You can find me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/josfeijen, or via CIIIC adviesraad@ciiic.nl.”