CIIIC Anual Meet-up Programme

30 minutes                      

Venue open for public.

In foyer, with coffee and tea, check in and name tags

We begin with a welcome by Barbera Wolfsberger, Director-General for Culture and Media at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This will be followed by a conversation between moderator Monique van Dusseldorp and Jeremy Dalton, exploring the current state of the immersive sector and how the market is evolving. The plenary opening concludes with Heleen Rouw, Programme Director of CIIIC, who will share the latest developments within CIIIC.

With:                                   

• Barbera Wolfsberger, Director-General for Culture and Media
• Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
• Jeremy Dalton, Immersive Tech Advisor
• Heleen Rouw, Programme Director CIIIC
• Monique van Dusseldorp, Moderator

What funding opportunities are available for research in immersive experiences (IX)? How can initiatives participate in and benefit from the upcoming research calls within CIIIC? 

This session will begin with a presentation, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. CIIIC Liaison Isjah Koppejan will provide an update on the current state of funding opportunities within CIIIC, with a particular focus on the upcoming, so called START call, which will open soon. The session is practical and informative, offering clear guidance on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and ways to get involved.

With:                                 

• Isjah Koppejan, CIIIC Liaison, NWO/Regieorgaan SIA
• Michiel Hulshof, Moderator

How can makers of immersive experiences collaborate to strengthen their practice? How do they turn ideas into socially relevant projects, create greater impact, and build more sustainable business cases?

This session explores these questions through practical examples, with the CIIIC calls in mind. We look at how makers can connect with one another, as well as with researchers and implementers, and how available tools, methods and networks can support their development.

Makers often face the challenge of ​​finding the right people and partners to work with. How do you build those connections, and how do you shape them into strong, meaningful projects? This session offers insights from the perspectives of makers, focusing on collaboration, creative development and the wider opportunities CIIIC can offer.

With:                                 

• Carmen Biemond, CIIIC Liaison, RVO
• Tim Terpstra, CIIIC Liaison, Creative Industries Fund NL
• Tamara Shogaolu, Ado Ato Pictures
• Annelies Wisse, IJsfontein
• Servaz van Berkum, Moderator

Today we flip the script. Instead of protecting public values, we explore how to harm them. What damage could we cause using immersive technologies, quickly, creatively and thoroughly? Together with Mariëtte van Huijstee from the Rathenau Institute we unlock our inner Evil Genius. 

After a short introduction we split into groups of six and dive into a toolbox of immersive tech and sensors. The aim: design the most harmful use possible. Not to provoke for the sake of it, but to understand the stakes. Design is never neutral, so it is better to get it right from the start.

With:                                  

• Mariëtte van Huijstee, Rathenau Institute
• Monique van Dusseldorp, Moderator

Discover how immersive experiences can unlock new possibilities in daily life through practical applications of immersive technology in public contexts. This session centres on the work of CaptainVR. 

Founded by Dana-Maria Faneker, CaptainVR uses Virtual Reality to support personal growth, mental wellbeing, and professional development. Specialising in VR Exposure Coaching, they help individuals overcome fear and build self-confidence through immersive coaching. Their award-winning approach blends cutting-edge technology with personal empowerment. In addition to one-to-one coaching, CaptainVR provides training for professionals to incorporate VR into their own practice, making innovative, tech-driven development more widely accessible.

During this session, you will have the opportunity to experience two immersive VR experiences developed by CaptainVR, each lasting approximately five minutes. One experience confronts participants with street-level insecurity, offering a powerful tool for coaching resilience and illustrating the emotional impact of such situations. The other centres on mindfulness and sensory immersion, incorporating elements such as scent to deepen the experience.

With:

• Dana-Maria Franeker, Founder CaptainVR

How can creative entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into real-world impact – and scale them up in meaningful ways? 

This session focuses on the Innovation Impact Challenge (IIC), a CIIIC programme that supports makers in developing immersive solutions to societal challenges. Within the IIC, innovation goes hand in hand with business development: building a strong, future-proof business case is essential for long-term success and attracting investment.Together with professionals from the field, we explore how creative entrepreneurs can turn ideas into sustainable, high-impact initiatives – within and beyond the IIC. What does this require from you as a maker or entrepreneur? How do you balance creativity, social value and business thinking? And what support (financial, strategic or practical) is available?

With:                                  

• Carmen Biemond, CIIIC Liaison, RVO
• Joost van Dongen, Game Designer and Founder Studio Galaxy Grove
• Michiel Hulshof, Moderator

How can researchers meaningfully contribute to the development of immersive experiences within CIIIC? 

This session explores how researchers and research institutions can actively engage with and contribute to CIIIC, with a focus on the kinds of research collaborations that are already taking shape. Through concrete examples, it highlights how researchers work alongside makers and implementers in co-creation processes that develop immersive experiences in socially relevant contexts. The session also looks at the practical side of involvement. It shows how representatives from knowledge institutions can connect with the CIIIC research programme, access funding opportunities, and navigate the relevant procedures. It offers a clear view of what is happening now and what possibilities lie ahead.

With:                                  

• Gjalt Loots, CIIIC Liaison, TNO
• Isjah Koppejan, CIIIC Liaison, NWO/Regieorgaan SIA
• Pablo César, Researcher and Group Leader CWI, Professor TU Delft
• Servaz van Berkum, Moderator

How do we invest in the people who will shape the future of immersive experiences? In this interactive workshop, we explore how the Dutch immersive sector can attract, develop and retain talent. Together, we map the opportunities and needs ahead. What skills are essential? Where are the gaps? And how can we strengthen talent across the immersive ecosystem in meaningful and sustainable ways?

Together, we map the opportunities and needs ahead. What skills are essential? Where are the gaps? And how can we strengthen talent across the immersive ecosystem in meaningful and sustainable ways? The session begins with a short interview-led update, followed by a user case and a hands-on discussion. We build on insights gathered and refined in recent weeks through CIIIC, in collaboration with members of the Advisory Board and other experts. To close, we reflect on the findings in smaller breakout groups.

With:                                  

• Mieke Dols, Programme Manager, NWO/Regieorgaan SIA
• Monique van Dusseldorp, Moderator

Experience Soul Paint, an award-winning Virtual Reality experience co-created by Sarah Ticho and Niki Smit. Narrated by actress Rosario Dawson, Soul Paint invites participants to explore their emotional and physical inner worlds through body mapping, 3D drawing, and movement. By translating feelings into visual and spatial expression, the experience fosters emotional insight, empathy, and embodied self-awareness. 

Developed in collaboration with behavioural scientists and researchers, Soul Paint has been successfully piloted in libraries, community centres, and healthcare settings, demonstrating its potential to support wellbeing through creative engagement.

During this session, participants will step into Soul Paint and discover how immersive storytelling can become a powerful tool for reflection, emotional exploration, and human connection—both personally and in public-facing contexts.

With:

• Niki Smit, Founder Monobanda

45 minutes                 

We close the day with From Dust, a groundbreaking VR opera officially selected for the Immersive Competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

Through excerpts from the work, composer and director Michel van der Aa invites us into his world, demonstrating how he uses immersive technology as an artistic tool. From Dust dissolves the boundary between creator and audience: you are not just a spectator but a co-creator who actively shapes the narrative.

After From Dust, Heleen Rouw (Programme Director of CIIIC) will offer a brief closing reflection.

With: 

• Michel van der Aa, Composer and Director From Dust
• Heleen Rouw, Programme Director CIIIC
• Monique van Dusseldorp, Moderator