1st ArtTechTour: the educational festival on art, technology and science at the Energiehuis

DORDRECHT – Nearly 1,000 high school students and subject teachers, artists, teachers, primary education culture leaders, artists, performers, inventors and guests visited the first edition of the ArtTechTour from November 8 to 12. They were immersed in the world of art, technology and science. For this purpose, the Energiehuis has been equipped with various technolabs.

Participants familiarized themselves with the interface of art and technology through interactive guided tours, performances, inspiration sessions or got to work in workshops. This special education festival has shown that technology is all around us. And that you can approach it from all kinds of angles. So also with dance, music, theater, poetry, philosophy and visual education. A special festival which received an enthusiastic reception and which will therefore certainly continue next year!

Dordrecht artists in technolabs
Works of art have been selected for technolabs that use or reflect on technology, by nationally renowned artists and from Dordrecht. Art is approached from play – playing and having fun, moving – progress and development, Empathy – social and emotional, Thinking – thinking beyond the possibilities, History – technology from yesterday to today and therapy – as medicine.

In the technolab ‘Art as Therapy’ you presented a specially designed work of art by Elise ‘t Hart from Dordrecht. Students discover in the ‘Art as Therapy’ technolab that art can touch you, move you or calm you down.

The Dordrecht Elise ‘t Hart sound shower stimulates your ears (and your body) with hard and soft sounds, short and long sound waves, sounds, noise, recognizable sounds and harsh vibrations.

In “Art of Moving” you could see and listen to the work of visual and sound artist Nico Parlevliet, and Internet pioneers JODI confused you in Art As History / Art As Future.

Inspiring meetings for primary and secondary education
In addition to the ArtTechTour for students, inspirational afternoons were also organized for teachers and professors of education subjects. They experienced the exciting mix of artistic disciplines enriched with contemporary technologies. “This special place offers inspiration to showcase work and gives ideas to inspire children,” says elementary school participant Powerstation Art, Science & Technology.

At the so-called Finissage, the festive conclusion of the ArtTechTour, Rik van de Linden, alderman for culture, praised the many artists from Dordrecht who work with technology, the schools’ wide interest in this subject and from the special location of the Energiehuis that the works of art offered a very beautiful scene. He thanked the Education & Culture Service Bureau, KITE education, Dordrechts Museum and Kunstmin’s D-sound for their contribution and commitment.

Special collaborations
The ArtTechTour is organized by the Education & Culture Service Bureau and KITE education. For the content of the program, we worked in particular with the Dordrechts Museum. Kunstmin’s D sound contributed in the form of a special performance. The public discovers the role of technology in the interpretation of music and the performing arts.

The participating schools were Insula College Halmaheiraplein and Koningstraat, Stedelijk Dalton College, Yulius het Tij, Walburg College, DevelsteinCollege and CGS Willem van Oranje from Dordrecht, Zwijndrecht and Oud-Beijerland. The ArtTechTour was made possible in part by the Fonds voor CultuurParticipatie, the 21 Fund and the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.