BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:27736@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:National Design Debate 2026: Shaping Europe DTSTAMP:20260922T214715Z DTSTART:20261023T130000Z DTEND:20261023T153000Z DESCRIPTION:How can Europe redesign itself\, from infrastructure to imagina tion? We design\nwith American software\, train on global AI models\, and communicate through\nplatforms developed outside Europe. While Europe lead s the way in regulating\ntechnology\, an important question remains: are w e also leading in shaping our\nown future?\n\nOn Friday\, October 23\, des igners\, artists\, thinkers\, and technologists will\ngather for the Natio nal Design Debate 2026: Shaping Europe\, live in the iconic\nPhilips Hall of the Evoluon in Eindhoven. The event is organized by Next Nature\nand Wa ag Futurelab.\n\nCan Europe develop its own design culture—one that offers a genuine alternative\nto both American big tech and China’s state-driven model?\n\nShaping Europe is a call to rethink the role of design in Europ e—not merely as\nan aesthetic discipline\, but as a cultural and political force that helps shape\nour digital future. The question is not only what we design\, but with which\nvalues\, using whose tools\, and for whom.\n\ n\nPROGRAMME\n\n15:30 hrsKeynote by Kristel Baele\, Chair of the Council f or Culture 16:00 hrs\n\nShort statements:\n\n * Tinkebell\, artist & provo cateur\n * Moktar Nabil\, cultural entrepreneur\n * Constant Dullaart\, ar tist\n * Roosje Klap\, director Noorderlicht & designer\n * Erwin Blom\, j ournalist & digital innovator\n\n16:30 hrsArtistic intermezzo by Urland16: 40 hrsDesign debat\, moderated by Marsha\nSimon17:00 hrsClosing discussion with Marleen Stikker\, director Waag Futurelab &\nKoen van Mensvoort\, di rector Next Nature\n\nThe Nationaal Design Debat is a place for both frict ion and imagination. It is\nfor everyone who believes that design is more than solving problems—it is also\nabout questioning\, provoking\, and drea ming. Join us. Think along. Make yourself\nheard. The future starts with a good conversation!\n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\n\nKristel Baele\nKristel Baele is Cha ir of the Council for Culture. Drawing on her background in\npublic admini stration and higher education\, and her love for the arts\, she is\ncommit ted to the future of art and culture in the Netherlands. She connects\ncul tural policy with societal issues and the role of creativity in a changing \nsociety.Tinkebell\nTinkebell is a Dutch artist known for her outspoken a nd provocative work.\nThrough her projects\, she challenges ideas about et hics\, consumerism\, animal\nwelfare\, and social norms. Her work sparks p ublic debate about the values that\nshape contemporary society.Moktar Nabi l\nMoktar Nabil is an experienced cultural entrepreneur with a strong back ground in\nboth the creative and business sides of the cultural sector. He is Executive\nDirector of the 40Worldwide Foundation\, founder of Garage Noord and kanaal40\,\nand formerly served as Creative Director of both org anizations.Constant Dullaart\nConstant Dullaart is a visual artist whose w ork explores the influence of the\ninternet\, social media\, and digital p latforms on society. His practice exposes\nthe hidden power structures beh ind online visibility\, data\, and algorithms\, and\nhas been exhibited in ternationally.Roosje Klap\nRoosje Klap is a mixed media designer\, researc her\, and director of Noorderlicht\nin Groningen\, and project manager of THEA\, the new art gallery for culture and\ntechnology in Groningen. She i s known for her experimental\, investigative\napproach within visual cultu re. She works at the intersection of art\, design\,\nand technology.Urland \nURLAND is a Dutch theatre collective that brings together technology\,\n performance\, and digital culture. Their productions explore how artificia l\nintelligence\, algorithms\, and virtual worlds are reshaping what it me ans to be\nhuman. Combining theatre\, film\, and digital media\, they crea te bold and\nimmersive experiences.Erwin Blom\nErwin Blom is a Dutch journ alist\, author and digital innovator exploring the\nintersection of media\ , technology and culture. Through vibecoding and\nvibedesigning\, he inves tigates how AI enables people to turn ideas into working\nproducts and des igns without traditional technical skills\, lowering the barrier\nbetween imagination and creation.Marleen Stikker\nMarleen Stikker is Director and co-founder of Waag Futurelab in Amsterdam. She\nis a pioneer in digital ri ghts\, open technology\, and social innovation. Through\nWaag\, she advoca tes for a more democratic\, transparent\, and equitable\ntechnological fut ure.Koert van Mensvoort\nKoert van Mensvoort is an artist\, philosopher\, and Director of Next Nature. He\nexplores how technology is evolving into a new form of nature and how humans can\nlearn to live with it. Through hi s work\, he inspires audiences worldwide to\nrethink the relationship betw een nature and technology with curiosity and\noptimism.Marsha Simon\nMarsh a Simon is a moderator\, presenter\, and program maker. Driven by curiosit y\nabout what moves people and what is at stake\, she makes complex subjec ts clear\nand tangible\, so that what seems big and distant can come close . With fifteen\nyears of experience at the intersection of creativity\, sc ience\, policy\, and\ntransition issues\, she asks the questions that make you re-examine your own\nrole. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/national-design-debate-2026-shaping-eur ope GEO:52.3727735;4.9003436 LOCATION:Waag - Nieuwmarkt 4\, 1012 CR Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:alternative,amsterdam-centrum,discussion,exhibition,experimental ,film,live,nieuwmarkt/lastage,performance,theater X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

How can Europe redesign itself, fro m infrastructure to imagination? We design with American software, train o n global AI models, and communicate through platforms developed outside Eu rope. While Europe leads the way in regulating technology, an important qu estion remains: are we also leading in shaping our own future?

On Friday, October 23, designers, artists, thinkers, and technologists will gather for the National Design Debate 2026: Shaping Europe, live in the iconic Philips Hall of the Evoluon in Eindhoven. The event is organize d by Next Nature and Waag Futurelab.

Can Europe develop its own desi gn culture—one that offers a genuine alternative to both American big tech and China’s state-driven model?

Shaping Europe is a call to rethink the role of design in Europe—not merely as an aesthetic discipline, but a s a cultural and political force that helps shape our digital future. The question is not only what we design, but with which values, using whose to ols, and for whom.

Programme

15:30 hrsKeynote by Kristel Baele, Chair of the Council for Culture 16:00 hrs

Short statements:

16:30 hrsArtistic intermezzo by Urland16:40 hrsDesign debat , moderated by Marsha Simon17:00 hrsClosing discussion with Marleen Stikke r, director Waag Futurelab & Koen van Mensvoort, director Next Nature< p>The Nationaal Design Debat is a place for both friction and imagination. It is for everyone who believes that design is more than solving problems —it is also about questioning, provoking, and dreaming. Join us. Think alo ng. Make yourself heard. The future starts with a good conversation!

Speakers
Kristel Baele
Kristel Baele is Cha ir of the Council for Culture. Drawing on her background in public adminis tration and higher education, and her love for the arts, she is committed to the future of art and culture in the Netherlands. She connects cultural policy with societal issues and the role of creativity in a changing soci ety.Tinkebell
Tinkebell is a Dutch artist known for he r outspoken and provocative work. Through her projects, she challenges ide as about ethics, consumerism, animal welfare, and social norms. Her work s parks public debate about the values that shape contemporary society.Moktar Nabil
Moktar Nabil is an experienced cultural entrep reneur with a strong background in both the creative and business sides of the cultural sector. He is Executive Director of the 40Worldwide Foundati on, founder of Garage Noord and kanaal40, and formerly served as Creative Director of both organizations.Constant Dullaart
Const ant Dullaart is a visual artist whose work explores the influence of the i nternet, social media, and digital platforms on society. His practice expo ses the hidden power structures behind online visibility, data, and algori thms, and has been exhibited internationally.Roosje Klap< br>Roosje Klap is a mixed media designer, researcher, and director of Noor derlicht in Groningen, and project manager of THEA, the new art gallery fo r culture and technology in Groningen. She is known for her experimental, investigative approach within visual culture. She works at the intersectio n of art, design, and technology.Urland
URLAND is a Du tch theatre collective that brings together technology, performance, and d igital culture. Their productions explore how artificial intelligence, alg orithms, and virtual worlds are reshaping what it means to be human. Combi ning theatre, film, and digital media, they create bold and immersive expe riences.Erwin Blom
Erwin Blom is a Dutch journalist, a uthor and digital innovator exploring the intersection of media, technolog y and culture. Through vibecoding and vibedesigning, he investigates how A I enables people to turn ideas into working products and designs without t raditional technical skills, lowering the barrier between imagination and creation.Marleen Stikker
Marleen Stikker is Director a nd co-founder of Waag Futurelab in Amsterdam. She is a pioneer in digital rights, open technology, and social innovation. Through Waag, she advocate s for a more democratic, transparent, and equitable technological future.< strong>Koert van Mensvoort
Koert van Mensvoort is an artist, p hilosopher, and Director of Next Nature. He explores how technology is evo lving into a new form of nature and how humans can learn to live with it. Through his work, he inspires audiences worldwide to rethink the relations hip between nature and technology with curiosity and optimism.Mars ha Simon
Marsha Simon is a moderator, presenter, and program m aker. Driven by curiosity about what moves people and what is at stake, sh e makes complex subjects clear and tangible, so that what seems big and di stant can come close. With fifteen years of experience at the intersection of creativity, science, policy, and transition issues, she asks the quest ions that make you re-examine your own role. BEGIN:VALARM ACTION:DISPLAY DESCRIPTION:National Design Debate 2026: Shaping Europe TRIGGER:-PT1H END:VALARM END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR