Stimuleringsfonds

In the first round of 2025 of the Immerse\Interact Grant Scheme, 10 projects were selected for support. Immerse\Interact grants officer Arnout van der Maas reflects on the round.

9 July 2025

The selected projects show a strong focus on mental health and trauma processing. Several makers use immersive technology to make topics that are difficult to talk about accessible. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters reinterprets nightmares as transformative experience, while Lady Lazarus creates space for conversations about suicide and grief.

The focus on inclusiveness and accessibility is also striking. Stille Resonantie develops an equal music experience for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and Nothing to See Here brings immersive art to passers-by in public spaces in a completely accessible way.

Climate and environment are addressed in surprising ways. AMASONIC highlights the impact of climate change on river communities, while Shifting Forms explores the effects of melting permafrost.

selection

In addition, some notable projects are:

Mine Land – Katja Verheul
Mine Land is a VR experience about the long-term consequences of war. Katja Verheul visited minefields in Kosovo and Brčko and discovered that, 30 years after the war in Bosnia, areas are still inaccessible due to mines that continue to cause casualties. The experience, which lasts 20-25 minutes, has three storylines that take the perspectives of different people: a mine-clearer, scientist and refugee. Visitors wear bullet-proof vests and interact with virtual de-mining objects. The installation combines documentary elements with artistic visualisations and haptic feedback. Through sensory immersion, Verheul wants this project to contribute to deeper understanding and awareness of the existence of minefields and the invisible legacy of war.

Vergeten hoe te zwemmen – Eva Kröse
Vergeten hoe te zwemmen is a poetic VR narrative in which the viewer is overcome by sudden existential anxiety during a train journey. The VR installation lasts 8-10-minutes and takes place in a virtual moving train. Via different environments, the audience is taken through the facets of fear. The concept of time takes on a paradoxical character: anxiety seems to last endlessly, but at the same time, time is the only thing that makes the situation finally pass. The project opens the dialogue on fear and gives insight to people without experience of the subject. It also provides recognition for people who suffer from anxiety. The team consists of Eva Kröse (maker), Rutger Zuydervelt (sound design), Anna Peeters (sparring partner content) and Sjoerd van Acker (sparring partner technology).

Nothing to see here – Studio Nergens
Nothing to see here by Studio Nergens is an immersive experience that gives a different perspective on reality through a play on perception. The installation is intended for passers-by in public spaces. Without prior knowledge or instruction, visitors can live the experience. Through peepholes in a box, visitors see a 3D image that shows real-time images of themselves mixed with pre-recorded images and sounds. As a result, they experience a distorted version of reality that questions their perception. The team consists of director Celine Daemen, art director Aron Fels, composer Aurélie Nyirabikali Lierman and sound engineer Wouter Snoei.

numbers

Of the 37 subsidy requests taken into consideration, 17 received a positive recommendation. The available budget of € 500,000 was not sufficient to award a grant to all the positively assessed applications, so prioritisation was necessary. Ultimately, 10 projects were awarded a grant.

about the grant scheme

The Immerse\Interact Grant Scheme is a collaboration between the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Netherlands Film Fund for the development, realisation and distribution of artistically high-quality, immersive and/or interactive media productions. The aim is to strengthen the crossovers between the two funds, which include digital culture, film and design. Immerse\Interact explores the future of storytelling within the world of immersive media such as VR, MR and AR.

At the moment, you can submit an application to the Immerse\Interact grant scheme. The deadline is 30 September 2025 at 16:00.