HEFT: Heritage for the future – expanding the IX ecosystem for embodied cultural experiences | Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid (lead applicant)

HEFT aims to strengthen and expand the IX field by bridging systemic challenges - scalability limitations, inaccessible public spaces, low discoverability - through artistic research. The consortium addresses the development of artistic methodologies that embrace the embodied qualities of IX, inform preservation, foster meaningful collective engagement, and enable scalable preservation and versioning for long-term access (heritage). The project operationalises five core objectives ('reimagine’, ‘unite’, ‘sustain, ‘empower’, and ‘safeguard’). The consortium’s main contribution is generating fundamental, sector-wide, and transferable knowledge and tools.

Its programme is implemented through five interconnected work packages, focusing on artistic research through design using IX prototypes from makers. Key outputs include the embodied design methods framework, toolkits, guidelines, and recommendations for policy and international support. Outreach efforts culminate in an international conference and the integration of results into educational curricula. A sustainability roadmap secures the long-term impact and adoption of the results.

Consortium partners: Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision | Eye Filmmuseum | Netherlands Film Festival | HKU University of Arts Utrecht | University of Amsterdam | Studio Nergens (Celine Daemen) | Studio ZZZAP (Nienke Huitenga Broeren) | Richard Vijgen | Nullshima Studio (Anne Fehres & Luke Conroy) | Satore Studio (Tupac Martir)

Other collaborations: OASIS | ARS Electronica | Geneva International Film Festival | SXSW | Venice Immersive | Chia Wei Hsu | VIVE Arts | Crossover Labs | Diversion XR | Khora | PHI | MEET Centre | Watershed | Lincoln Center | Friedrich Schiller University Jena | Technological University of the Shannon | VICOMTECH | Time Machine Organisation