Tactology Lab 3 invites local makers to join their skills to experiment with tactile, bodily interaction with electronics. 

We are looking for a mix of professional artists, designers, craftspeople, creative coders and musicians to work together in small groups to develop tangible electronic prototypes for a live performance context, which will be performed at the Rewire Festival 2025 in The Hague. Coached by experts, participants will work towards this performance during five separate workshop days before performing at Rewire.

You can sign up for Tactology Lab 3 if you’re a professional artist or creator - there’s no need to have participated in any of the previous labs. We also have space for one or two students to participate. The programme of Lab 3 focuses primarily on developing an instrument/installation and working towards the performance with it.

What is Tactology Lab?

Expression through tactile electronics

Tactology Lab is a 6-day structured workshop and performance programme for artists and creators of various skills and art disciplines, organised by Sounds Like Touch. We believe that expression through tactile electronics can amplify a personal, visible, rousing performance experience, enhancing a strong connection between performer and audience. With Tactology Lab, Sounds Like Touch provides a unique learning space, basic materials and coaching by professionals. Additionally, the creative processes and the results will be shared via an online platform to provide an international stage to local makers.

Theme

The theme of this edition is craft. We aim to combine performative audiovisual practices with creative technology and artisanal production, where a craft is incorporated in performance, prototype fabrication process or both.

An artisan can be seen as a blend of a craftsperson and an artist: someone skilled in creating objects—whether artistic or functional—partly or entirely by hand. This craftsmanship can extend beyond traditional forms, applying to a musician crafting or modifying their own instruments, a performer designing their own costumes, or a designer creating their own tools. Artisanal technology, then, involves viewing technology through the lens of an artisan's deep, embodied knowledge. Like a skilled musician, an artisan possesses an intimate understanding of the tools and materials they work with, and constant involvement of the hands in the process is key. 

In this Tactology Lab, the starting point to make an instrument is the combined existing knowledge within the groups of a craft and electronics, and builds towards contextualising this in an audiovisual performance. This can be achieved by using the craft in the fabrication process, or embedding the act of the craft within the performance directly. We are not teaching a craft or a technology, but rather starting from the knowledge within the mixed groups, and guiding this towards a performance where craft, technology, sound and performance are on equal footing. 

Participate

Providing a programme and space for experiments, Tactology Lab is for you if you are interested as an artist or creator in working with electronics and exploring ways to connect physical and material to the digital and electronics to advance your artistic practice. If you want to learn how to improve your performance by exploring your personal expression through interaction with electronic tools, definitely sign up for Lab 3! 

This program is designed for makers and performers at all stages of their artistic career. You don't need to be an expert in performance, sound design, or any particular craft. We'll form groups to ensure that everyone can learn from one another in various areas. Our exchange of expertise will lead us to an inspiring, creative space working towards new ways of tactile expression.

We care about a well balanced group of participants, aiming to bring together diverse makers with different skill levels and backgrounds. Therefore, the final selection of the program will be made by our curators via a short, informal conversation with you via Zoom or in real life - if possible.

Programme Tactology Lab 3: Craft

Since this is a group project, it is important to be available at all of the Lab Days! All locations are in Utrecht and The Hague, The Netherlands.

• Day 1: inspire      Friday 21 February   morning + afternoon

• Day 2: prototype  Friday 7 March morning + afternoon  

• Day 3: construct  Saturday 8 March morning + afternoon

• Day 4: express     Sunday 16 March    morning + afternoon

• Day 5: embed       Friday 28 March*    morning + afternoon

• Day 6: perform Sunday 6 April    morning + afternoon

What you get

• Full 6-day programme, curated by textile and technology designer Michelle Vossen, and creative coder, sound artist and educator Roald van Dillewijn

• Performance coaching and stage presence by performer and instrument designer Dianne Verdonk

• Guidance by uitvinder Jeroen Vissers at the Uitvindersgilde

• Perform the outcomes of our creative process, live at Rewire festival

• Knowledge and experience combining electronics with physical materials

• A local network of creators

• Sensors, boards and material are available at extra cost

• Drinks, vega(n) lunch and snacks provided during the lab days

* This date may change according to availability of the performance space

What you pay

The price for Tactology Lab 3 is a sliding scale, you decide what you pay, depending on your income:

• € 222: reduced rate
  This is for students, recently graduated artists and people with a low / minimum income  

• € 333: base rate for participation
  This is for artists, makers and developers who make a (modest) living

• € 444: full rate
  This is for people whose employer or a fund (partly) co-finances the participation

Sign Up

The application deadline for Tactology Lab 3: Craft has been extended to Sunday 19th January 2025 23:59 CET.

Interviews will be scheduled throughout January.