More than Human

Human beings are fundamentally connected to and dependent on their environments. We share a realm with the buildings we live in, wood and steel supporting them. Our devices connect us to mines all over the world. We digest the fruits and vegetables from the soil that worms and fungi regenerate, and we breathe the air transformed by plants into oxygen. Even the fibers protecting our bodies are part of a global infrastructure powered by appearance, as well as blood and money.

Although we recognise this, we often approach the idea of “society” as a civilisation: a construct both real and imagined by humans born in particular parts of the world. What would we gain by exploding the notion that society is something that is made for and by us? What are approaches and methods to think of society as a system of interconnected elements? How can kinship, care, intelligence, reciprocity, government, and culture include and surpass human constructs?

Curators

Loes Bogers

Senior lecturer & programme lead ArtechLAB, Amsterdam University of the Arts

Sam Edens

Coordinator Biomaterials Studio, AUAS

Wellbeing in a digital age

How can we shape a Society 5.0 in which human-centric values are embedded in the digital transformation, of which algorithms and robotics are an important part of?

During Society 5.0 Festival we bring together a multi- and transdisciplinary community to identify and overcome challenges in bringing AI applications & Robotics in the real world, to anticipate and create conditions for sustainable futures.

We welcome anyone who and anything that can add to these conversations. From digital and paper prototypes to (synthetic) data sets. We especially enjoy contributions which seek disciplinary expertise and knowledge across sectors.

Curator

Somaya Ben Allouch

Professor Digital Life, AUAS

Generative Storytelling and Creativity

We are witnessing the beginning of a new era where generative AI adds a new dimension to content creation. Is it just a hype, or is there a substantial change taking place that will revolutionize the foundations of the creative field?

During Society 5.0 Festival, we explore the role AI plays and will play in the future together with artists, philosophers, and AI experts.

Curators

Geert Wissink

Programme manager of the Centre of Expertise Applied AI, AUAS

Esther Hammelburg

Senior lecturer at the Media and Communication department, AUAS

Speculative Futures

During Society 5.0 Festival, we explore the past and the present to inspire critical choices of the now. With The Social Hub as our location partner, we aim to explore the context of “hotel life”, offering a glimpse of the diverse tapestry of human existence.

For example, we create speculative spaces within the Social Hub. How does a hotel in the future facilitate how we work, eat, socialise and sleep? Speculative experiments are contextualised through thought-provoking discussions and talks.

Exploring the influence of elements from both the past and the future, as design materials on the present. These experiences encourage reflection and can give valuable insights into how societal shifts, cultural narratives, and technological advancements can shape a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Curators

Marije de Haas

Head of Programme of the Master Digital Design, AUAS

Marije ten Brink

Lecturer Design and Design Research, AUAS

Inclusive Participation

Inclusion and inclusivity need urgent rethinking and redefining. Taking the long view, together with speakers, discussants and artists, we will jump across the impossibly naïve use of these terms today.

Inclusion is not about ‘not leaving anyone out’. It is not about equality of opportunities. It is about letting go of our presumed right to define, categorise and judge others. It is to move beyond cherished fantasies of ourselves as individuals who are masters of the universe.

Society 5.0 is post-individualist and post-paternalist, based on an ethics of care, community and solidarity. Speakers, artists and discussants will show what such a society might look like!

Curators

Chloë Arkenbout

Media Researcher & Teacher at the Institute of Network Cultures, AUAS

Joke Hermes

Lector Media Culture & Citizenship, Inholland UAS

Digital Rights

Digital Rights enable democracy, justice and human dignity and as such are a key element of Society 5.0. We need to protect our right to think, to express ourselves and to have agency in the digital society of tomorrow. We need to raise awareness about what kind of digital products, services and systems empower us as citizens, and which elements dismantle that.

This track will discuss and showcase what digital rights mean, what they can look like in our everyday lives, and how they can be broken or safeguarded. The Digital Rights programme track will actively engage the audience in critical thought and conversation, addressing key questions around democracy, justice and human dignity in a digital world. We will challenge the participant to consider different ways to imagine alternative, digital futures.

Curators

Ben Wagner

Professor of Media, Technology and Society, Inholland UAS

Wina Smeenk

Professor Societal Impact Design, Inholland UAS