NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Netherlands will celebrate centuries of startup culture this year with its largest ever presence at SXSW 2014, highlighting the country’s global creative alliances through art, technology, and music.
The Dutch historical contributions to innovation - ranging from compact discs to Bluetooth and WiFi - have consistently made the Netherlands a hotbed for entrepreneurship and creative advancement. The national policies and programs that support innovation, collaboration, risk, and technological exploration will be evident in their impressive presence at SXSW’s Interactive and Music programming this year.
“We’re thrilled to highlight some of our country’s most exciting innovators and game-changing creatives at SXSW 2014. The Dutch creative industry distinguishes itself by providing pragmatic and inventive solutions for global issues,” said Jeroen van Erp, member of the Dutch Topteam Creative Industry. “SXSW is the perfect platform to showcase Dutch innovation on an international stage.”
With this year marking the Netherlands’ largest ever participation at SXSW, founders and artists from a wide array of disciplines will descend upon Austin to spotlight Dutch culture. Participants representing talent in the Netherlands will include design star Daan Roosegaarde, VanMoof bicycles, tech-fashion hybrid Wearable Solar, and the acclaimed Shapeways, which was founded by Dutch entrepreneurs. Attendees will be encouraged to meet these entrepreneurs and interact with their inventions all week at the Dutch base at Bar 96 (located at 96 Rainey St. Austin, TX 78701), with particular emphasis on their presentations therein Monday, March 10 from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Also present to provide entertainment for attendees throughout the festival will be visiting artists from Amsterdam’s electronic dance, blues rock, and folk scenes; among them are KiT and Monokino, who will be performing at several showcases, including the Dutch Fellows and Dutch Impact Party event on Tuesday, March 11 and the Amsterdam Dance Event on Thursday, March 13.
Other Dutch industry disruptors in attendance will include: Chordify, an interactive music player; Surfly, a web-based screen sharing application selected for the SXSW Accelerator; Blender Institute, a free and open-source 3D animation suite; and a variety of others.
The Dutch hub at Bar 96 will be open from Friday, March 7 through Wednesday, March 12, hosting events daily. A full list of participants, descriptions, and event schedule is available at http://dutchtoday.org. Follow on social media at @DutchCultureUSA and #DutchToday.
The Dutch participation in SXSW 2014 is sponsored by: ADE, Eurosonic Noorderslag, Dutch Fellows, Dutch Culture and powered by Performing Arts Fund NL, Buma Cultuur, Creative Industries Fund NL and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
