E³UDRES² Voices: Sjors Groeneveld

July 2025 | #researcher

In this interview, we meet Sjors, winner of the E³UDRES² Award of Excellence 2025 for Innovative Science Outreach. Through his creative and immersive project on the digital data divide, Sjors invites the public to reflect on the future of personal data. By combining storytelling with meaningful dialogue, he shows how artistic formats can make science more relatable, inclusive, and impactful.

How did you approach converting complex concepts, like data privacy and algorithmic bias, into an accessible, immersive festival experience?

For The Digital Data Divide, we created an interactive experience where people watched two short films showing what the future might look like depending on how we handle personal data. After the films, visitors joined a guided conversation to talk about what they saw and how they felt about it.

We made the setup creative and engaging, but also filled with real information to help people think about big ideas like privacy and algorithmic bias. The films made these hard topics easier to understand by showing everyday examples from possible futures.

One of the best parts was the final room where the conversations happened. People had deep, thoughtful talks, I expect because the stories gave them something concrete to react to. The data we collected showed that using future scenarios helped people engage more, even with a topic that isn’t usually seen as “fun.”

How can creative formats like festivals contribute to public trust in science and technology?

Festivals are great because they make learning feel relaxed and open. We tried to match that energy by making our project feel like part of the festival: fun and accessible, but also meaningful.

The format really worked because it reached people who don’t usually talk about science or data. After the films, there was time for a real conversation. One person told us: "Food for thought in a festival setting. Very well done!" That kind of response showed us it worked.

Creative formats like this help people trust science more because they feel part of the discussion, not just being told what to think. I guess compared to a lecture or article, it’s more personal and easier to relate to.

What was your overall experience with the E³UDRES² Awards of Excellence, and what types of initiatives or support from E³UDRES² would you find most valuable going forward?

Winning the E³UDRES² Award of Excellence was a great experience. I really appreciate the chance to be part of the network and share this project with others who care about society, science, and creativity.

Looking ahead, I’d love to see more support for bringing artists and researchers together. This project showed me how powerful creative work can be in helping people talk about difficult topics. It would be great to get support for new collaborations, or to try out this project at other festivals within the E³UDRES² network.

Interview by: St. Pölten UAS

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How did you approach converting complex concepts, like data privacy and algorithmic bias, into an accessible, immersive festival experience?

How can creative formats like festivals contribute to public trust in science and technology?

What was your overall experience with the E³UDRES² Awards of Excellence, and what types of initiatives or support from E³UDRES² would you find most valuable going forward?

Want to know more? Just get in touch!