DGTL Festival isn’t just about music, it’s an environment of creativity and experimentation. This year during the weekender, four initiatives showcased their ideas that make the festival sector safer, greener and more inclusive. Want to know the results? Continue reading below!
One of these innovative ideas was the SoulMate, a relaxation cabin by Ruben Bruggeling. It offered festival-goers a chill space to unwind. Visitors loved it, showing a real need for such spaces at festivals. Founder Ruben Bruggeling notes, “We had to gently nudge some visitors out, they were so deeply relaxed they didn’t want to leave!” It’s clear: there’s a real need for spaces like these. Let’s ensure everyone can enjoy festivals to the fullest.
Semilla Sanitation brought Peepal, a gender-neutral urinal that also collects urine for fertilizer. People were curious, with 83.9% saying they’d use it again. “We wanted to know if visitors will use it, if it’s comfortable for them and what would be the reason to go on the unisex instead of on the Dixi. We hope that toilet renting companies will have more implement unisex urinals”, Peter, founder of Semilla Sanitation says.
TechTics introduced the TinTrooper, a can-collecting mobile robot, in the fight against the 150 million cans littering streets each year. “It’s a unique solution for human-robot interaction aimed at encouraging consumers to recycle cans more effectively and raise awareness about the importance of addressing litter,” TechTics explains. Despite a technical hiccup, festival-goers were enthusiastic about the TinTrooper, demonstrating the potential for technology to promote recycling.
MusicMoves crafted a program for safer dancefloors, highlighting the importance of respecting everyone’s comfort at festivals, and aims to create a more understanding and respectful festival environment for all. Through this initiative, they uncovered a crucial insight, that many festival-goers were unaware of the discomfort some queer individuals feel about being filmed or photographed. Marissa, co-founder of the initiative: “We discovered that many festival-goers were unaware that numerous queer individuals feel uncomfortable being filmed or photographed at festivals. It’s crucial to spread awareness about this so that people understand and respect everyone’s boundaries.”
DGTL Festival is a place where innovation thrives. These entrepreneurs are shaping the future of festivals, making them more inclusive, sustainable, and enjoyable for all.
The tests are part of the ‘Groen & Inclusief Voorwaarts’ project and powered by Creative Industries Fund NL, DGTL, Revolution Foundation, and Oerol.