Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands Explores Science: From Mosquito Attraction to Trust Perception in a Unique Collaborative Venture

Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands Explores Science: From Mosquito Attraction to Trust Perception in a Unique Collaborative Venture

(IN BRIEF) The Lowlands festival in the Netherlands is hosting the Lowlands Science initiative in collaboration with the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA). This effort aims to make science accessible to a wide audience by merging the expertise of artists, scientists, and festival organizers. The NWA-sponsored event features eleven studies exploring topics like the attraction of mosquitoes and the impact of music on heart rate. Additionally, three program components include a social experiment on food’s effect on social life, an interactive installation on future food production, and a perception survey on trust related to music festivals and society. The initiative allows festival-goers to engage in surveys, offering researchers unique data not typically available in laboratory settings. The NWA will document and share the outcomes of Lowlands Science through various media channels.

(PRESS RELEASE) THE HAGUE, 17-Aug-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Suppose food were not necessary for survival, how much would this affect our social lives? Do music festivals contribute to trust in society? Is there a connection between your poop and your personality? This and more will be explored at Lowlands this year. The Lowlands Science part of the festival features installations and research in collaboration with the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA).

Through its programming, the NWA aims to introduce science to a broad audience in an accessible way. This is done by bringing together diverse parties. From artists to scientists and festival organizers. These collaborations create innovative forms of science that provide unique data for research. Data that is not readily available in the lab. At Lowlands, festival-visitors can participate in the surveys, giving researchers access to many different types of people in a short period of time. Something that is not possible in the lab.

Eleven studies
Eleven studies are taking place at Lowlands Science this year that stemmed from a call that was put out. From research on what attracts mosquitoes to the influence of music on your heart rate. Read about all the research being done here. In addition to these studies, three more program components can be found in collaboration with the NWA:

FREE-LUNCH-FREE (Wageningen University & Research)
If we don’t need food to survive, does it affect our social life? Probably more than you expect. Today’s society is increasingly geared towards food-related social practices. Together with researcher Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, a social game was developed that challenges visitors to take a critical look at activities in which food consumption is central and to think about ways to consume.

Culinary Cellular (Chloé Rutzerveld, Organism Studios and DSM Firmenich)
Culinary Cellular is an interactive installation that takes visitors through the production process of future food. A convergence of art, science and cellular agriculture that visually shows how biotechnology contributes to growing food products from cells of plants and animals, without using traditional farming methods. As a participant, you will get to work developing your own future-proof dish: from raw material to finished product. Do you dare to take a bite of your own dish?

Perception survey on festival trust (Hanze University of Applied Sciences)
Do music festivals contribute to increased trust in society? This is being researched by Drs. Erik Schoppen of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. At Lowlands, visitors can share their trust and love in the Gate of Trust & Love and can walk the Trust Trail. At the Trust Trail, visitors indicate how they experience the mini society at Lowlands on a rational, emotional and behavioral level. Upon completion, participants gain insight into their trust in the festival and in society as a whole. The total score will appear on the Lowlands Trust Meter.

The productions will continue to be available for at other venues after they have been at Lowlands.

Learn more
The NWA is reporting on Lowlands Science and sharing photos and videos on NWO channels and on the NWA website and social media channels. There will be a pictorial report on programming at Lowlands Science in the next issue of NWO’s magazine: Onderzoek. There will also be a report on Lowlands Science in the NWO Magazine Results published in January 2024.

Lowlands Science made possible in part by the NWA
The science component of Lowlands can be visited during the three-day festival taking place in Biddinghuizen from August 18-20. Lowlands Science is made possible in part by the NWA. The full program can be found here. Curious about what the Lowlands 2023 terrain looks like? Watch this video, starting at minute 1 you can see the Lowlands Science grounds.

Media Contact:

Telephone: +31 (0)70 3440640
Email: nwo@nwo.nl

Source: The Dutch Research Council (NWO)