Utrecht University has numerous strongly public-focussed research groups such as Erfgoed en Publieksgeschiedenis Lab [Heritage and Public History Lab], Utrecht Forum for Memory Studies and ArtLab. And has a wide variety of impact-generating research projects such as Re/Presenting Europe, Religious Matters in an Entangled World, Remembering Activism, Constructing the Limes and the Dynamics of the Durable. There are even more long and short-term collaborations on themes including policy and corporate history, patronage studies, game studies, film studies, museum studies, etc.
In this, Utrecht’s researches join forces with museums like the Centraal Museum, Teylersmuseum, Rijksmuseum Catharijneconvent and Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, and funds such as Nederlands Letterenfonds, Filmfonds, Cultuurfonds, Voordekunst. But also with municipal, regional and national governments, for example the municipality of Utrecht and the minestry of Education, Culture and Sciences (OCW); media and game indsutry; festivals like ILFU and the Netherlands Film Festival; educational institutes like the HKU, ArtEZ; public broadcasters such as the VPRO; archival institutes including the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, Meertens Institute, RKD, and many more.
An impression of projects in the impact network
Moving Beyond Crisis: Precarity and Resistance in Creative Industries
The audiovisual sector in small European markets faces major challenges: precarious work, unequal opportunities, and the impact of new technologies such as generative AI. Within this tension, new collaborations and forms of resistance are emerging, in which creators and researchers work together to explore just and sustainable models for the future.
With suport from the CHAIN incentive fund, Sandra Becker (Utrecht University) and Cathrin Bengesser (Aarhus University) are initiating a dialogue between creative professionals and academics. Their goal: to exchange knowledge, strengthen networks, and explore new ways to promote diversity, inclusion, and resilience in the creative sector.
Xevieso, Bring Me Back Home: Heritage, Theatre, and Restorative Justice
How can heritage be returned – not only physically, but also in meaning, memory, and experience? The project Xevieso: Bring Me Back Home brings together research, performing arts, and African diaspora communities in a search for postcolonial restoration.
With support from CHAIN, Marleen de Witte collaborates with Ghana Union Netherlands, New Dutch Connections, and Ghana Agoro Mma on an experimental, participatory theatre production. By intertwining art and research, the project explores new ways for diaspora communities to reclaim and revalue their cultural heritage as a source of connection, strength and reconciliation.
Towards Racial Literacy in European Theatre
What does it truly mean to be racially literate in the world of theatre: on stage, in the audience, and within institutions themselves? This project investigates how dramaturgs, creators, and researchers from six European countries develop new strategies to identify, disrupt, and engage audiences in inclusive practices around racism.
With support from CHAIN, Anika Marschall (Utrecht University) and Ann-Christine Simke (University of the West of Scotland) bring together international experts and festivals such as Afrovibes and What You See. Their goal is to develop an open toolbox guiding the way toward greater racial literacy and anti-racist competence in the European theatre landscape—a step toward fairer and more open cultural institutions.
Inclusive AI Podcast: AI and Creativity with the Global South
What does creativity mean when art and craftsmanship are embedded in algorithms? Season 1 of the Inclusive AI Podcast explores how generative AI affects creative expression in the Global South: from artisan communities passing down centuries-old knowledge to artists using AI. Who is still the creator or author when a machine produces artwork in seconds? And how do we redefine ownership when traditional practices are incorporated into language models?
With support from CHAIN, host Eduardo Briceño-Florez (Director of Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting, Colombia) brings together Utrecht University researchers with creative tech companies, non-profits, and cultural actors. A key role is played by Payal Arora, Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University, co-founder of the Inclusive AI Lab and FemLab, and a digital anthropologist specializing in inclusive technologies for Global South communities. Together, they aim to make the podcast a platform for reflection, engagement, and justice in AI-based creativity worldwide.
The Inclusive Affects of Scientific Heritage
How can science and heritage be brought to life in new ways within museums? The Inclusive Affects of Scientific Heritage explores how knowledge from theatre, scenography, and performance studies can contribute to inclusive and experimental approaches to curating at the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave.
Supported by CHAIN, Liesbeth Groot Nibbelink (Utrecht University) and Bart Grob (curator, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave) are collaborating to explore affective approaches to scientific objects. Through workshops, research, student projects, and an expert meeting, they examine how intangible and complex scientific knowledge can be presented meaningfully and accessibly, reaching more diverse audiences and fostering new connections between art and science.
Memory and Heritage Network (MHN)
The Memory and Heritage Network (MHN) at Utrecht University promotes exchange between faculties and disciplines with a focus on societal relevance and partnerships. With support from CHAIN, the network organizes workshops, study visits, and meetings with external researchers and practitioners, both nationally and internationally.
Under the leadership of Susanne Knittel, Renée Vulto, and Christian Wicke, MHN brings together researchers from Memory Studies, Heritage Studies, and Public History to stimulate inter- and transdisciplinary research. Themes range from urban historical culture and ecological memory to colonial legacies and the politics of remembrance. The network thus supports the development of new perspectives on heritage and public history while strengthening the connection between science and society.
