IGNITE becomes first Art & Tech Team

We know team IGNITE from its light installations for festival GLOW, but the student team is now developing into a community for every student who wants to work with light. As a result, IGNITE will occupy a unique position between other student teams as the fist broad (pilot)team that focuses on one specific theme, and as the first so-called Art & Tech Team. A LightNight will take place at innoSpace on Wednesday evening, June 8th, during which students who are curious about IGNITE can gather information.

BY LYDIA VAN AERT

 PHOTO BART VAN OVERBEEKE

Students Noortje van Velzen, Tom van Teeffelen and Illana van den Akkerveken have some difficulty explaining to Cursor what direction team IGNITE will take. Because in its new guise, IGNITE will be one of a kind in a variety of ways. To start with, the student team won’t be classified as a Trial Team, Impact Maker or Next Level Team, according to the categorization announced by the High Interest Group Student Teams (HiGST) last year.

“The project teams that operate within IGNITE are so different that they represent all three levels. Some projects still need to prove themselves, while others are almost ready to continue as a start-up,” Noortje van Velzen says. She studies for her bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Technology and is busy supervising the metamorphosis of IGNITE, which she initiated together with TU/e Fellow and innoSpace ambassador Elke den Ouden. Van Velzen and Den Ouden are currently looking for a space for IGNITE.

Accredited

Despite the fact that IGNITE doesn’t fall within any standard student team category, the team did manage do get an official accreditation, Van Velzen emphasizes proudly. This is something new. The team was founded by enthusiastic members of student associations Cheops (Built Environment) and Lucid (Industrial Design), who wanted to make an installation for light art festival GLOW together.

IGNITE'S TOM VAN TEEFFELEN, NOORTJE VAN VELZEN, AND ILANA VAN DEN AKKERVEKEN. PHOTO | LYDIA VAN AERT

The team then continued independently of the study associations as an innovation Space team. Their focus remained the same: making technological light art for GLOW, and sometimes for other organizations as well.

The new, accredited student team IGNITE has a very broad scope. It’s not just an umbrella for groups that want to carry out projects for GLOW, but it also very much welcomes students who work on other light design projects, such as for municipalities, Brainport or festivals.

Bugs

The great thing is that everyone gets to determine for themselves how active her or she wants to be for IGNITE, bachelor’s student of Electrical Engineering Tom van Teeffelen says. “You can join one project, or apply your skills in different projects.” ID students, for example, tend to be good at devising concepts, whereas EE students play an essential part during the realization phase. 

Illana van den Akkerveken agrees. She was asked last year, after she completed her bachelor end project (BEP) Guided by Light, to work on the wayfinding (or signposts) at GLOW – you may remember those glowing mushroom signposts. Van den Akkerveken, currently a master’s student of Human Technology Interaction, continued to be involved with the project team, which is now a part of IGNITE. “During the upcoming edition of GLOW, small luminescent animals, so-called city bugs, will mark the route. We could definitely use more students to help us further develop these bugs.”

Skills

You are also free, by the way, to determine for yourself what you want to get out of joining IGNITE. Van Teeffelen: “It doesn’t matter whether you want to do something with light for your BEP, extend your portfolio or develop new skills – you’re more than welcome.”

Even if all you want to do is share your thoughts about light projects, that’s fine too. Simply attend one of the so-called LightNights, low-threshold events where groups present their projects and ask for tips and feedback. The third edition will take place on Wednesday evening (tonight!), June 8th.

Pilot

As a community for students who wish to become active in light projects, IGNITE – as stated earlier – doesn’t fit within the existing category of student teams. In its new guise, IGNITE did however peak TU/e’s interest, which is why the team will now be given a pilot status. Should the light community prove successful, similar broad teams centered around other themes might also be launched.

Another unique feature of IGNITE is its category: art and design. That is why the team has been made into the university’s first ever Art & Tech Team, in addition to the existing categories sustainability, artificial intelligence, and health and mobility.

Curious

“Not every student who wants to become active in a student team is equally interested in the organizational aspect. The great thing about this setup is that the organization is taken care of, and that new project teams can simply join,” Van Velzen says. In addition, teams can share materials and experiences, Van Teeffelen and Van den Akkerveken add.

In conclusion, Van Velzen would like to make it clear that IGNITE is really easy to join. “No matter what your background is, you’re always welcome. What matters most is that you’re motivated and that you have a curious attitude, the skills will follow automatically.”

IGNITE organizes LightNights. Check the site or send an email for more information.