DGA TALKS: Socioeconomic Health Disparities and Games – Powered by CLICKNL
About this Event
The showed that only a small proportion of Dutch game companies are optimistic about the future of the industry. Finding funding has become more difficult, and financial uncertainty can cause mental exhaustion among small and medium-sized studios. These challenges extend beyond the games industry. Growing socioeconomic inequality and increasing pressure on the Dutch social security system also affect people's physical and mental health.
In this edition of DGA Talks, we will explore socioeconomic health disparities from different perspectives. Through three talks and a workshop, we will look at how games, creative solutions and cross-sector collaboration can contribute to improvements in this area.
The event is intended for game studios and other small and medium-sized businesses interested in socioeconomic health disparities and games, as well as those looking to address these issues through creative solutions. Applied game professionals and researchers who want to learn more about the applied games field are also welcome.
When: Friday, December 11, 2026, from 14:00 to 18:00
Where: NEUDE11 (Bibliotheek Utrecht, Collegezaal), Neude 11, Utrecht
Program (times approximate):
14:00–14:05 – Welcome
14:05–14:35 – Esmeé van ’t Hoff: Talk and Q&A
14:35–15:00 – Joni van der Leeuw: Talk and Q&A
15:00–15:30 – Zuraida Buter: Talk and Q&A
15:30–17:00 – Menno van Pelt-Deen: Workshop
17:00–17:10 – Closing remarks
17:10–18:00 – Networking drinks
The speakers
Esmeé van ’t Hoff
Freelance Game Artist and Researcher
Esmeé van't Hoff is a Freelance Game Artist and Researcher. Her project Hoe overleef ik mijn game? (How to Survive My Game?) investigates mental well-being and creative survival in the Dutch games industry. Drawing on her own experiences and those of her peers, her talk explores the financial and emotional impact of making a game.
Joni van der Leeuw
Game Producer
Joni studied sociology and works as a game producer. He is also a co-founder of Werkplant, a foundation that aims to increase awareness of economic sustainability, healthy decision-making and independent governance through collaboration, knowledge sharing and education. Drawing on his own experience in the games industry, as well as Werkplant podcasts and interviews with people including Marga Rotteveel, Stichting Nieuwe Helden and Georg Hobmeier, he will share ideas to help independent professionals in the games and wider creative sectors increase their awareness of economic sustainability and prevent mental strain.
Zuraida Buter
Award-winning Playful Arts Curator
Zuraida is an award-winning curator of playful arts, involved in organising talks, theatre and game exhibitions at festivals, events and cultural institutions in the Netherlands and abroad, including Sickhouse / The Overkill, Incubate, Tweetakt, De Brakke Grond, Screenshake, IndieCade Europe and A MAZE. / Berlin. In her talk, she will discuss games and playful culture projects that address socioeconomic inequalities and their relationship with health disparities, including mental health. She will show how these disciplines can contribute to awareness and improvement in socioeconomic inequality and health in an accessible and playful way.
Menno van Pelt-Deen
Social Impact Game Designer and Researcher, Chair of Games [4Diversity]
Menno has a PhD in Industrial and Product Design and works as a Social Impact Game Designer and Researcher. As chair of Games [4Diversity], he works to improve the representation and inclusion of socio-cultural minorities in games. In his workshop, participants will explore creative solutions that can contribute to cross-sector collaboration and, in turn, raise awareness of or help improve socioeconomic health disparities.
A limited number of free tickets are available, so sign up quickly! If you can’t make it, please cancel your ticket so others on the waiting list can attend.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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