SXSW in Austin, Tx will see a lot of Dutch talent in the areas of music and the creative industry, under the name DutchToday. The festival offers the Dutch creative industry a unique opportunity to present itself internationally. SXSW is a prime meeting place for talent, bookers and investers worldwide. It’s also a source of inspiration and innovation. Lots of start-ups, such as Twitter and Foursquare in the past, use the festival to launch themselves. It’s visited by over 60.000 persons, from over 100 countries. From 7-16 March, over 2.000 artists from over 50 countries will perform live.

The Topteam Creatieve Industrie has chosen SXSW as a strategic fair. A coalition of Dutch organisations active in the music industry, creative industry and trade has devised a Dutch program under the name DutchToday. The program will emphasize the start-up culture and innovative spirit for which the Netherlands is known. They will be found in diverse locations during SXSW and the Dutch Base (8-12 March) will host a series of activities, such as shows, matchmakings, interviews and webcasts. On 10^th March, there is Spotlight on Holland: a showcase featuring the best Dutch talent in the interactive secor, with presentations by Daan Roosegaarde, Alexander Klöpping and Taco Carlier of VANMOOF. Dutch start-ups like Chordify, Circus Family, Layergloss, Drome Surround Light, and Pauline van Dongen will present themselves to SXSW’s international visitors.

Over 15 Dutch bands and DJs will perform during SXSW, such as Mister and Mississippi, Mozes & the Firstborn, Kraak en Smaak, Traumahelikopter, and Mightyfools. There will also be two Dutch Impact parties and an Amsterdam Dance Event showcase with, among others, Tom Trago and Antal.

The prestigious Interactive fair and conference will have entries by Studio Roosegaarde with Smart Landscapes of the Future, the Blender Foundation with Gooseberry Open Movie project, Kunny van der Ploeg and Mirjam Dijkema with The Impossible Machine, Chordify’s music services, and Pauline van Dongen with her Wearable Solar project. The (digital) film program presents IDFA DocLab’s Emotional Arcade, Submarine’s Last Hijack in premiere, and Eline Jongsma and Kel O’Neill with their award winning Empire project.

ww.dutchtoday.org