Mindlab is a theatre performance that gets at the heart of the science community. A science fiction thriller that we can all end up in if we dare to fully live our own truths and experience the impact of our acts. When cognitive dissonance reduction has left our minds...Veni, Vidi, Vici?
"You are not who you think you are. You are what you do."
Curious? Watch the trailer!
Premiere and six performances at UT
On 13 February Mindlab premiered in the Theaterloods in Radio Kootwijk, the home theatre of TheaterMakers Radio Kootwijk. This was an overwhelming success. Reactions range from 'impressive' and 'it really triggers you to reflect and start conversations' to 'very recognizable' and 'gripping'. After the successful premiere, Mindlab had six performances at UT in the Vrijhof. Over 550 employees joined Mindlab in February and March: 'Really good thing UT initiated this, Mindlab truly is gripping'.
Coronavirus outbreak interferes Mindlab tour, but allows us to create Mindlab Online
After that, Mindlab was ready to move on. To Utrecht University for example. And later on back to Enschede, to UT. That turned out to be impossible: the coronavirus outbreak started. However, Mindlab was back in May 2021. With Mindlab Online. Mindlab Online offered employees an unique opportunity to attend Mindlab nevertheless. Mindlab Online was an event that gave UT community members - at home on their couches or at their kitchen tables - a true online theatre experience.
What Mindlab can do
Mindlab will inspire and challenge employees to consider for themselves and with others what is important to them in their daily work, career and personal life – within the university and beyond. With Mindlab, we aim to make a positive contribution to the working and living environment of the University of Twente; an open and safe environment in which everyone feels at home. Mindlab is breaking down barriers. Mindlab is captivating and above all unique.
How it all started
Professor Ellen Giebels (vice dean of the Faculty Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences) is the initiator of Mindlab. You can read her story here (in short) and in more detail in this article on Mindlab in U-Today (in Dutch).
Vice-chair of the Executive Board of University of Twente dr. Mirjam Bult encouraged the initative and explains why Mindlab is such a strong initiative:
"Integrity in all areas – social, scientific and business – is the fundamental principle for working in academia, which includes an open working and living environment, where facilitating discussions on dilemmas goes without saying. The issues may be ethical dilemmas related to a research project, inappropriate interpersonal behavior, experiencing work-related stress and performance pressure, or the feeling that there is too little – or unequal – appreciation and recognition for the work you do. Our university campus must be an environment where everyone can talk, work, study, reside and live safely. This is why integrity, safety and security are priority areas in our new strategy Shaping2030. Mindlab is a valuable and different type of initiative that can help us to identify, at times, difficult issues together, and use these to work towards creating an even safer university where we put people at the forefront."