1. Analysis current situation1. Analysis current situation

The first part of the research report focused on evaluating the Pilot voucher scheme withfor cultural immersive productions and made recommendations for the future design of the structural support scheme. The applications, awards and rejections within the pilot were analysed.

The main findings of this report were that:

• there is a limited infrastructure for screening IX productions;
• the industry faces obstacles in financing both production and distribution of IX;
• there is a lack of standardisation at the technical and organizational levels;
• in the field of IX distribution, there is a lack of knowledge and expertise among makers, producers and institutions;
• there is a lack of knowledge among policy makers and presentation institutions about the conditions and infrastructure needed to present and deploy immersive productions sustainably.
• there are organisational and cultural barriers at presentation institutions, for example because staff have little expertise in technology or hosting IX;
• the IX field is highly fragmented, which hinders collaboration and makes sharing knowledge and resources difficult.

It is clear that IX distribution in the Netherlands faces structural challenges. There is a lack of specialised distributors, a lack of best practices, and no standard revenue models for creators, producers and cultural institutions.

A distinction can be made here between online and physical distribution. Online distribution of immersive cultural productions is struggling because it has to compete with the large commercial productions on streaming platforms, while its own infrastructure is virtually non-existent. However, physical distribution is also running into problems.

Caspar Sonnen, head of IDFA Doclab, explains, "It's a different business. Getting a VR game into the Metastore or putting a 2D game into the Playstation Store is a more classic distribution story, similar to a film on Netflix. This also takes into account that concepts such as 'premiere', 'distribution budget' or 'user numbers as a measure of success' differ by pipeline, by platform." In short: a different field entirely, which also requires a different approach.

Such issues around distribution are also named in the national analysis of the XR sector, as found in the Baseline Report: The Dutch XR Ecosystem of 2024. That report also highlights a number of other relevant points:

• Technological limitations: the technology does not yet work "perfectly" and this hinders wide adoption;
• Financial barriers: it is expensive and there is no revenue model, let alone a return on investment;
• Privacy and data security: there is a lack of clear guidelines and standards on what to do with sensitive personal and biometric data, which slows adoption;
• Dependence on international companies: this leads to continuity risks, for example, through price increases, support and limited availability. These observations show that the problems faced are not limited to the digital culture sector, but are also experienced in the broader XR industry. The findings from the first part of the study are the starting point for this second part, which constitutes a broader and more strategic approach to distribution.

Lack of experience
One of the conclusions from the first part of the study was that the IX sector often lacks the right knowledge or expertise in the right places or at the right times. Consider, for example, the lack of technical knowledge among creators and producers, as well as expertise on what is needed to show IX projects at the presentation institutions. This was confirmed during the interviews for this second phase of the study by Nxt Museum curator Bogomir Doringer, among others: "Nxt Museum has never shown VR, even though we are interested in it. This is because it requires a lot of extra people to manage the VR sets and guide visitors. In addition, we haven't yet found a model that works within the exhibition space in conjunction with ticket sales. We just couldn't figure out how to get that working".

This is perceived as a problem throughout the industry. Distribution of XR is usually not a standard part of the programme and is often filled in ad hoc by institutions, makers/producers or festivals without a structural and professional network comparable to other sectors. There is also a lack of support for essential elements such as keeping work up-to-date and archived, or hiring specialised staff for marketing and distribution.

In addition, funding bodies are also not always equipped to deal with the specifics of the distribution side of immersive productions. For example, unlike film, IX usually does not involve a clear premiere, after which the work will tour in the same form. There are frequently several iterations and test phases, which also involve audiences. The current subsidy system is not set up for this phased development, which in turn often has to become part of a distribution plan.

Realising and maintaining IX productions is technically complex. There are only a handful of specialized companies in the Netherlands that focus on the technical implementation of IX presentations, such as Popkraft and WeMakeVR. Festivals without in-house technical expertise - and which also cannot bring in outside specialists - often cause big challenges for creators. Artist Gabey Tjon-A-Tham puts it this way: "For me, the knowledge gap is mainly on the technical production front. Most technical production companies that provide exhibitions specialize in standard AV equipment, while what I do is extremely custom-made. They cannot provide advice or help with output."

LI-MA, a platform for digital and media art that handles the distribution of a wide range of media productions, defines distribution as an intermediary and supportive practice aimed at increasing the visibility, accessibility and sustainability of works. This definition links distribution to the assurance of sustained access and preservation of the work's cultural context.

For presentation venues, showing IX presentations can be complicated due to a lack of specialised staff. Gaby Wijers, LI-MA's director, notes that museums already have a myriad of existing tasks and responsibilities, and that presenting immersive works requires specific external expertise.

In the aforementioned Baseline Report, Omar Niamut, scientific director at TNO, talks about the need to integrate XR projects into the existing infrastructure of the host institutions in the implementation phase. "If the technology is not embraced by IT, it often remains a one-time experiment." This approach could make the distribution of IX productions much more sustainable, only Niamut sees that not all types of institutions have the flexibility and space to do so.

Hosts
A good audience experience generally requires well-trained hosts. They make sure the on- and off-boarding goes smoothly for the audience and can catch initial technical hick-ups.

Amy Rose, who formerly ran Anagram, a British creative studio for interactive and immersive experience design, says the importance of hosts is far from universally recognised: "[At Anagram] sometimes we just said, 'You know what? We'll hire those people. Don't worry, we'll take care of it.' We knew how important it was, because the success of the work really depended on it. Locations don't always fully realise that, and there's often an expectation that the work should be able to stand on its own. But I don't think that's possible. And it's not just about the preparation and onboarding beforehand, but also the reception afterwards: the form is so unusual for users. We don't always know in advance what it will trigger in people. Some people cry, some get upset, others want to talk for an hour - and that doesn't happen in the same way with other art forms. These spaces are full of uncertainty, and you need human presence to respond to that uncertainty, rather than thinking we can solve that with technology."

Good onboarding and offboarding are crucial to making IX experiences come into their own. In her current position as head of Immersive at Watershed (Bristol), Rose has anticipated this situation. The organization works with a regular group of specifically trained people. This benefits the visitor's experience: "(At Watershed) the exhibitions are staffed by the same people. They can guide conversations that are open and inviting. In addition, it is important that they are technically savvy - for example, in turning equipment on and off and troubleshooting." In short, hosting an IX experience is a specific role that requires a lot of care.

Knowledge and training for makers and their teams
Many interviewees indicated that makers/producers often do not get around to researching needs in the market and how knowledge of these can be translated into the (concept) development of their projects. Vevi van der Vliet (LI-MA business lead) notes that a distributor can play a role here: "You can have the conversation beforehand: 'If you have a room like this, it won't fit,' or: 'Then we can make these adjustments.' [There's] a lot of knowledge that you could share with creators beforehand, at least to get them thinking. Because in terms of content, it really makes a difference whether your work is in a (large) room, with space around it, or whether it is hanging right in front of you. I find it remarkable that this knowledge is still so little shared, while it is so important."

Simon Frijters, enterprise specialist at Unbound XR (a store for VR, AR and XR Hardware), says in an interview in the Baseline report that XR projects often lack the end-user's perspective, and therefore fail to work with their intended audience. According to Frijters, there is a discrepancy between what creators intend, and how the final experience comes across to the audience. This audience experience should be leading in the development of productions and has consequences for the success of a production in the distribution phase. The observation is consistent with the conclusion from the first phase of our research report, which found that it is essential to acquire knowledge in order to develop a production robustly and make it technically sustainable.

The interviews also reveal another knowledge gap: it is often difficult for creators to find the right balance between good storytelling and optimal use of technologies. This affects the distribution of their work. As Tupac Martir, creator and founder of Satore Studio, put it: "There is a gap in terms of technology, knowledge and optimization. I think that's largely because a lot of people are not trained to really understand how you structure a story, how you convey specific elements, and how you make sure the experience works."

Amy Rose also recognizes this image and sees a problem especially with large projects: "I've seen very few projects where scale and narrative are balanced. Most large-scale projects fail to tell a good story, so they feel superficial or spectacle takes precedence over meaning."

Artistic versus technical aspects
In the Baseline Report, Rufus Baas of OASIS and XR Lab emphasizes that it is important to better understand the user perspective precisely because the user is often part of the experience. This requires a totally different approach to storytelling than in more 'traditional' productions, and a deeper understanding of technologies. As far as Baas is concerned, the focus of creators should be more on making technology accessible and user-friendly.

We can conclude that a successful production calls for a good balance between artistic and technical knowledge. This is also increasingly recognised within the sector. A good example is the School for Poetic Computation in New York, founded by artist and creative technologist Zach Lieberman, an interdisciplinary art and technology institution that combines education in code, electronics and poetry to explore digital expression and creativity. Artistic development here goes hand in hand with technical exploration.

A European example is the CSC Immersive Arts School in Venice. Founder and artistic director Sara Tirelli emphasises the importance of a conscious awareness of what the technology within XR can do for content. It is not enough just to know about the technology. As such, the CSC Immersive Arts School focuses on closing the gap between artistic and technical direction, Tirelli says: "There is still a huge gap - just like with computer art or new media - between the artist and the developer who actually builds the work. Often that developer ends up saying, 'I've done everything.' That's why I think every artist should understand at least a little bit of the technical language, so that a real conversation is possible. It's not about classical technical training, it's about learning a creative approach to technology. It's not about chasing the latest technology or virtual trends, but learning to 'hack' the tools at your disposal - and how to use them to express something artistic."

Such a mindset of not separating technology from the artistic value of a project can help generate more knowledge. It ultimately leads to the development of works that are more distributable.

The CSC Immersive Arts School maintains in its curriculum that all crew members, from screenwriter to director to producer, must gain hands-on experience on how, for example, a game engine works:"Education must be experimental, co-creative and exchange-based. Interdisciplinarity is essential. In my experience, it's really about sitting next to the creator, being part of the process (...) When it comes to education, hands-on work is always the most effective."

Tirelli also points out the importance of training programmes such as the European Creator Lab, which covers all phases of a project's development, including, for example, screenwriting and prototyping. This creates space to experiment, test new ways of working and bend technology to one's own artistic will. It benefits production and ultimately distribution.

Information desk
Another bottleneck that recurred in both the first part and the current study is the fragmentation of the field, making knowledge transfer difficult. Several interviewees mentioned the lack of a central information point, such as a place to find information about IX locations or presentation opportunities. A place that connects people, that can answer or pass on technical assistance questions, and perhaps even help Dutch creators on their way to taking steps toward a screening abroad. Some pointed to one of the national arts funding bodies as a possible appropriate party to take this on. In the coming years, CIIIC could play a role in this. In the game industry, until early this year the Netherlands had Dutch Game Garden, which fulfilled this role for the indie-game sector. For Digital Culture, the Moonshot coalition could play a role in this, with Nieuwe Instituut in a coordinating role.

Lack of marketing and distribution specialists in this field
Several interviews in the first part of the study also indicated that the IX field lacks well-trained, specialist marketers and distributors. Tupac Martir says it pays for productions to join an agency: "The right place to be is at an agency, where you are represented by people working in many different sectors, which allows cross-pollination. This hasn't really happened very much so far." Such an international approach is inspiring, but it has not yet caught on sufficiently in the Netherlands.

In the absence of these kinds of agencies and distributors in the Dutch field, it is currently mainly up to the makers, and increasingly producers, to take on the role of distributor. This picture is confirmed by Babette Wijntjes, producer at Cassette Stories and initiator of Nu:Reality: "There are no distributors in the IX sector like there are in the film industry; people who are experienced, and do it on a daily basis. Let alone best practices. It's pioneering". Now, this sector is eminently good at pioneering, but it still lacks maturity and professionalization when it comes to distribution.

Corine Meijers, producer of Studio Biarritz wonders if that distribution role should really lie with the producer or if it just happened to have grown that way: "You just pick it up. And it actually deserves more attention. You want to have dedicated people working on this, or companies that specialize in it. But the tricky thing, of course, is that it's not yet making a lot of money. So who's going to jump into that gap? I do think we (as a sector), with the expertise and network we have, should join forces." Time and space must be made for this joining of forces so that the sector can eventually grow.

Location based presentations and at home
Where does immersive work currently end up? To understand the research field properly, it is important to identify the types of 'presentation spaces' that currently exist. These can be divided into physical places away from home, and at home in one's own environment. From the interviews and desk research, it appears that IX presentation outdoors can be divided into four categories:

Festivals
Film and digital culture festivals, such as IFFR in Rotterdam, NFF in Utrecht, IDFA in Amsterdam, but also STRP in Eindhoven and Noorderlicht Festival in Groningen, regularly show IX and are currently by far the most important places where physical IX can be experienced, including in their research phase. As a result, these festivals can contribute substantially to distribution. For example, they can take on the role of co-producer, and facilitate connections with their network, for example through festival markets. IDFA DocLab also has an R&D program, which, according to Caspar Sonnen, is linked to the presentation of work. But they do not work in isolation: "Our R&D programme, is one of our main pillars and offers makers a space to physically present their work. We work with several production partners such as Popkraft, WeMakeVR and Diversion in France." In his view, as a festival, it is important to continuously do research as well as show work. It is here thatwhere the strength of a festival lies.

Not everyone agrees on the specific role of festivals as a stage. Amy Rose: "(...) the festival circuit itself was expensive, and some people would consider it more of a marketing tool than a distribution model. This meant you had to spend a lot of money taking a piece to Venice or Tribeca. But at the same time, it felt like you had to do it. It was a way to build knowledge within the community, test the work on audiences, and develop a profile as a company."" This situation, where a presentation institution allows a creator/producer to show their work 'for free' as if it were part of its marketing plan, is no longer commonplace in the Netherlands, partly as a consequence of the 'fair practice code of conduct' - although the fees paid still far from break even.

In addition to film and digital culture festivals, there are other temporary events, such as other types of festivals, fairs and conferences, where IX works are shown very occasionally and often based on a theme. For example, Marieke Nooren (immersive art distribution expert), who handles Polymorf's distribution and partnership, among other things, sees a lot of potential in theatre festivals. But she has not yet found the right route: "We once presented at Holland Festival, but theatre in the Netherlands and abroad is having a hard time, so it is difficult to bring in new forms (of storytelling). At theatre festivals, I see opportunities, especially if a project is very much in line with the theme, or if it has a strong performative character." Perhaps we can see this as a maturing of the sector: a shift in focus at theme and content rather than technology.

Museums and permanent art spaces
Museums are often viewed as traditionally organized institutions, in which technological innovation is perceived as complex, expensive, or even intimidating. At a sector-wide consultation on XR distribution organized by Venice Immersive in 2023, the importance of actively involving programmers and decision-makers at museums and other cultural institutions in the creation of IX was emphasized, in order to overcome any qualms about technology.

Another important structural difference between museums and the immersive technology sector, is the long-term planning rhythm of museums: exhibitions are often curated three to four years ahead, while the distribution planning of IX productions is usually shorter. One possible solution suggested during the Venice sector-wide consultation was to utilize little-used spaces of museums, such as basements, storage rooms or backstage areas, for temporary VR productions. A concrete example where this is happening is the Barbican Centre in London, where, in the summer of 2025, the large-scale immersive programme Feel the Sound took place in underutilised parts of the building, including the car park.

Still, not all IX can be lumped together. Amy Rose cautions that it is important to distinguish between VR that can be experienced primarily through a headset, and large physical immersive installations. Not only do both call for different types of spaces, with the latter requiring more facilities. Also, maximum audience numbers can vary greatly. Rose: "The challenge for us now is finding a balance between work that can bring in a lot of people with a smoother, less complicated experience, and work that requires much more facilitation, like VR, where you only get five people in an hour. How do we balance those two? How do we talk to makers and producers about these challenges in a way that provides clear parameters to work within?”

Like festivals, museums and art spaces can also act as co-production partners or co-producers. This requires active networking and strategic lobbying from the creator and producer. Such a collaboration may mean adapting a work to fit within an art context or exhibition. In section 2.4, we explore the idea of 'versioning' as part of the distribution strategy.

There are also a number of permanent (art) spaces in the Netherlands offering IX in their programme, such as MU Hybrid Art House, Tetem, Nxt Museum, and EYE Museum. Art space Nest in The Hague has been located in an industrial warehouse since May 2024 due to renovation, suitable for an immersive and interactive programme. In several cities, old industrial real estate is used as ocation to rent for IX, such as DOOR in Amsterdam, Brutus and Katoenhuis in Rotterdam and Koelhuis and Microstad in Eindhoven. A number of initiatives aim to develop a permanent XR location. One example is Mint in Amsterdam, an initiative under development by producers Richard Valk and Yvonne van Ulden.

According to Merel van Helsdingen, director of Nxt Museum, immersive art often requires a specific space: "The traditional white cube gallery, or one of those monumental buildings with large windows, wooden floors, with lots of light or glass, you still often see those. One of the biggest challenges we face is that you need a very different kind of space for this kind of art. That's also the reason we set up Nxt." Nxt Museum sees itself as a springboard for creators and their work. They function like the festivals do, showing the scale and potential of a work to other venues. The museum also does this through its Artist in Residence and Nxt Lab programmes.

Other permanent presentation venues exist in surrounding countries, such as ZKM, Hartware Medien Kunstverein, Julia Stoschek Foundation and The Dark Rooms in Germany. In Austria, Ars Electronica and Belvedere. In England Watershed, Barbican Centre,180 Studios, Broadway and FACT. In London, the old factory building 180 Studios began as a temporary home for Hayward Gallery, but it has remained permanently as a space for immersive exhibitions. For Bogomir Doringer, it is important that spaces are not static, but continue to evolve and adapt to the times: "Nxt is a constantly evolving space that requires active reinvention and constant review. But I believe that's exactly what defines contemporary venues, they can't be set in stone. It's not about having a fixed formula; it’s about continuous modernisation and adaptation."

Public spaces
Public spaces such as libraries, malls, train stations or other outdoor public locations increasingly offer opportunities for presenting immersive experiences. In malls and stations, immersive presentations usually take place as part of larger festivals or events. They are rarely programmed as stand-alone screenings. A leading example of a public venue at the forefront of immersive content programming is Forum Groningen. The building combines library functions, cinemas, exhibition spaces, a Fablab and public meeting spaces, under one roof. This gives Forum Groningen a natural multidisciplinary character. An integrated approach to programming enhances its willingness and ability to embrace complex and technology-driven presentations. Rozet in Arnhem is another good example of a multifunctional building that offers opportunities for immersive applications.

Nowadays, cinemas also offer space for IX programming. Babette Wijntjes initiated the XR programme Nu:Reality in 2022, which offers a biannual XR programme in nearly ten cinemas across the Netherlands, largely consisting of 360-degree video and a single VR installation. She explains how she is responding to a need with this initiative: "There is no lack of interest from the public, we have tested that. There is also no lack of cultural venues that could do something with XR. But it still proves difficult for individual locations to actually commit. In the end, it always comes down to cost." A collaboration between specialised parties and mainstream institutions proves most fruitful in bringing IX to new audiences. Such a collaboration helps the cultural organisations to hire and supervise the right staff.

Unique locations
Immersive works can also be shown in temporary, specially designed locations for periods of several weeks to months. Within the XR sector, such screenings are known as Location-Based Events (LBEs). One of the best-known LBEs in the Netherlands is the screening of Alejandro González Iñárritu's Carne y Arena, organized in 2018 by EYE in an industrial space in Amsterdam-Noord, which today houses Nxt Museum.

The 2022 report by Digital Catapult and Audience of the Future The creative immersive content lifecycle: from distribution to restoration analyses the rise of LBEs in the run-up to the corona pandemic. The number of LBEs increased dramatically in Europe, modelled after escape rooms, where a room is rented out for one or more experiences over an extended period of time. In the United States, LBEs remain an important distribution model, often in partnership with museums.

The cost of LBEs tends to be very high, and as a result they tend to be programmed for longer periods. For example, The British XR studio Vision3 exhibits its work in museums in the United States for a period of at least 3 months. Visitors buy a separate admission ticket for the Vision3 works. In recent years, presentations in planetariums have been in demand. These are mostly XR works that are given a dome version. Jenni Tuovinen, head of operations at IDFA DocLab, points to the rise of domes and planetariums as a self-contained ecosystem. This location operates within the Full Dome Creative Network, an international network of makers, producers, curators, researchers, distributors, technical experts and venues.

Digital Catapult's research also mentions VR arcades as an interesting possibility. These types of organizations usually work with licensing deals through platforms such as Steam or Oculus Store. As a result, creators have little influence over the offerings. There is potential here for programming focused on theme or target audience, provided there is active lobbying towards these parties.

At home
Viewing immersive content at home requires people to have access to their own VR headsets. Although the price of headsets has recently dropped, consumers are not yet particularly enthusiastic about them. Caspar Sonnen also wonders if this approach is desirable: "The impact of minerals and everything it takes to make VR headsets is at least as big as the challenge we have around phones. The impact on the Earth if everyone, or a substantial part of the West, owned VR headsets, would be immense. It's much more sustainable to create places where VR is shown, where people go, rather than everyone having a headset themselves."

Immersive content can be experienced at home roughly in two ways: through online access (for example, through metaverse platforms) or through hardware such as a smartphone, computer or headset. In the metaverse, virtual events such as concerts in Fortnite and Roblox, have drawn record audience numbers. This shows the potential of online distribution for immersive content. Re-using content on platforms with fewer technical barriers or greater reach can degrade the original experience of a production. At the same time, it offers opportunities for increased longevity and audience reach.

In addition, social VR platforms have potential for the distribution of independent content, as Venice Immersive's Think Tank mentioned. VRChat is the largest platform in this area and offers interesting opportunities for creators and producers. On the other hand, this platform offers no possibility of making payments, so it does not involve a revenue model.

Digital storefronts play a central role in online distribution. Steam is the largest worldwide, but is primarily focused on games and offers limited space for XR titles. Artistic or narrative XR works enjoy very limited visibility or priority on platforms like Steam or the Oculus Store. Moreover, the eligibility criteria are strict: content cannot contain "sensitive" themes (even in a documentary context) and must have a minimum play time of one hour, for example. As a result, commercially attractive titles are given priority, while artistic or documentary experiences are marginalized. As a consequence, international film festivals are working on an alternative brand: The Festival Collection, a curated online platform featuring previously screened festival selections. There are plans for a platform with a built-in recommendation system so that you can automatically build a profile with your preferences. How licensing models will be structured - so that creators and producers also benefit financially - is still under discussion.

SideQuest VR offers an alternative accessible platform for experimental content, but does not make titles easy to find due to a lack of sorting or categories. With Oculus App Lab since 2021, Meta also offers a form of simpler distribution without complicated selection procedures. Viveport Infinity also publishes artistic titles alongside games, selecting for a title's longer shelf life, such as through regular updates or episodes.

Digital Catapult's research suggests that mobile and Web-based AR experiences in particular are expected to grow in popularity. Despite technical limitations, these forms offer an opportunity to reach both indoor and outdoor audiences through a single integrated distribution model. Technical barriers include the not yet optimal performance of AR and the required specialized software and hardware. There are also no standardized workflows, as each browser or platform works differently. This makes it complicated to create something "universal." More WebXR AR apps that run on a browser are expected to appear in the near future. However, it remains difficult to link a payment method to them.

Moreover, WebXR remains technically inferior to standalone apps for the time being. On app stores, AR apps also have little visibility. Because AR is still a niche, titles do not appear in the featured sections. App stores therefore prioritize proven hits from well-known brands. To reach users online, creators/producers must use paid user acquisition. Users are then lured through paid advertisements or campaigns on social media, or through influencer marketing, for example.

According to creator Abner Preis, there are many opportunities for online distribution, also outside the living room: "I strongly believe in online distribution, but not necessarily only via computer. For example, the MET in New York livestreams their opera performances to cinemas, and they sell out. I would call that an online experience. [...] I think we're really shortchanging the possibilities of something so financially accessible. My parents can't afford a trip to Vienna to see the Waltz, but they can go to the cinema, which is a great place in itself. There's a lot of room to spread an event that way - it really is a beautiful thing."

"All these pieces that are being made, all the money that's being used to fund all these things, where are they being seen? Who else gets to see them?" Tupac Martir (creator, founder Satore Studio)

As outlined in sections 1.1 to 1.3, the current distribution infrastructure for IX is fragmented and unsustainable. Festivals play an increasingly important role as a launch pad, but rarely provide a long-term pathway for further presentation and distribution. After the premiere, there is a lack of committed institutions that continue to provide technical and substantive support for the work. And if we want to preserve works for the future, we must also engage in preservation.

Policy and funding are generally not geared towards this key aspect of productions, and they regularly disappear quickly from the stage - even if they are still artistically and technically relevant. How can we rotate productions for longer, and how can we build a history and historical awareness of the digital media domain? Archiving and keeping productions alive is important for cultural, historical, artistic but also educational reasons.

Maker Nienke Huitenga ran into this issue while looking for productions she had seen at IDFA DocLab over the past few years: "There are fantastic works that have influenced me, but is any of that still preserved? Is there a small archive of the exhibitions? No, there wasn't. I think that as a sector, we have difficulties on this score. Not only is it problematic that the work is no longer available, but we don't pay attention to the knowledge that is lost in the process."

According to Vevi van Vliet, management and preservation go hand in hand with visibility: "You can only make something visible if you have also thought about how you will preserve it and manage it in the future. That means documenting well how you exhibit it somewhere. We have elaborate processes for that."

The situation is self-sustaining: if there are few organizations structurally engaged in keeping existing IX work up-to-date and conserved, those works are not available for re-exhibition. Subsequently, presentation institutions and festivals quickly opt for new and recent work, which in turn reduces the demand for older works. This is a problem not only in terms of sustainability, but also in relation to historical awareness and building a history of IX.

In addition, festivals are also often forced to present new work in order to differentiate themselves from other events. This helps in attracting audiences, but it is also often seen as a requirement from the funding bodies. Previous initiatives by art institutions such as V2_ (Rotterdam) and iMAL (Brussels) to offer older work through an agency model also proved unsuccessful (see also section 3.3).

Tupac Martir indicates that keeping a production presentable, or preserved, is not always easy: "If I wanted to present Cosmos Within Us from 2019 now, I would probably need another four or five months to bring the work to the level and scale it for today's requirements. Some works can certainly be preserved in the state they are already in. But there are also works where the creator's original idea is not fully realised, simply because of the limitations we faced at the time. (...) Such works will have to continue to evolve with time, that is inevitable. We're not talking about a video game here - and even video games get constant updates to keep them running. I think it makes sense to preserve works, along with the elements that are already there, and explore how they can be shown to new generations."

Additionally, getting funding to keep works up-to-date is difficult. Abner Preis talks about the problems he encountered integrating tools from commercial companies into his work. The work had a permanent exhibition, but at one point the tools were no longer available: An update was needed to continue functioning: "I went to the Mondriaan Fund to ask about the possibility of updating my work, and they had no idea what I was talking about. I said, 'You can restore a sculpture in a garden or a gallery, but you can't help me restore my work?' It's interesting. We're really in a totally new realm. To restore a sculpture, you go to a restorer. But to restore a cloud-based sculpture, you have to go to someone who understands computers." And that awareness, that within the world of IX a new craft has emerged, has yet to take shape within the broader cultural sector.

According to Marieke Nooren, the conservation issue revolves around two closely related aspects. On the one hand, it involves carefully documenting how a work currently functions, including the technologies and software used - and keeping it current. On the other hand, a long-term strategy is needed to keep updating the work without compromising its original intent. Both aspects, she says, are essential for sustainable conservation.

Presentation institutions and also festivals are not always aware of what is involved in showing and maintaining a digital work. Moreover, they usually lack the financial room required. Besides software updates, sometimes the physical mechanical parts wear out. To overcome such problems, a plan must be made for each work.

Artist Gabey Tjon-A- Tham confirms this from her own experience: "There is never enough money to deal with maintenance to really make my existing installations sustainable. How I have solved that in recent years is by paying for it myself, out of my fee. I ask for a slightly higher fee every year so that I can continue to do that. (...) There is also no consideration that the work has to be stored somewhere and that also costs money. (...) I have the idea that maybe the exhibition venues don't really have the resources or the knowledge in house to take care (of the works) so that longer exhibitions can actually keep running."

In the Netherlands, LI-MA is currently the only organization dedicated to archiving media art. Among other things, it manages the media archive of the then Montevideo/Time Based Arts. Meanwhile, LI-MA has also included IX in its collection. Gaby Wijers explains that the core of LI-MA's work is to ensure that media art is not only made and presented now, but also remains accessible in the future: "You document it, archive it, store it and preserve it, so that it will be available again later."

Still, because of capacity and content choices, LI-MA is forced to be selective; it cannot possibly take all released works under its wing. This underscores the need for broader institutional involvement in the long-term care of these productions. Wijers: "Keeping all those works in perpetuity is quite complicated and complex; it requires a lot. So making a selection is better. Suppose fifty immersive works are made in a year, which frankly I think would be great, you can't preserve them all. Certainly not if fifty more are added every year. So then you make a selection from that."

Artist Boris Acket also emphasizes the importance of parties like LI-MA taking on an archival function: "It's not so interesting that I have stuff in my warehouse, the issue is what happens to it when that stuff is no longer there. Where are the drawings then? Where are the files? And who will make sure that is preserved?" According to Acket, a good alternative to the current system could be for a museum to purchase not only the work itself in material terms, but also the way it is done. This would amount to a kind of manual, which the museum could use to reproduce the work if it wanted to exhibit it.

Such an approach to purchasing installations sometimes brings up other questions as well. In a conversation between Merel van Helsdingen of Nxt Museum and artist Julius Horsthuis, the question arose of what exactly was going to be purchased. Horsthuis is constantly working with new technologies and continues to update his work. If the technological layer keeps changing, what is the purpose of the purchase? What are you buying? Van Helsdingen emphasizes that a purchase is always made for a specific reason: "On the one hand, you want to be able to actually show the work. On the other hand, you want to build a kind of art history archive. For that archive, you want to store all the iterations, with a clear description of how it was shown and installed. Technical drawings should almost always be included. But artists especially want you to show the work."

As a strategy to support archiving and preservation, creators and producers may see museums and other institutions as potential partners. The condition is that these institutions also specialize in this field. This is already happening in countries such as Great Britain and the United States. Here large museums have sometimes switched to buying IX productions on a structural basis. In addition, they set up departments to preserve those works. In the Netherlands, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and Museum Arnhem have occasionally purchased IX works. An institution like Nxt Museum in Amsterdam expresses the ambition to play a structural role in this as well. Not only does it want to build a collection and help maintain work, it also wants to provide facilities (such as technology, space and expertise) for prototype development and public play-testing.

Bogomir Doringer wonders how Nxt Museum can play a greater role in re-exhibiting work, rather than keeping it in a box. He also sees opportunities here for music festivals, for example, which are often interested but only last three days. Perhaps presentation institutions can play a role in this and set up occasional or more structural collaborations for this purpose.

In addition to regular presentations, being able to test and refine prototypes with an audience is an essential part of the making process. Nxt Museum also offers space for residencies through Nxt Lab. Artists can further develop their work here. A rarity in this sector, according to Doringer: "They improve the installation, try things out, or control the work from home through the network - sort of exhibiting while it's still in development."

The challenges described above make it clear that distribution is not just a capstone, but a full and integrated part of the development and creation process. It plays a crucial role within the entire lifecycle of a work, from idea development, production, presentation to distribution and archiving. It cannot be seen separately from all the parties that play a role in that chain. This is partly endorsed by Digital Catapult's research. In Chapter 2 we explore this life cycle thinking and the idea of the life cycle as a strategy for greater impact, wider distribution and a more sustainable sector.

Financing IX projects remains a challenge. The main scheme in the Netherlands is the Immerse/Interact scheme at the Creative Industries Fund NL and Netherlands Filmfonds. Under certain conditions, a project can also receive funding from the Digital Culture scheme of the Creative Industries Fund NL or Cultuurloket DigitALL, as well as the Mondriaan Fund and private funding bodies such as Cultuurfonds and Fonds 21. Corine Meijers, producer at Studio Biarritz, notes that it is nice that a distribution voucher scheme has now been created, but it is available for only those projects funded within the Immerse/Interact scheme. Also gone is the XL version of Immerse/Interact's production scheme, that allowed applications for larger amounts to be made for the realisation of projects.

It is difficult to finance projects in their entirety from cultural subsidies. Countries in which partnerships with telecommunication companies are set up for distribution can be an inspiration in that light, as happens with Deutsche Telekom or Orange France. In addition, opportunities for production-distribution partnerships with tech companies such as HTC Vive may be better utilised. At the same time, many media companies in Europe have just stopped their immersive line, such as Sky, BFI, BBC, Arte and The Guardian.

Innovation programmes
There are several innovation programmes in the Netherlands, such as under NWO or the National Growth Fund, which may be relevant in some cases. These include the Regional Development Companies (ROMs), which offer programs for technical innovation. The MIT scheme (SME Innovation Stimulation Region and Top Sectors) specifically targets SMEs. There is also the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) scheme, which provides grants for the development of innovative products.

For applied research between SMEs and knowledge institutions, there is the RAAK program (Regional Action and Attention to Knowledge Circulation). In addition, NWO funds collaborations on scientific research. Recently, there is also CIIIC, part of the National Growth Fund, from which, among other things, immersive experiences (IX) are funded.

An example of a cultural organization exploring collaborations involving science is the studio Monobanda. It regularly participates in larger research projects. According to artistic director Niki Smit, this has become the survival model for the studio. For media artist Ivan Henriques, collaborations with scientific trajectories are also at the core of his professional practice.

The connection to purely artistic projects of these large programmes like those of NWO is often limited. Such programmes typically require market orientation, scalability and co-financing. For the smaller, independent projects, this is more difficult to achieve. Thus, in most cases, such programs are a complementary set of instruments, but not a structural solution for financing immersive art.