Netwerk Archieven Design en Digitale CultuurNetwerk Archieven Design en Digitale Cultuur

Nieuwe Instituut manages the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, and we are also committed to preserving archives that are not housed at cultural institutions, including design and digital culture archives, as well as the archives of garden and landscape designers. To do this, we collaborate with various partners, based on our shared social responsibility for heritage management. In 2019, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science commissioned the Nieuwe Instituut to set up the network, because of its existing knowledge and organisational strength. In this role, the Nieuwe Instituut coordinates all NADD’s activities.

Design is all around us. Designers and digital culture creators make a significant contribution to beauty, convenience and well-being, the way we experience the world and how we identify and solve social issues. In these rapidly changing times, it is therefore essential to reflect on what has already been conceived, criticised and designed as we look towards the future.

NADD’s goal is to safeguard the heritage of design and digital culture for the future and to make it accessible to society, thereby contributing to the development of these design disciplines. By combining the strengths and knowledge of heritage institutions, museums, educational and cultural institutions, knowledge institutes, creators, designers, governments and other partners, we can raise awareness of this heritage.

NADD offers direct support to the field and creates opportunities to exchange knowledge within the network through workshops, one-to-one conversations and practical tools such as the How to Archive Better manuals. We organise public events such as symposia and exhibitions, including the annual Archive Day and Seeking Shelter).

The events that NADD organises at the Nieuwe Instituut are listed in the agenda of the Nieuwe Instituut. For an overview of all the events, see the NADD website.

By combining their data, the partners contribute to a shared understanding of the landscape of design and digital culture landscape in the Netherlands. This makes visible and usable a rich landscape of archives, stories and creators that would otherwise remain scattered and fragmented. See all the designers who can be found in the archives of the NADD partners.

Each partner contributes their own knowledge and perspective. This diversity is the strength of the network. No matter whether you work as a DIY archivist or are part of a large heritage institution, in the network you’ll always find the right person to learn from or to collaborate with.

Would you like to join the network or do you have a question for the NADD team? Then fill out this form.

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