Meet the DGTL Academy Class of 2026!
We are incredibly proud to introduce the six talented female artists selected for this year’s DGTL Academy, presented in partnership with ABN AMRO.
This six-month mentorship programme supports emerging female creators in electronic music and visual art, giving them time, guidance and space to grow their craft, build community and amplify their voices in an industry where opportunities aren’t always equal.
Through workshops, creative sessions, masterclasses and professional networks, the programme helps participants shape their artistic identities and professional skills, culminating in a collaborative audiovisual art piece: a 160 m² LED installation showcased at DGTL Amsterdam 2026.
DGTL and ABN AMRO share the ambition to accelerate female talent and help address structural inequality within the electronic music and art world. By combining DGTL’s platform and expertise with ABN AMRO’s support and resources, the Academy aims to create meaningful opportunities and contribute to a more inclusive sector where diverse voices help shape the future of music and visual culture.
Pien Breeuwsma (Scalio)
Scalio brings playful, high-octane energy to the stage with a bold blend of raw breaks, acid grooves and her own captivating vocals. Moving seamlessly between DJ sets and live performances, she combines technical precision with unapologetic femininity. With upcoming EPs on United Identities and performances at Boring Festival, Club3 and as support for Kelly Lee Owens, Scalio is steadily carving out her space in the electronic underground.
Deniz Ezgi Kurt
Media artist and creative technologist Deniz works at the intersection of art, design, technology and nature. Using creative coding, machine learning and real-time generative systems, she builds immersive audiovisual environments where digital systems respond and evolve. Treating technology as a living material, her practice explores rhythm, feedback and collective embodiment, translating complex ideas into sensory, bio-inspired experiences presented at institutions such as Ars Electronica, IMPAKT and NXT Museum.
Roza Huizing (RHUIZ)
Under the name RHUIZ, Roza creates dark, cinematic electronic music built around deep basslines, powerful drums, strings and her own vocals. Her work forms a layered artistic universe where sound, performance and visual aesthetics merge. Currently developing a live show that blends DJing with live vocals into an all-sensory experience, Roza is focused on refining her technique and amplifying her artistic identity within a male-dominated industry.
Naomi Rechtman
Naomi Rechtman, working under the name Fluid Meditations, is a multidisciplinary visual artist combining analog processes with generative and interactive digital systems. Using tools such as TouchDesigner, 3D rendering and real-time visual engines, she creates responsive environments that evolve in relation to movement and data. Grounded in her parallel practice as a yoga teacher, her work translates inner states and emotional landscapes into immersive visual experiences that balance chaos and calm.
Emma Warmelink
Classically trained as a cellist, Emma Warmelink merges expressive string performance with the intensity of electronic dance music. Drawing from her experience in orchestras and concert halls as well as dark club spaces, she creates work that balances drama, rhythm and trance-like energy. Inspired by performing Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet at the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, she is developing a freakshow-inspired techno concept that channels theatrical darkness into her own productions and artistic vision.
Niki Scheijen (Nikilia)
Working across interactive installations, A/V performances, live coding and 3D media, Niki Scheijen creates experimental art that bridges technology and human experience. Performing as her alter ego Nikilia, she explores how music and visuals reinforce one another in live contexts. Based in Rotterdam, she organizes a monthly live coding meetup at V2_, researches the role of women in technology, and aims to be a role model for young women by connecting art, technology and community.
Mary Lake (music production mentor)
Mary Lake is an artist whose sound merges driving techno with textural and emotional depth. Shaped by her upbringing across Algeria, France and the Netherlands, her work explores how intensity and intimacy coexist on the dance floor. A resident at RAUM/Spielraum and regular at Berghain, she brings a fluid, instinctive storytelling approach to DJing, alongside a live practice presented at STOOR, Dekmantel and Positive Education, and a forward-leaning production voice introduced through her debut EP on Nous’Klaer Audio.
Carolien Teunisse (visual arts mentor)
Visual media artist and educator Carolien Teunisse explores the dialogue between humans and technology through installations and performances that combine code, video projections and sensors. Passionate about sharing knowledge, she teaches at HKU and HU while developing immersive, site-specific works. As co-founder of the collective DEFRAME, she creates interactive installations and live performances presented across the Netherlands and internationally.
Jessica Dreu (visual arts mentor)
Jessica Dreu is a visual artist and photographer working independently and as part of DEFRAME. Her practice balances control and chance, combining the unpredictability of analog techniques with the precision of digital tools. Inspired by music and fascinated by the mechanics of image-making, she develops live visuals, installations and mixed media works that reshape how audiences experience space and movement.
The reality is that equal opportunities are still far from guaranteed behind the scenes. That is why DGTL and ABN AMRO are committed to accelerating change by creating space for female talent to develop, connect, and take the next steps in their careers. Together, we aim to help shape a more inclusive future for electronic music and visual culture, where new perspectives are not only welcomed, but truly supported.
We are proud to be on this journey together, and we cannot wait to share what this group creates over the coming months. Come and experience the DGTL Academy Art Piece and its talents during DGTL Amsterdam on April 4 and 5, 2026.
We can't wait to share more soon.