AMSTERDAM
THE DGTL ACADEMY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ABN AMRO
DGTL Academy
The DGTL Academy, in partnership with ABN AMRO, is an intensive six-month mentorship programme supporting female talent in electronic music and visual art. The programme focuses on the development of artistic voice and professional skills, while providing access to knowledge, networks and creative challenges within the electronic music and art scene. For the 2026 edition, 6 artists have been selected.
Music production:
Emma Warmelink
Pien Breeuwsma (Scalio)
Roza Huizing (RHUIZ)
Visual arts:
Deniz Kurt
Naomi Rechtman
Niki Scheijen (Nikilia)
The programme consists of intensive workshops, creative sessions and exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences. Participants work towards their own creative vision while building valuable connections within the industry. The programme culminates in a joint audiovisual installation presented at DGTL Festival 2026.
The challenge
The electronic music and art world remains largely male-dominated. This applies not only to artists on stage, but also to technical and creative roles behind the scenes, where women continue to be underrepresented. While there is no shortage of talent, opportunities to grow, gain visibility and be heard are often limited.
Since 2025, the DGTL Academy, in collaboration with ABN AMRO, has offered female makers an intensive mentorship programme that provides space, guidance and visibility. The first edition culminated in a large-scale artwork at DGTL Festival, drawing attention to the need for lasting change within the scene.
Our shared ambition
DGTL and ABN AMRO share the ambition to accelerate female talent in electronic music and visual art, while addressing structural inequality within the industry. Through mentorship, access to professional networks and targeted support, the DGTL Academy creates meaningful opportunities for emerging female artists.
By combining DGTL’s platform and expertise with ABN AMRO’s resources and support, this initiative actively contributes to a more inclusive sector in which diverse voices help shape the future of electronic music and visual culture.
What the DGTL Academy offers
• 6+ months of dedicated mentorship
• High-level knowledge & hands-on experience
• Workshops & masterclasses with industry professionals
• Media exposure & networking opportunities
• A public showcase at DGTL Festival 2026 (audiovisual art installation)
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 (Emsy)
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.
