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erik
bär
Founder and director of Tinker imagineers BV. Responsible for vision, concept and art direction. Major focus at present on the development of public spaces, larger heritage projects and cultural tourism.
1969 child of two psychologists 1989 completed one-year study of French at the Université d'Aix-Marseille 1991 founded Castles in the Air, the realization of fantasies, with Stan Boshouwers 1995 graduated in Cognitive Artificial Intelligence, majoring in Knowledge Analysis 1999 married to artist Rina van der Weij 00/02 became father to daughters Noemi and Pip 2002 completed five-year training to become yoga teacher
Some people are fascinated by the latest fashions or the hippest trends. I prefer things that keep their value. Old stories that are always being told in new ways. By people, buildings, events and landscapes. I enjoy helping to tell these stories, or to unravel their plots. What’s the story here? Or often: who are we? What is our greatest strength? How should we present ourselves? Good answers to these questions are shown time and again to be success factors behind major developments and powerful creations.
Creating new visions is an important part of my work. Through insight into the way in which things can find their way. Through developing fresh perspectives from inspirational questions. And through the visual quality of what we do. I like to see myself as a film director. Someone who doesn’t act or perform himself, but who creates the big picture and translates it to the big screen. On the way there, cast-iron plots have to be devised, but also a gripping storyboard, beautiful scenery and a perfect performance. The director ensures that all these components work together to produce a film. One that’s a big hit with the audience. |
stan
boshouwers
Founder and director of Tinker imagineers BV. Responsible for concept, creative and strategy. And inspiration with balls. Has a special interest in large-scale makeovers with reckless leaders.
1968: first saw the light of day, three sisters, a teacher and a manufacturer as parents in Nijmegen 1985: active in radio piracy, the circus world, young researchers and Resal Lasershows 1991: founded Castles in the Air with Erik Bär 1997: graduated in Cognitive Sciences, University of Utrecht 1998: changed the name of Castles in the Air to Tinker imagineers 2003: completed three-year training in Being Orientation
I’ve always been fascinated by knowledge. Even as a little boy I was amazed by the difference between the science and arts types: some people find truth in correctness, while others find it in beauty. Later I became more interested in getting ideas across to people. Trying to ram knowledge into their heads is the dumbest way – I found that out during my own education. I have discovered however that everyone, whatever their schooling or IQ, has intellectual ability. And it’s relatively easy to speak to them. Many organizations infantilize their communications in the belief that it will enable them to reach a wide target group; an expensive mistake. Later still I became interested most in the inspiration side of knowledge. How do ideas come about, how do they propagate themselves, and what becomes of them? I have learned to think of inspiration as an autonomous underlying force, with an enormous capacity to organize and design. Inspiration is easy to access in people and organizations and, despite its somewhat woolly image, it can be put to excellent use as a management instrument. I’m currently interested in using inspiration as a source of organizational change.
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joseefke
brabander
Business Manager. Expert in the areas of finance, human resources and support services. Worked in both commercial and cultural organizations.
1966 Born in Eindhoven, and after primary school moved to Bergeyk, a village close to the border with Belgium, to a house with a swing amongst the maize. Studied in Tilburg at the Hogeschool Noord-Brabant, specializing in information and documentation. 1983 Moved to Utrecht to take up a position at the Netherlands Institute for Art Education. Established an information exchange system here in the area of Art Education while following a course in Art Management at the Hogeschool Utrecht. Began my career there first as the coordinator of the Music, Theatre and Dance agency, then as manager of the Information and Communication department. 1999 First daughter born, and went to work as project manager at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. An interesting academy, but a little too quiet. 2000 Joined Dietwee Design and Communication as Business Manager, and learnt everything here about managing a company together with two creatives. Helped them to grow the company from 14 employees to 40. A dynamic organization with all kinds of challenges in the creative area, but principally for me in the financial and personnel spheres. After 8 years of sharing all the ups and downs with the two owners, it was time for a move to a different company that would be at least as interesting and as much fun. 2002 Second daughter born, and moved to the middle of the city centre of Utrecht. 2008 Business Manager at Tinker. The same position as at Dietwee, but now being able to put a whole lot of experience to work. For me, Tinker is a completely different organization, where projects present complex problems that are solved by extremely skilful, independently working people. It calls for a different style of management from me, and I answer the call every day with great enthusiasm.
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nils
van keulen
Director of Tinker imagineers BV.
1959: arrive in the world as the youngest of a family of 11 children in Venlo, the “town of fun and pleasure”. 1971: began high school, developed a preference for drama and handicrafts for the first time; majored in art history. 1978: teachers’ training college, while studying audio-visual technology part-time in parallel 1981: developed audio-visual workshops for trainee teachers, and followed career path from Media Centre Manager to Commercial Director of Synar, Eindhoven Technical University’s multimedia production company 1992: entered the business world as Marketing & Sales Director and member of the management team at Mansveld Integrale Mediaprojecten. Translates communications concepts into multimedia solutions for museums, visitors’ centres, exhibitions and events. Study trips to the USA and the UK. 2000: literally a millennium step forward in inspiration: the world exhibition in Hannover and the Millenium Dome in London in one year 2002: a step further on my chosen path: Senior Account Manager at DST Experience Communication. 2006: joined Tinker as Senior Creative Consultant and Account Manager 2008: Partner, Tinker imagineers
What fascinates me is how to get a message across, ensure it stays with the audience and that they put it into action. Everyone has his or her own characteristics and background. There can therefore never be a single message for a large group of people. It would be understood differently by each of them. It is only credible and convincing when you discover your own message from your own enquiry.
In this way I combine creativity with didactics. Reducing complex matters into components that can be understood and examined, and from which an image can be formed. Penetrating and dissecting them until you get to the very heart of the matter. And then reassembling it step by step. In doing so, I believe in teamwork and everyone doing what they’re good at. But also in meeting the challenge of realizing objectives on time and within the budget. The great motivating factor for me is that it’s fun to achieve things collaboratively that deliver meaningful added value to others. Ensuring that something really happens to people. They warm towards something, they’re moved to action, they become informed, and perhaps even change. |
imke
asmussen
Consultant/concept developer. Tinkering with ideas, and developing them into imaginative concepts. Seeing through creative projects, realizing exhibitions and multimedia/AV productions, and copywriting. Currently working on spatial projects related to cultural history, social subjects and heritage experiences in all possible media.
1974: born in Denmark, between the cows and the four-leafed clover. 1993: intensive exploration of the wide world: 2 years in all directions around the world, 12 cities,13 jobs. 1995: begin studying Economics and Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. 2000: in Rome - ‘research’ – Master’s thesis on creativity in organizations - University of Amsterdam 2001: first job as consultant at an HR & organizational advice agency 2002: join Tinker as writer/editor/programmer.
Since childhood I’ve never been good at being able to concentrate on one thing: a thousand and one subjects and things can fascinate me. When I was 7 I wanted to be a graphic designer, while I was 8 a carpenter followed on the heels of a lawyer, at 9 it was an interior architect, and from my 10th to 11th years I not only wanted to be Annie, I wanted to direct the film as well. During all these years I also wrote little books and was fanatical about sports. So what I’m really looking for is a question that I still can’t answer unequivocally; but perhaps that in itself is actually a pretty good description of who I am. I want everything, and then preferably with a dash of humour and creativity on top. The themes that fascinate me are ‘people’, pleasure, beautiful things, communication, ‘the world’, and ideas. I can also get myself terribly worked up about certain things around me: an excellent source of creativity! After university I found myself at first in a good place for me to learn how working life works, what a project is, and how a consultant works. I was also able to get rid of a lot of what I’d picked up during my studies, but also quickly took to writing copy, thinking up concepts, dealing with design questions, and I was guilty of going on more than a few ‘extra-disciplinary’ excursions. And I felt good about that. At Tinker I can legitimately combine all these things: I can be the gypsy, the hunter and gatherer, the adventurer and investigator. And that seems to work! |
joep
schellekens
senior project leader
Historical stories, experiencing nature and sailing in anything that floats to some extent have been my passions since childhood. Very occasionally, as while reading Paddeltje, the book for boys in which the eponymous protagonist is a cabin boy who wages war with Admiral Michiel de Ruyter against the Barbarian pirates, all these subjects came together. Little Joep was happy.
Years later, after completing my time at secondary school and after some hesitation, I decided to go on to study history with – how could it have been any other – maritime history as a specialist subsidiary subject. An internship in the department of Maritime History at the Naval Staff Headquarters in The Hague failed to produce the job I had longed for, but I did learn a lot about illustrious Sea Beggars and ‘our’ maritime heroes.
So it was time to enter the world of work, and I happened to find myself in the museum world. Initially most of my work involved content-oriented research, writing, making short films and organizing exhibitions about such diverse subjects as 225 years of the National Lottery, the distilling of Dutch gin and the fifty-year history of the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service.
But blood will out, as I soon discovered. Little by little, the work focusing on content was replaced by work that would draw on organizational skills, in connection with museum renovation and remodelling. The architectural and constructional knowledge that I had gained in my youth – very reluctantly, while working during the summer holidays in my father’s building business – finally came in useful. As a linchpin in a team of building professionals, our work included buying up two historic country farmhouses, breaking them up into scores of pieces and then reconstructing and furnishing them in a historically accurate way in the Netherlands Open Air Museum.
The recent renovation of the museum Catharijneconvent and TwentseWelle came into being through the great efforts of builders, architects, structural engineers, climate experts, designers, academic researchers, filmmakers and restorers under my leadership. That’s what fascinates me – realizing a splendid project together with a wide mix of people and talents. The twenty years of knowledge, experience and the odd fiasco is now also coming in useful at Tinker.
When it comes to the water in the meantime, I’m been voyaging through a similar cycle. From sailing on ditch-water and the crossing to Chatham (!) in imitation of Michiel de Ruyter, a circuit – albeit in tempestuous fits and starts – sailing around the Atlantic Ocean has been completed. Under my own sails from Scheveningen to the Suriname River and back via Antigua to the old continent.
So what’s next? |
anna
hoving
Senior Graphic Designer
1977 Born as the second daughter of a Swedish mother and Dutch father, followed by my little brother nine minutes later. Grew up with a licence for creative development, such as building tree houses, making clothes, restyling rooms and, my all-time favourite: getting really dirty in the sand box. 1987 Moved to the United States. An enormous jump into the deep end, and an exciting feeling that I still regularly go after… 1995 Got my high school diploma in the Netherlands and started at the art academy. Full of disbelief that you could seriously make a professional career out of something as much fun as thinking up and working out concepts. 1999 Work experience as an intern at design agency Koeweiden Postma Associates. 2001 Graduated as a graphic designer from the Utrecht School of the Arts, and time for another jump: as the only white volunteer teaching English in a Nepalese village. 2003 Traffic manager in the architectonic department of G-Star denim company. 2003 Started working independently doing graphic design and designing leather bags. 2005 Active as graphic designer at design company Magma.
2007 In Nepal I decided that I didn’t just want to use my professional talents to make ‘pretty pictures’, but wanted to collaborate on projects that contributed something to society. The move to tinker feels like a long-awaited soft landing. Freedom enough to go on a voyage of discovery through meaningful projects in which I can combine my passion for beauty, conceptual challenge and making people happy. And that at only a stone’s throw away from home!
From now on the jumps I’ll be making will be in the sea > on a surfboard! |
wendy
rommers
Concept Developer / Designer, involved in spatial projects in culture and heritage, amongst others.
1975 born to enjoy the carnival in Brabant 1983 endlessly playing outdoors, building houses from LEGO, making clothes from garbage bags, cutting the hair off dolls, painting and fantasizing about what you want to be when you grow up… 1993 after specializing in sciences at grammar school decided I really wanted to study industrial design 1996 work experience at Art&Design, exhibition designers in Belgium 1997 work experience in Italy at Plumcake, children’s collection 1997 graduated from the Design Academy, Eindhoven 1999-06 Designer and Project Manager in graphic and spatial design and new media at 2D3D, The Hague 2006 Started at Tinker imagineers
During my studies at the Design Academy I soon discovered that design was more for me than creating an ‘attractive form’. It was less about designing a new chair, and more about reflecting on the concept of ‘sitting’. By searching for the essence of a question or the statement of a problem, points of departure for creating lucid and appropriate concepts often come within reach. My curiosity leads me to throw myself enthusiastically into new areas that I want to make my own. So I recently exchanged the dry land to live in a ship on the water. And I began my new adventure at Tinker! |
joost
luk
Three-dimensional designer
Born as the third son of a dear shoemaker and nursery school teacher who always made sure that there were enough coloured pencils and handicraft tools in the house. I thanked them by producing an enormous number of scrawls, scribbles, circles and heads with stick legs. Followed by an equally large number of tanks and tigers at the junior school. At college I added landscapes and abstractions to the repertoire. And at the Art Academy, endless variations of sketches. Nudes, still-lives and panoramas. But also folders full of inaccessible studies. My parents must have been relieved when I chose to go into the theatre. And I didn’t even look at another sheet of paper for a while.
But that was just a short interlude. My little daughter decided to take over my duties. She proved to be passionate about drawing. And while I proudly showed off the posters, brochures and book covers I’d designed and taken home, she conjured forth her scrawls, scribbles, circles and heads with stick legs. When my second little daughter started displaying the same productivity, and inundated us with her drawings, I took a decision: they would be responsible for the consequences of their actions. But I would apply myself to bigger things. Things that were too big to get into the house.
So while our third little daughter was busy at home colouring white sheets of paper, I began filling museum galleries with three-dimensional designs. Stage sets, exhibitions, giant-sized gestures. And the more I looked at her scribbles, the more I understood how much pleasure we were each getting out of it. Creating things, bringing them into the world. But by then I’d decided to establish a boundary for myself: I wanted to apply myself to creating surprise and amazement. Because that experience isn’t noncommittal, it enables and encourages people to look more consciously and thoughtfully. At themselves, and at their environment. The move to Tinker was only a little jump.
1963 Born in Gouda 1984 - 1987 Academy of Fine Arts, Tilburg 1987 - 1989 Set designer and actor in the Gang theatre group 1989 - 1999 Co-owner van graphic and audio-visual design agency [De Gangh’], laboratory for aesthetics 1999 - 2007 Graphic and three-dimensional designer at Ars Longa Exhibitions 2007 Three-dimensional designer at Tinker |
maartje
heintz
Project Manager – providing support, coordination and further development of a wide range of projects within Tinker. Especially major events, corporate celebrations and publications.
1974 born and grew up in Noordwijk, where until I was 16 I was able to enjoy all the opportunities for playing and other advantages offered by living by the beach. 1991 moved to Utrecht with my parents and sister. Completed my high school years. 1993 left home for Amsterdam, where I began my studies in Social Psychology. Jobs on the side in a gallery and in interior design consultancy. 1998 thesis: the effects of the ‘involving fathers in parenthood’ campaign from SIRE‚ the society for responsible advertising. Started 2nd study: Culture, Organization & Management 2001 thesis: ‘a biased look at opportunities’. Research into the influence of organizational factors in the career development of immigrants. 2002 Project Manager at Misteli Productions, realizing various experience concepts. 2003 Project Manager at Tinker.
Like many other Tinkers, creativity played a major role in my childhood. Throwing myself into drawing, painting and making things out of dough. In this I was encouraged by my mother, who painted and sculpted herself and knew how to make a beautiful new creation out of anything, moveable or immoveable. I thought for a long time that I’d also choose a creative education, but eventually I decided to study Psychology (University of Amsterdam). Social Psychology… the psychology of normal people as I always call it. Really interesting to learn what makes people tick, and what the human brain is capable of. How gifted, and yet how vulnerable we really are. How we form our ideas and attitudes, how suggestible we are, and what drives people… During my studies I became more and more interested in communications. An ideal profession, since it involves both substance and creativity. How do get a message across; how do you reach people? I wanted to learn more. My first step was another course of study: Culture Organization & Management (Free University), to brush up my knowledge about organizations. How do organizations function, and what fields of influence can be found in them? Once I’d completed this 2nd study, I was adequately educated and was ready to go and learn how it could be applied in practice. Via various other short jobs I arrived at Tinker in 2003.
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roel
bolhuis
Project leader, principally for 3D and multimedia projects.
Born in 1962 near the Damsterdiep canal between Groningen and Delfzijl.
Left the countryside for good in 1979 in order to follow an HTS course in car technology. That study did not work out well; after half a year I was working for the first time in the theatre as a stagehand. After a number of false starts in other courses, I eventually chose Musicology at the University of Amsterdam. During my studies I worked as a production manager at the Netherlands Opera. In 1991 I graduated as a Musicologist.
Apart from the programming of two New Year concerts with the Netherlands Brass Ensemble, from then on I worked principally on the production side of musical theatre (Holland Festival, Phantom of the Opera, opera in Ahoy). In 1995 I became project manager for multiple camera productions at the facilities subsidiary of the NOB. Steered very many TV recordings in the right direction technically. Tough projects, impossible work times and often complicated conditions. Complex logistics, brutal deadlines and very many people who love their profession and are prepared to give their all for it.
In 2001 it was time for something new, and I travelled. Back in the Netherlands, I became interested in screens other than the TV, so I threw myself into what then was still called ‘new media’. As a project manager at IJsfontein I had the opportunity to coordinate fantastic web projects and interactive installations.
In 2009 I became head of the project office at NEMO. I learned an awful lot about the running of a science centre with 400,000 visitors a year. But I missed the dynamic of projects for several different clients. And so in 2010 I started at Tinker. Here I think I’ll be able to combine all my experience in the magnificent projects that Tinker realizes.
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marleen
bos
3D Designer
1979 Born in Enschede. 1997 Completed secondary school and started at the AKI Academy of Visual Arts. Also designed interiors and scenery for theatrical performances. 2001 Work experience at Speeltheater Holland, and studied Architecture and Sculpture in the US. 2002 Graduated as Architectural Designer. 2002-2005 Designed more scenery for the theatre and also served in the role of Art Director for film productions in the US. 2005-2008 Worked as Visual Display Manager; window displays and interiors for stores in Boston. Displays for Hermès, Valentino and other stores in the US and abroad. 2008 Tinker.
I’ve always been fascinated by 3D. There’s much to do and experience in this world, but where to begin? Designer or artist? I’ve tried to find a middle way. At the Art Academy I chose the architectural design route. A fascinating profession, but I missed the storyline behind the assignments, and I always thought up the most absurd concepts, so as to give my projects more substance. For years I worked as a freelancer, designing everything that crossed my path: interiors, exhibitions, theatre and film scenery.
In 2005 I found myself in the wondrous world of American window displays, where they are seen as theatre: that was also something I wanted to be part of! Thinking up concepts, working them out and then building and installing them. What a great profession – but after a while I found that for me, too little 3D was involved. You can’t walk through them and experience the spaces from enough angles and in different ways. I was still looking for more substance: maybe I should make the move to exhibition and museum design? In the meantime I’d already spent 6 years in the land of the good hamburgers and ice cream, and thought it would be great to try out the tricks of the trade in the Netherlands. Preferably at a company that would offer an enormous variety of assignments, and people that were all interested and active in all sorts of areas. Here we go Tinker...... |
marijn
harteveld
Project assistant
I was born in Utrecht in 1983, but when I was one my parents decided to move to Hilversum.
1996-2001 Twelve carefree and youthful years later I began my life of learning and studying at secondary school.
2001 After five years I took my diploma to Utrecht to study Social Work. I learned a lot about myself here. After a year learning about the human psyche and as an intern giving sports lessons to children with severe learning difficulties, and despite passing my first year exams, I decided that all in all this wasn’t the field of work I wanted to follow in my career.
2002 So it was that I found a new and more practical course of study – Media and Entertainment Management – in Haarlem. And with this change to a new course of study, I also left my parental home for a student house in Haarlem.
2005 Through my course I got to know the events agency ‘the garage creations’ in Amsterdam. I stayed on to work there after a period of work experience as an intern. This was real work, and a world of events and entertainment opened up for me. It was a company that allowed me to learn everything there was to learn about the organization of entertainment.
2006 Eventually I registered as a freelancer at the Chamber of Commerce and began working for Stripped event managers, an organization that arranges assignments for freelancers. This is how I was pleased to meet Tinker. At the busy period at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, I came to work on an interim basis at Tinker to assist in the production of a number of events. This was how I got to know Tinker imagineers, and was pleased to accept a position as a full-time employee here in May 2007. Now I’m working on a wide range of projects as production assistant. My work at Tinker is extremely varied – from the organization of major events like ‘Live Earth Alert’ to exhibitions in museums. This makes it a valuable, informative and really enjoyable experience for me. |
eddie
westbroek
Creative Consultant
As a child of ten I spent days in the huge, dark cellar under our house. I was busily conceiving and creating a haunted house there. There were enormous spiders’ webs made of sticky paper, moveable bats on ingeniously fabricated threads, a skeleton of luminous paint, and the mysterious, atmospheric music of Saint-Saëns. I experienced many magical moments in this realm of demons and ghosts, and assembling the many dark shapes and forms gave me just as much pleasure when my family ultimately paid them a terrifying visit.
Since then I have always tried to create new worlds in my work. As an Internet creative I could develop many virtual landscapes, and as a concept developer I was able to bring the identities of brands to life.
All these dreamt-up worlds also contributed to a growing craving for travelling. So it was that I came to live in Paris, and eventually spent seven years in Stockholm. I worked there for Swedish television, and helped people to make films from their own stories and their own worlds.
Each time the world looks different. And yet each time I discover that all worlds are alike in many ways. In that every world arises from a desire. And in that every desire wants to be given shape and form. And that it gives me pleasure to help in giving it that shape and form.
So it also makes me happy to be able to work at Tinker as creative consultant. And now I’m given the opportunity every day to realize dreamt-up worlds. |
li
hoekstra
As Project Manager I execute and coordinate principally 3D projects at Tinker.
Born (1978) and bred in Eemnes, schooled in Bilthoven and formed in Amsterdam. After a foundation course in Leisure Management at Hogeschool Holland, I received my Bachelor’s degree in Art History at the University of Amsterdam, where I also graduated with a dual Master’s in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies in 2006. I wrote my thesis on change processes in metropolitan museums, which included a comparison of the Amsterdam Historical Museum and the Museum of London.
Within my three years at the Amsterdam Historical Museum I had become a Project Manager. I was responsible for a wide range of projects, including a new introductory hall for the museum: ‘The Departure Lounge’. I was also responsible for the coordination and management of the museum’s permanent collection.
January 2008: started at Tinker. I currently specialize in the museum field, but Tinker offers excellent opportunities for me to develop myself further, both within this field and elsewhere. I aspire to run projects that respond to and take advantage of popular trends, both in the form of presentations and in the area of events. I enjoy collaborating with a wide range of people from various companies and disciplines, and see this as a way of broadening my horizons. |
joost
van der spek
Content Developer
1974 Born in The Hague during the Football World Cup. Grew up surrounded by books, cassette tapes and LPs. Luckily woods and sand dunes weren’t far away for mud and fresh air. Playing on and around the bunkers from the Second World War probably gave me my first awareness of history. All the same, at the time I wanted to be a cook or a farmer.
1992 Studying in Utrecht Would it be History or Languages? Humanities was the predominant course of study for people with a broad range of interests who couldn’t choose between them. Via English, Spanish, Art History, Linguistics and Literature, I ended up majoring in Economic and Social History, the last department at the university where Marx was taken seriously.
1996 Work placement at the Haagsche Courant newspaper Here my interest in history met a love for great stories. It’s not for nothing that storia in Italian means both ‘story’ and ‘history’. A good story as the ultimate goal.
2000 Text & Content After months of looking for work in Italy, it was time to generate some income. A lack of interesting jobs led me to start my own business. Under the banner of Text & Content I was able to spend more than nine years telling lots of great stories. Most of the projects had a historical flavour: books, articles, a game, a TV programme. But they also included journalistic assignments, a cookbook, report writing and commercial copywriting.
2006 & 2008 Rafel and Govert Two sons, and life has new meaning.
2009 Tinker Not really looking for a job, until I read the ad describing the opening at Tinker for a Content Developer. It felt like time for something new. And that’s what it became. |
paul
van houten
3D Designer |
wendy
buijsse
Project Manager. Co-developing the concepts and ideas, testing them out in practice, then monitoring them, and finally turning them into reality.
1975: Born on February 12th in the hospital in Hoorn. Grew up on a farm in Middenmeer in the Wieringermeerpolder. Cycling like crazy through all kinds of weather, and riding towards the wide horizon on my pony. Building huts in the straw, in the bushes, on the ground, in stacks of sugar beet, and under the billiards table in the games room. Once I’d finished high school, the polder had become too small and too limited. High time to check out the city. There could be no doubt: I was heading for Amsterdam.
1993: Studied History for one-and-a-half years at the University of Amsterdam, in preparation for moving on to cultural studies. But alas, university education was wasted on me. After working full time for another half year half in the Amsterdam catering sector, I returned to the world of study.
1995: I took the higher vocational education route, to the Hogeschool Holland in Diemen, to study Culture and Social Policy. During this time I continued to work in the catering sector, the last years of which at Winston Kingdom, eventually as manager.
2000: Via a tip from the Winston toilet attendant, I found the right place for an internship as I completed my studies at Cultuurfabriek. And during my work experience there I was offered a job, which I gratefully accepted. Cultuurfabriek conceives, produces and communicates about change meetings, special events and cultural productions, in unconventional ways and in unconventional locations. After my internship, I began working there as a project assistant, and eventually became a project manager, focusing on the staging of productions throughout. And after almost 8 years it was time to spread my wings again and to develop myself further in another environment.
2008: And I think that’s happening very successfully at Tinker. |
nine
geertman
Graphic Designer
1976 born in Arnhem, grew up in various villages around Nijmegen 1995 Higher General Secondary Education (HAVO) diploma 1995-1996 au-pair Dublin, Ireland 1996 start Academy of Industrial Design Eindhoven (now Design Academy) 2000 break in studies to work in slum areas of Nairobi 2002 work placement in set design for theatre group Het Monsterverbond (‘The Monstrous Alliance’) 2003 Design Academy diploma 2004 moved to Utrecht, and began as freelance designer 2007 work placement in graphic design for the Wrik design agency 2008 began at Tinker
At primary and secondary school I was often busy with my hands, and played saxophone in several bands. While choosing the subjects I would study for my HAVO diploma I knew one thing for certain: some manual skills had to be involved. I can still remember well that when visiting my secondary school student counsellor I saw a brochure from the Academy of Industrial Design (now the Design Academy). What appealed to me was that it didn’t just involve creating something attractive, but also reflecting on what this would mean to others, what the social meaning would be.
During my studies I was always looking for the added value of design. The further I progressed with my studies, the more I got the feeling that there was already enough ‘stuff’. That’s why I took a break to work in Nairobi. After my studies I took on assignments as a freelancer for theatre and festivals. Designing and fabricating sets (I still like to have a circular saw in my hands), promotional campaigns, house styles. Now I’m doing more and more graphic design work, and I’m enjoying that a lot.
At Tinker I think I’ve found the perfect combination between good design and content. After all, a message only really succeeds in coming across with the right design.
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kas
van der linden
Creative Consultant |
quirine
van wieringen
3D Designer
1980: born in Amsterdam
1992-2000: growing up in Aalsmeer During my time at secondary school I knew one thing for sure: after my pre-university education I wanted to continue to study, live in student housing and join a rowing club.
2000: new city, new people No sooner said than done: I’m living in student housing in Delft, I’m rowing, and I’ve chosen to study Architecture at the Technical University – this discipline, involving both creativity and technical insight, seemed to me to be the perfect combination.
2002: study switch After successfully completing my Architecture Foundation Course it became clear to me that this was still not quite the right choice of study for me. The switch to Industrial Design was quickly made. Here I found what I’d been looking for: designing tangible products, interaction with the user and the more refined detailing fired my imagination more strongly.
2006: designing exhibitions During my Masters in Industrial Design I realized that it was exactly the combination of three-dimensional design of Architecture and designing at the product level that I found most interesting. This led to my interest in designing exhibitions. In order to be able to develop myself further in this discipline, I took on a half-year work placement at the Kossmann.dejong design agency.
2007: Villa Zebra While studying I worked at Villa Zebra, a museum for children in Rotterdam. Here I did graphics work and gave workshops.
2008: graduation! For my graduation project I had defined a design exercise whereby both three-dimensional and technical product aspects came to the fore. This began with research for the IVN (the Association for Nature and Environmental Education) into the communication of information in visitors’ centres in nature reserves in the Netherlands. As a result of this research I designed an interactive information facility that would create a richer experience of nature for visitors.
2008-2010: Kossmann.dejong Following my graduation I went straight to work at Kossmann.dejong. I worked here on a wide range of interior and exhibition projects. After having worked here for 2 years it was time for a new challenge:
2010: Tinker imagineers
The most interesting aspect of designing exhibitions for me is the dialogue between content and design. The core question in this is how you ensure that the story that you want to tell comes across to the visitor.
A visitor can acquire information by reading a book or by using the Internet. An exhibition goes further: by using several different media, several senses can be addressed and stimulated. In this way, the three-dimensional experience becomes an enduring memory.
Every exhibition requires its own three-dimensional translation, using various means and taking the design, target group and location into consideration. In my opinion, a visit to an exhibition must be a unique experience that the visitor does not quickly forget.
At Tinker I have the opportunity to develop myself further in this multifaceted discipline.
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myrthe
van der linden
Office Assistant
Came into the world in 1972 in Leiden, the city where my parents studied and met each other. Then I climbed the trees, built huts, tinkered around and played tennis and hockey while growing up in the oh-so-green Groenekan (1974-1991). Until I went to secondary school, in Utrecht. And Utrecht is my great love. Since then I’ve only left the city for an adventure as an au pair in Paris (1995) and some beautiful travel (Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and Central America). And training courses enough, from training as a teacher of French (1991-1995), Schoevers PR assistant (1996) to Personnel and Work (2003-2007).
I began my working life as a secretary at Bureau Jeugdzorg (1996), followed by a communications agency and management assistant/tutor at the Utrecht School of the Arts. Then came my HR career (2002) at the Post, Arbo Unie and the Rabobank. Different companies, meeting lots of nice people, seeing lots of things and learning even more. Including ultimately arriving at the discovery that the Human Resources phenomenon is really interesting, but for me not the role itself, nor the form and environment within which I wanted to pursue my career. I preferred to give ‘Human Resources’ my own interpretation, and focus on the uniqueness of the ‘human sources’.
And that’s possible at Tinker, because here I find a source of inspiration; a place where I can both make arrangements for and have contact with a wide range of people and companies. It goes without saying: for me, making arrangements and people are inseparably bound up with one another, and together form a leitmotiv in everything I do. We call that a rode draad, or ‘red thread’ in Dutch, but in this case I’m pleased to say that that thread has now become pleasantly ‘green’.
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philip
kraaijkamp
Financial Administration Assistant |
vivian
lust
Office Manager
Born in 1978 in Rotterdam, the big city that my parents were soon to leave for Huissen, a town just outside Arnhem. After 6 years of cycling over the dyke, I completed my grammar school time here.
I have always known that I wanted to work in a creative environment, but at that time it was not yet clear to me how. While picking grapes and travelling around Australia, I made the decision to follow a Bachelor in Creative Communication in Rotterdam. The perfect combination of thinking creatively with others while learning to master the organizational side. Participating in an exchange programme with the Bachelor Marketing and Advertising in London, gave me the opportunity to discover the city. Work placement at the Winkelman & Van Hessen PR agency during Euro 2000. A unique experience that made me realize how essential it is to have a feeling for the product. My thesis at the Red Cross therefore suited me perfectly.
I had the feeling that I was still not quite completely ready for working life, and spent 6 months travelling around the world. A new area of study was awaiting my return home, and a new city: Language and Culture Studies in Utrecht. With the goal of completing my Master’s in Film and Television Studies. Here I found the challenge that had been missing from my previous studies – the theories proved to be a lot meatier! Now I was ready for the labour market, and Utrecht had definitely become my town.
Via a work placement position at the television programme House Vision, I found myself at IDTV, and I continued to work there for a number of programmes before working for the Events & Concepts department. And what a great feeling it is to work with a team to create an event! At Tinker I think I’ve found exactly what suits me: a new challenge in an inspiring and creative work environment with appealing projects. |
maina
van ierland
office assistant |
