 is back! Are you a playful artist, a game maker or a creative coder based in Overijssel, looking for a community, mentors and material support? This is for you! 



 program from Sickhouse, supporting the making of an 

. You will get the support of professional mentors, visit exhibitions, join meet-ups and festivals and meet other professionals and studios from around the world. Every month you will organise a game night with your selection of playful projects, you will get the chance to present the progress of your work and collect feedback from different crowds. In November 2025, you will present your project at The Overkill festival.

SickProd was created to foster the game maker community of our region and create a chain of opportunities for local young talents within an international network.  
In 2023 we supported the development and release of 

, a narrative game from Shaman Garage, young studio from Enschede (NL) and Madrid (SP). Together we went to 

 in Hilversum and many other places. 

TO APPLY is super easy!



Add a portfolio (or some links), a CV and a motivation later.
If you have questions you can mail Marie at marie@sickhouse.nl or join our 

 channel to meet the community.

What we ask from you/ your studio :

- Being 

 for meetings, presentations, makers meet-up and excursions.
- 

 an interactive and playful project at The Overkill
- 

 the playful community of Enschede

What we give you access to :

- Professional support from playful curator Zuraida Buter and the Sickhouse team.
- Regular 

Test / Feedback sessions with diverse crowds


- A monthly fee of 250€ between February and November 2025
- 

 (tbd) to present the gaming experience in November at The Overkill festival 2025.
- Access to an 

The selection committee is led by Sickhouse co-directors Marie Janin and is constituted of Co-director Aike Lütkemöller, mentor Zuraida Buter and alumni and colliders coordinator Pablo San Gregorio. 
The committee is considering the playfulness of the work, the implication of the artist/maker in the local scene, the potential of development of the project.
The committee will study all the applications and discuss in a meeting the relevance of their 3 favourite choices, based on the criteria mentioned above. 
-----


SICKPROD OPEN CALL 2025

The Newsletter of January is out! To get it in your mail directly you can sign up here : 

January is now over and it was a beautiful start for the year. We had an emotional launch of Bella Luna’s music video, we played werewolves of Millers Hollow after the very fun screening of 

 and we hosted an amazing Geluidsdrug Electronic jamsession! Let's look into the coming weeks and the busy February, with the very special 5th anniversary of Sickhouse to come and the launch of our new website, the return of MuSickMix and a very cool collab with The FemDem!!




In February, Sickhouse will exist for five years. Time to celebrate! On 

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th of February,

 we will host a two day hybrid celebration, with workshops, games and live music.
It is also the launch of our new website. Created by 

 our website is becoming an online Sickhouse, with our calendars and news but also direct access to our livestream, virtual spaces, archives and community. The artistic theme of the website will also be visible in the analogue Sickhouse building, creating a bridge between the two spaces!


In 2023 we are finally ready to present longer period exhibitions and we are starting with the wonderful Anne Horel (gif above)!

Together with the French digital artist, we dive into social media platforms as we would in a rainbow version of the swamp. Following the show created for the 

 in France, Sickhouse is challenging Anne Horel to put her work out of the screens. Playful and looking for bridges to build between the digital and physical, she will investigate 3D printing, ceramics, nail art, hair design and more, as potential crafts to translate her work.
From the end of March to June expect an incredible retropspective with many interactive events events. Save the date for the opening on 24&25 of March.

In the summer we are inviting a movie maker to invade the space and before we end the year with The Overkill Festival, we will be welcoming young talents and their VR research. More to be announced!



With the support of the Gemeente Enschede, we're developing 3 participative trajectories to welcome and engage more with the younger part of our community.


will be focusing on film making, which will take the shape of a summer camp where young creatives will be invited to make a film from scratch, with the support of professionals.



 is opening a gamer community around the creative process of a local studio. The young players are invited to join-in the making of the game and participate into test and feedback sessions, studio visits and interviews. (see open call below)

- "

Character and World Building Through TTRPG"

 is focusing on young TTRPG-players to offer them space, inspiration and technical support in their appropriation of the game. From character building to improv, from 3D printing to cosplay, and much more!


# TALK + WORKSHOP
# 19:30

This year, we are collaborating with the Architecture Center Twente to engage in a discussion about the future of Enschede.

 wants to explore these issues by inviting professionals dealing with urban development for an introduction and then looking at the various issues together with involved residents, organizations and stakeholders.

For

, ‘City architect’ for the Municipality of Enschede, to provide an introduction. She will talk about her experiences with the city and the developments to come. 

 (co-directors Sickhouse) will react to Jessica’s presentation, sharing how they see the city. Reflecting on the impact of technology on the urban realm and what they think is important from the cultural sector to thrive.

 to explore the future of Enschede together, where your input is needed. We will use visualising tools such as strings, lego and play-doh to think the future of our city in groups

In order to participate please register via 


# WORKSHOP + SCREENING + TALK + OPEN DEK
# 13:00



 join forces to support females who have the ambition to DJ! On Saturday the 18th of Feb we will help you make your first moves behind the decks. We invited 

 collective over for a DJ workshop, a screening of their docu " EQ the industry" a talk with 

, moderated by Simone Dekker and an open dek!
The registration for the workshop are closed, but joining the screening, the talk and the open dek is open for everyone. The screening starts at 14.30.



 and Sickhouse are looking into bringing more guests to make this event a regular one, where womxn can meet, share and play together.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FUTURE TALK (together with Architectuur Centrum Enschede) / 

CINEMA OBSCURA - Creature of the Black Lagoon / 

 // MuSickMIX with Alice Dee - Beter Leven & more / 

SICKHOUSE 5 YEARS BIRTHDAY - hybrid celebration

NEWSLETTER February 2023

In 2023 Sickhouse starts a new program to support the creative process of local independent and/or arthouse gaming makers/studios!

(By local we mean working in Overijssel or close enough and able to work from Sickhouse and join our events on a regular basis.)

We are looking for indie/arthouse game maker(s) interested to work with us in exchange for :

Professional support from our mentor, Zuraida Buter, including brainstorm sessions, interviews with other professionals, studio visits and festival/exhibition tours

Tests / Feedback sessions with a young public. (A young gamers and art curious community will be associated to this trajectory to support the development of the game experience.)

A monthly fee of 250€ between march and december 2023

A production fee to present the gaming experience at The Overkill festival 2023

The studio/maker(s) to program one game night a month, meaning selecting indie games to present at Sickhouse for the public to play.

The selection obviously is expected to support the research of the gaming studio. (from local makers to international creatives. Our mentor will help the studio invite these guests and the Sickhouse team will produce the events).

The studio/maker(s) to present a gaming experience at The Overkill festival 2023

>> You are not from the gaming field (yet) but you have a relevant artistic experience and you really want to create your first game/gaming experience? We are interested too! Don't hesitate to mail Marie with your question and/or apply before the 12 February!

Zuraida Buter is an award-winning playful culture and playful arts curator based in the Netherlands.

 She curates, initiates, consults and documents events focused on playful culture and games. With her international network she brings people together for creation and playful experiences.

As a curator she is involved in curating talks, play and game exhibitions at different festivals, events and institutes such as Incubate, Tweetakt and De Brakke Grond in the Netherlands and Screenshake, IndieCade Europe and A.MAZE. / Berlin abroad. With Women in Games NL (WiGNL) she aims to stimulate diversity in the game industry.

Previously she initiated Dutch indie game showcase INDIGO in the Netherlands as well as the popular DGG network lunches as project manager at Dutch Game Garden (2008-2010). She was worldwide Executive Director of the Global Game Jam (2010-2014) and founding board member of Global Game Jam, Inc.

To apply for this trajectory, please send Marie (

A CV with your game maker experience (if you apply as a studio please mention all the team)

A motivation letter explaining how this trajectory could support your creative process

A portfolio with links to projects you are proud of

If you have a question don’t hesitate to send an email to ask.

Open call Indie/arthouse game makers