BACK TO SCHOOL WITH... DÉRIVE #1
SESSION #1: POWER STRUCTURES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
The first in a series of three evenings curated by Hedwig van der Linden and Kevin Westerveld of Dérive about the spatial and cultural impacts of digital technologies, with writer and researcher Paola Verhaert. Taking place on Tuesday 20 October 2026, 18:00 - 22:00. Tickets available here
Tickets for individual evenings are €17.50. A three-evening package is available for €45. All tickets include a simple dinner before the lecture. Dinner is served from 18:00–19:00, and the event starts at 19:00.
POWER STRUCTURES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
In this series of Back to School with..., we examine how digital technologies are reshaping the built environment, and how these transformations influence the ways we inhabit and experience it. How are digital technologies influencing the way our cities function, how they are imagined, represented, and designed? What does it mean for the way environments are produced, consumed, and understood? By examining the relationships between power, representation, and space, this series aims to develop a better and critical understanding of the (post)digital condition and encourage possibilities for imagining alternative futures.
On this first evening we will dive into the broader topic of digital technology, exploring its power structures and the regulations around big tech and AI in relation to our urban surroundings. The evening starts with an introduction by Hedwig and Kevin on the series, followed by a lecture by writer and researcher Paola Verhaert.
About the speakers
Paola Verhaert
Paola Verhaert is a Brussels-based digital rights researcher and writer who has been exploring the social and political impact of digital technologies for over ten years. In addition, she supports and advises civil society organisations and governments on the responsible use of technology and data. Her book, titled ‘Technology is political: The battle for digital justice’, was published with Letterwerk in November 2025. This book is a philosophical and practical introduction to the concept of digital justice. In 2024, she was appointed as 'Scherpsteller,' a biyearly honour awarded to an upcoming and inspiring thinker by the Flemish-Dutch house of literature and debate deBuren and the Hannah Arendt Instituut.
Hedwig van der Linden & Kevin Westerveld
Hedwig and Kevin are founders of Dérive - an urban practice, based in Brussels and Rotterdam. They operate at the intersection of architecture, public space, and spatial strategy, seeking synergy between conceptual thinking and co-creative practice by creating space for dialogue and local coalitions – consciously starting from the qualities and resources of existing habitats.
Session #1
20 October 2026
18:00 – 19:00 Doors open and dinner served
19:00 – 19:10 Welcome by Independent School for the City
19:10 – 19:40 Introduction by Hedwig van der Linden and Kevin Westerveld of Dérive
19:40 – 20:30 Lecture by Paola Verhaert
20:30 - 21:00 Conversation between speakers and audience
21:00 Drinks and aftertalk