PROGRAMME 27 DECEMBER

★ Lecture 'How does attention work?' by Stefan van der Stigchel (in Dutch)

When: 6.30-7.00 | 7.30-8.00 | 8.30-9.00 p.m.
Where: inside of the Diaconate building, entrance at Nieuwe Herengracht 18

Billboards, Facebook notifications, and traffic lights: our eyes are bombarded with visual information every day. But what determines what grabs our attention and what we ignore? Stefan van der Stigchel discusses how we process information, why our eyes see more than we actually register, and what implications this has for everyday life. Attention is a fragile thing that can be easily disrupted by the beep of a smartphone. How can you defend yourself against such distractions? This talk delves into the workings of attention.

Stefan van der Stigchel is Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Utrecht University. He leads the AttentionLab research group, which investigates how attention and visual awareness together shape our perception of the world. In addition to his scientific publications, Stefan is author of popular science books, such as ‘How Attention Works’ and ‘Concentration’, with his latest work, ‘Learning to See Better’, recently published. His books are released internationally by, amongst others, MIT Press.

♫ Music by Andrew Laureth

When: 6.30-9.00 p.m.
Where: in the tent opposite of Dignita Hoftuin

Emotion flowing along melodic lines, with the richness of simplicity, both intimate and captivating: this is the best way to describe the music of Brazilian singer-songwriter Andrew Laureth. In 2024, he celebrates his ten-year anniversary as a solo artist. Throughout his career, he has released three albums and toured for years across Brazil and Europe, sharing the stage with artists such as Nando Reis, Natiruts, and Marcos Almeida.

Admission to the Light Garden Fridays programme is free. In collaboration with: Protestantse Diaconie, VU Amsterdam, University of Utrecht, Citykerk Amsterdam and various speakers and musicians.