Prof. dr. Gerben J. Westerhof - Steering committee member & supervisor

Gerben J. Westerhof works as professor of narrative psychology and technology at the University of Twente in Enschede. He studies how personal stories contribute to the life course development of identity, mental health and well-being. Theories from positive psychology and gerontology contribute to a better understanding of the role of stories. Technology supports people in creating and sharing stories about their lives, such as in digital life books or in online therapy. Technology supports researchers in analyzing how stories are expressed in everyday life, such as in the expression of emotions or in conversations between therapists and clients.\Westerhof is involved in the project as a steering committee member and supervisor of Shailoh Phillips and Marike Geurts.

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Westerhof is involved in the project as a steering committee member and supervisor of Shailoh Phillips and Marike Geurts.

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Dr. Anneke Sools - Supervisor & research advisor

Anneke Sools is Associate Professor in Narrative Change Research at the department of Psychology, Healthand Technology at the University of Twente. She is co-director of the Storylab,an interdisciplinary research group for narrative research and practice in theNetherlands. Sools won the AERA early career award from the narrative-SIG(2018). Her research focuses on narrative and art-based approaches to futureimaginaries in the context of transition and crisis. She is on the editorialboard of Methods in Psychology, and in the advisory boards of Narrareand the Association for Narrative Research and Practice.

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In the project, Sools is involved as Shailoh Phillips supervisor.

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Shailoh Phillips - PhD Candidate

Shailoh Phillips is artist,educator, and researcher with over 20 years of experience in community-based,transdisciplinary projects, addressing urgent social and ecological challenges. Her work centers on supporting individuals and communities through major transitions, navigating the space between stories during personal and collective crises. She works with cycles of life and death, cultivating compassion, creativity, critical engagement and the capacity for transformative action in the face of catastrophes, near and far.

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After studying Cultural Anthropology, Philosophy, Cultural Analysis,and Interaction Design (University of Amsterdam, Humboldt UniversityBerlin), she obtained an MA in Education in Arts MA (2017, Piet Zwart Institute). Her interest in un/learning also extends to her teaching and facilitating practice, offering experimental artistic research and embodied theory-in-practice courses in art schools across the Netherlands, including Rietveld Academy, Willem de Kooning Academy, Artez, KABK, and Design Academy Eindhoven.

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Over the years, she contributed to dozens of gatherings, symposia, participatory action, community art, and research projects, including documentary films, and interactive games (VPRO, Submarine, Tools for Action, Critical Making Consortium). For over a decade, she helped develop and implement media arts education programs for museums and schools (Kunstgebouw, Rijksmuseum, Pier K).

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In addition to working within existing cultural infrastructures, they activelycontribute to creating and maintaining collective platforms. These include Kostgewonnen (since 2008), Salwa (since 2015), Floating Utopias (since 2018), and Quelcayya/Reschooling (since 2024).

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Shailoh explores the role of arts in society, focusing specifically on how education can contribute to systemic change, collective resilience and transformative action in the face of crisis.

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Within this research project, Shailoh’s PhD research focuses on the role of curatorialand pedagogical practices in supporting people with advanced incurable cancer through Art-Based Learning.