'Bliksem en Donderdag, A Thursday Enlightening Event is a new stage on which makers, thinkers, doers and dreamers can share, test and accelerate their ideas, together with kindred spirits and insiders', as it is formulated by the initiators: TU/e, the VPRO Medialab (established at Strijp-S), Baltan Laboratories, the High Tech Campus and the Stichting Cultuur Eindhoven (Eindhoven Culture Foundation). 

TU/e staff executive Joep Huiskamp, who is involved in the initiative on behalf of the university, emphasizes that this is not the umpteenth Eindhoven innovation or tech-talk show or lecture series. He explains that the emphasis is on the interaction with the public and on connecting people who can help each other make progress.

The program features pitches of five minutes each. "The subject is: who are you, what are you doing, what is your drive? And: what obstacles are you facing, what kind of questions do you have, what could help you? Members of the audience can react at once and make suggestions." 

The initiators hope that they can organize such a night every two, three months. During next Thursday’s first edition the stage will be occupied among others by representatives of the TU/e teams STORM Eindhoven and Blue Jay, and by Master student of Industrial Design Tove Elfferich, who won the Social Design Talent Award for her final project around refugees. 

Bliksem en Donderdag will begin in De Kazerne (Paradijslaan 3) at 20.00 hours , doors open as of 19.30 hours. Access is free, registration is desired. The working language will be English.