Rik Lander is maker of interactive and participatory media currently focussing on conversational systems. The DCRC funded I am Echoborg (2016-present) is a theatre experience created afresh each time by an audience in conversation with an artificial intelligence. Based on a social psychology concept, it exemplifies a powerful way to facilitate meaningful audience agency within the event. This has led to an NIHR funded project into using similar methods to improve self-care in people with type 2 diabetes.

Rik started out as a video artist in the 1980’s as half of Scratch Video makers, the Duvet Brothers. Alongside a career as a director in TV, he has made a series of interactive and participatory installations, web narratives and theatrical experiences. He teaches part-time at UWE.