ECHOBEACH

Introduction
echobeach Now
The Future

In 2025, a group of artists emerges on social media who believe that the time for change has come. Big Tech does not yet control the entire internet, one small part still holds out. There, they collaborate on open-source applications within an open social network, where communities call the shots rather than companies and shareholders. The core values are ownership and authenticity. Users retain ownership of what they post. Furthermore, they are not subjected to trending content, advertising or political influence via algorithms and AI.
Artists are passionate creators who share many interests. This makes them a suitable ‘user group’ for developing an attractive alternative to existing social media platforms. They have organised themselves as a national artists’ collective, which can be found at echobeach.nl. The platform is based on a Pixelfed server within an open social network. All professional artists in the Netherlands can create an account here. The platform resembles Instagram, and users can import their Instagram archives.
echobeach aims to contribute to the improvement of the open social network. To this end, we will propose ideas for new features and seek funding to have them built by developers. The way in which their work is displayed is of great importance to artists, as is contact with colleagues and the public. However, most artists are not tech-savvy. By taking an active role in the development process, echobeach aims to make platforms accessible to a wider audience than just ‘nerds’, so that everyone has a choice again.
echobeach hopes to support a much-needed, broad-based social movement in this way. We want echobeach to set an example for other groups, including those in other countries. We actively share all our developments and experience to help other groups get started.

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echobeach Now
By July 2026, echobeach will have around 250 accounts, with approximately 100 active each month. This is just a modest start. The platform will only really come to life once 250 accounts are active every month. Once Pixelfed has released a major update that fixes many bugs and adds extra features, we’ll be seeking publicity. We expect this update to be released this summer. As soon as the update has been tested, we will launch the project publicly.

ProcoliX in Dordrecht is sponsoring the server costs until the end of 2027. Over the past year, we have been testing the platform with a group of ‘pioneers’ and have gained experience with our first working group, who are also responsible for admissions. The working group verifies the artist’s identity, assesses their professionalism, and determines whether they can reasonably be expected to adhere to the server’s house rules.
We are currently setting up the echobeach foundation. We have been awarded a grant from CBK Rotterdam to support these initial steps. Lawyer Peter Goes is overseeing the process, particularly the drafting of the articles of association. The foundation will own the project and associated URLs, ensuring it remains a project for and by artists.

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The Future
We have two main objectives. Firstly, we aim to create a fantastic platform that serves the interests of its participants so well that it will attract all 14,500 artists in the Netherlands. Secondly, we hope that the success of our platform will inspire other groups to start their own servers. Specifically, we are thinking of artists in other countries, with the aim of ensuring that every country has its own Pixelfed server owned by the artists. This would also enable collaboration between these servers.
It would be valuable as well to have a Pixelfed server in the Netherlands for cultural organisations such as museums, educational institutions, galleries, publications, and funding bodies.
As soon as the project is properly underway, we will establish a robust and transparent organisation. To make the platform truly effective, we will contribute ideas for useful additional Pixelfed features and seek funding to have these developed.

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