What is the Networks Festival?
Across a whole month, thousands of people from around the world came together both online and offline to deepen our understanding of how we leverage relationships to transform our world – and practice doing it together.
The networks festival is a mixture of exhibitions, interactive workshops, local field trips, and collaborative games all about how we amplify social change through networks.
With network leaders, funders, governments, and changemakers, we shared cutting-edge strategies and tools, amplified stories demonstrating network's extraordinary power to achieve social change, and fostered new connections to nourish longer-term exchange and collaboration.
Why a Networks Festival?
1
1000's of networks around the globe are driving deep, systemic change
Every day, we experience their impacts across governments, companies, civil society, and academia.
2
There is an incredible wealth of experience on how networks can (and do) change our world
The impact networks field has made great strides – and there are a plethora of tools and approaches to support this work.
3
But the vast majority of networks are underfunded, disconnected & misunderstood
Stories remain untold. Tools and techniques are not commonly known. And funding remains scarce.
The networks festival leverages our deep trove of knowledge and experience to strengthen practice, increase much-needed funding and support, foster new cross-network collaborations for systemic change.
Who is the Festival For?
Anyone curious about how we can amplify collaborative innovation through movements, cooperatives, networks, and community-action groups, including:
Leaders & Coordinators
of movements, networks & cooperatives looking to mature their change strategies
Funders & Governments
seeking to spark and scale systemic change change around the globe
Curious Changemakers
eager to leverage relationships for deep social change
Changemaking through Play
In our experience, some of the most meaningful social change happens when people have fun together.
By centering "play", the Networks Festival:
→ Sparks imagination around new ways of living and working
→ Connects us across diverse cultures and contexts
→ Breaks down barriers around power and equity
→ Brings joy, celebration, and fun!
Playful Formats at the Festival
hands-on learning network skills and techniques
Workshops
Zone
movements, networks & funders discover what is possible together
Obstacle Courses
collaborative spaces to shift more funding to networks
Pitch
Tent
diverse perspectives that reframe our approaches to change
Kaleidoscopes
interactive displays of relational-based technologies
Tech
Corner
pauses for individual and collective care
Wellbeing Lounge
Agenda!
May - June 2024
Our distributed group of co-creators – the Festival Composers – are currently defining the agenda based on deep listening to the field.
Events will be added in April, but for now here is a taste of what we're considering!
Funding Social Movements
How can funders strengthen systemic action by supporting connections across networks?
Localizing Philanthropy
How can funders support decentralized decision-making structures for grassroots and indigenous communities?
Network Mapping
How can we collectively map impact networks to identify synergies, overlaps, and partnerships?
Scaling through Networks
What do we know about scaling and how it happens, and why are networks critical pieces of the puzzle?
Feminist Movements
What strategies and tactics are movements leveraging for gender equity – and how is it being funded?
Decentralized Leadership
How can we steward decentralized leadership structures to foster self-organization across an impact network?
AI for Weaving
How can emergent tech enable the development of resilient impact networks in ethical ways?
Indigenous Wisdom
How can we valorize indigenous knowledge, strategies, and systems to strengthen collaborative ecosystems?
Assessing Ecosystems
How do we capture and measure social impact when it happens across many networks and movements?
Pitch Practice
Watch as network leaders practice pitching their network story and impact to funders – and get live feedback!
Migration Networks
How can we strengthen and connect networks to enable more equitable human rights for migrants?
Network Platforms
How can I select the right technology and create a buzzing experience for my network?
Healing Systems
How may we transform collective, inter-generational and systemic trauma into possibilities for systemic transformation?
Happy Money
How can impact networks effectively create collective budgeting and money distribution systems?
Funder Networks
How can intermediary funders, giving circles, and funder networks become powerful leverage points for shifting the funding landscape?
Coordinating an Impact Network
Why is the hidden “grunt work” of coordination so important, and how can we do it well?