About​

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BEYOND 2025: Being Many is a call to actionable hope in perilous times. Uncertainties shape our present and future, fueled by growing democratic erosion, shifting political landscapes, ongoing violent conflicts and the escalating climate emergency. In this context, can the cultural sector take the lead in participatory governance and collective action? What does inclusive cultural leadership look like in our shared pursuit of resistance and transformation?

 

BEYOND 2025: Being Many invites us to rethink traditional notions of leadership and seeks to uncover alternative, empathetic and sustainable practices that thrive in uncertainty. At its core, the gathering embraces intersectionality, intergenerational perspective and collective approaches. BEYOND 2025: Being Many will explore diverse learning experiences, showcase bold and unconventional ways of governance and explore a possible paradigm for cultural democracy. Join us in being many - to imagine, inspire, and be the change!

 

BEYOND 2025: Being Many will embrace un-conferencing by nurturing a participatory environment that encourages dialogue and collaboration. The program will blend keynotes and panel conversations with interactive workshops, capacity-building sessions, and site visits to local cultural initiatives. To break away from traditional conference formats, we aim to slow down the pace and allow for deeper reflection and meaningful exchanges. Networking opportunities will be integrated throughout, creating informal spaces for connection and collaboration.

 

The gathering experience will evolve around three key threads:

 

How to Be Many

Through project showcases, experience-sharing, workshops, and site visits, we will explore how others embrace being many - whether by amplifying community voices, fostering intergenerational dialogue, creating space for collective creativity, rethinking governance models, enhancing sustainability, or driving joint advocacy.

 

The Joy of Being Many

These sessions are rooted in generosity, care, and trust. Through collective intelligence and intergenerational work, we will foster peer support, and strengthen connections and solidarity.

 

Harnessing Many Ideas

We will create spaces dedicated to bold, unconventional thinking, featuring diverse formats to explore innovative ideas.