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Incredible Festival of Ideas

This is an archived project description

This information is provided to help illustrate the range of work UCVR has been involved in.

21st – 24th June, 2018

The Incredible Festival of Ideas was a collaborative community festival across the Calder Valley from Todmorden to Halifax on summer solstice weekend 2018.

The festival explored contemporary radical ideas in action including urban agriculture, community asset transfer, natural capital, community-led action and decision making, volunteer-led urban development, and kindness-inspired activism. The festival marked 15 years of the UCVR as catalyst for regeneration and community ownership. The festival also celebrated the first ten years of Incredible Edible Todmorden, the birthplace of a global movement of community-building through growing and sharing food.

Over four days of events, the festival created space across the valley for people to share inspiration, ideas, offer solutions, and to dream and imagine the future of the places we call home.

The festival themes were:

  • Placemaking
  • Resilience
  • Food – Waste and sustainability
  • Creativity
  • Exploration
  • Kindness

Festival events included: Conferences on the themes of Resilience and Placemaking, with inspirational speakers. Activist Sessions to share ideas, questions and dreams about the future. There were valley guided walks, cycle rides, talks, feasts and music, to enjoy and celebrate the hidden treasures of Upper Calder Valley together. The festival coincided with Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, Handmade Parade and The Great Get Together (in memory of Jo Cox, MP)

The UCVR’s role was to both organise the Resilience conference and to act as the accountable body for the funding. However, one of the most amazing things was that the funding required was minimal as the theme of ‘Kindness’ prompted many people and organisations to donate time and resources for nothing.

Incredible Festival of Ideas pages

Incredible Festival of Ideas
‘All Things Resilience’ Conference

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