Gentler Futures Festival
Volume 1: Towards Urban Self-Sufficiency

Friday, May 31 (16h00 — 23h00)
Saturday, June 1 (11h00 — 23h00)

A celebration of design as agent of change, design that goes beyond (design) and stimulates a type of transformation that sometimes is (cultural), other times (social), sometimes (economic), and other times (environmental).

Full program and line-up on gentlerfutures.com



About the festival

Gentler Futures Festival is a two‒day event exploring what it means to design today, what are the challenges that twenty‒first century designers face and which legacy they hope to leave behind. To do so, the Festival gathers in one place the designers, makers and architects whose work is shaping the futures we would like to live in: planet‒centred, local‒based, non‒linear and post‒consumerism. The program, featuring hands‒on workshops, talks, temporary exhibitions, screenings and live performances, aims to pose questions, launch provocations and inspire new mindsets.

The theme of the first edition, Towards Urban Self-Sufficiency, provides a glimpse into a future where urban communities are locally productive, instead of passive consumers, and self-sufficient, instead of dependent on far‒away centralised systems. This through the presentation of experimental design and architecture projects whose goal is: decentralising the means of production, imagining alternative non‒linear manufacturing systems, and placing the needs of local communities over profit and economic growth.



About the program

Friday, May 31

16h00 — Workshops
18h00 — Talk session
20h00 — Food, drinks and DJ sets
21h00 — Screenings and performances

Saturday, June 1

11h00 — Workshops
14h00 — Solar brunch
15h00 — Talk session
17h00 — Workshops
20h00 — Food, drinks and DJ sets
21h00 — Screenings and performances

Talks, performances and screenings will be held in English. Workshops will be held in English or in Portuguese depending on the preference of the participants.



About the workshops


01.1 — Lisbon's futures in VR: hands-on AI and VR workshop
Tutor: Megan Ammari (she/her)
Friday, May 31 — 16h00 — Duration: 2 hours
Max. 12 participants — €12

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to explore the concept of a sustainable city and contribute to a collective vision of Lisbon's future while gaining new skills and insights into AI and VR technologies. During the workshop, participants will construct their own VR headsets using eco-friendly materials. They will learn the basics of AI-powered tools to create immersive 360-degree environments that represent future scenarios for Lisbon. The session will cover essential AI concepts, including image recognition and environment simulation, providing hands-on experience in building and applying these technologies in urban sustainability contexts. Participants should bring a 4-6" Android/iOS phone and a laptop with Blender 3.1 or later (you can download Blender for free on blender.org).

Megan Ammari, a designer and AI researcher focuses on creating sustainable, community-driven environments. Her work combines aesthetics and fabrication with social responsibility, reflecting the evolving needs of society.


01.2 — The light of marble: build your own lamp using reclaimed marble
Tutors: Lorenzo Scodeller (he/him), Inês Soares (she/her) at Novonovo
Friday, May 31 — 16h00 — Duration: 2 hours
Max. 15 participants — €25

The workshop provides an immersive experience delving into the often-overlooked transparency and reflective qualities inherent in marble. Contrary to its typical association with weight and solidity, marble is showcased in a dynamic and light-filled context, inviting participants to reimagine its potential. Through hands-on engagement with basic cutting and assembly techniques, and unuseful tools individuals will transform reclaimed marble pieces into striking translucent objects, each bearing its unique character. Building upon this foundation, the integration of LED light components adds a layer of modern functionality, culminating in the creation of custom table lamps. After the workshop, every participant will be able to take home a personalised marble lamp to illuminate their space. No previous experience required. Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for manual activities.

Novonovo facilitates the practice of reuse as an essential tool for sustainable development. This way, we make accessible all materials that retain the qualities necessary for new contexts, such as production surpluses, unused materials, unsold stock, etc. We foster new ways of redistributing materials and preventing them from becoming waste.


01.3 — Elevate and cultivate: growing food together through vertical farming
Tutors: Barbara Arita (she/her), Tiago Sá Gomes (he/him) at Upfarming
Friday, May 31 — 16h00 — Duration: 2 hours
Max. 15 participants — €15

Vertical farming: where do we go from here? The workshop focuses on aeroponic towers and their wider possibilities. Participants will explore the whole process from seed to table, gaining practical insights into growing crops without soil. Beyond agriculture, the workshop aims to stimulate discussions on food sustainability, community engagement and urban wellbeing, using vertical farming as a tool. The hands-on experience will be divided into two parts: first, on May 31, participants will assemble Tower Farms, plant different crops, learn about the technology and how Upfarming uses it in different social projects and contexts. Then, on June 28 (16h00 — 18h00), participants are invited back to watch the plants grow, harvest the crops and share a meal of freshly harvested leaves. These activities offer both practical learning and a platform for reflection and community building. Overall, the workshop’s goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of vertical farming while encouraging dialogue about food and urban living. No previous experience required. The workshop is suitable for everyone from kids to elderly.

Upfarming is an NGO that promotes food literacy, community development, participatory ecology, and well-being in cities through holistic urban agriculture projects. We combine the productivity of vertical agriculture with the therapeutic benefits of community vegetable gardens, composting, and agroforestry in order to create new spaces for meeting, debating, sharing, and living together in the heart of cities.


02.1 — Upcycling organic waste for the built environment
Tutor: Julia Steketee (she/her) at Bagaceira Project
Saturday, June 1 — 11h00 — Duration: 3 hours
Max. 12 participants — €10

Could organic waste from our cities’ restaurant industries be used to create high value materials and products for the built environment? This hands-on workshop will introduce possible approaches to organic waste upcycling and bioplastic development for the urban context. Participants will be working with sugarcane waste, also known as bagasse—one of the world’s most abundant agricultural byproducts. It can be collected from sugar refineries or from local restaurants that serve sugarcane juice. By mixing biopolymers, natural additives, and bagasse, participants will explore how to create low-carbon, non-toxic, biodegradable materials and discuss their possible applications in the urban context. Each participant will be able to try out two different fibre-reinforced bioplastic recipes and create 2D and 3D samples. After the workshop, participants are invited to assemble the bio-based samples into a hanging sculpture in Mouraria Creative Hub. Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for manual activities. Samples needing extra drying time can be retrieved by the participants during the following week.

Bagaceira Project is a material research and design initiative that explores how sugarcane waste (bagasse) can be transformed into materials for the built environment. This abundant fibrous byproduct, collected from restaurants or sugar refineries, can be modified and mixed with natural binders and additives to achieve a variety of different material outcomes for diverse applications for interior design, architecture and beyond.


02.2 — Hempcrete: using hemp in design and construction
Tutors: César Cardoso (he/him), Rute Eires (she/her) at Natura Matéria
Saturday, June 1 — 11h00 — Duration: 3 hours
Max. 15 participants — €15

Hemp within plant fibres is widely recognised as an insulation material with potential for use in construction, due to its thermal and acoustic properties equivalent to conventional insulation materials and better environmental performance. This workshop will be a theoretical and practical training session providing basic knowledge about hemp and hempcrete: their history, legislation, properties and potential use in construction. A technical guide will be provided where participants will learn more about the plant and construction techniques with hempcrete. In the practical component, mixtures of hempcrete will be produced with hemp shavings, fibre waste, lime and additions, which will be used to produce samples. This workshop is an opportunity for participants to delve into material experimentation, learning how to make the material mixes and recipes through a hands-on approach. Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for manual activities.

Natura Matéria is a spinoff of the University of Minho that provides consulting services and sells construction products that respect the new market requirements, in terms of sustainability, based on the concept of circular economy and healthy housing.


02.3 — Slow kitchen: cooking with solar and human energy + Solar brunch
Tutors: Audrey Belliot Darmon (she/her) at Slow Lab, Marie Verdeil (she/her)
Saturday, June 1 — 11h00 — Duration: 4 hours
Max. 15 participants — €15

How to prepare and preserve food using a free and unlimited source of energy? Taking advantage of Lisbon’s sunny conditions, this workshop invites participants to “cook with the weather”. Through a low-tech installation, participants will discover how to create tools to harvest renewable energy, such as solar power and human force, and set up a slow kitchen, experimenting with different devices to convert sunlight into heat. In this hands-on and immersive workshop, participants will learn how solar cooking works, how to use different types of solar ovens, and how to include these practices in their daily lives: use cases; safety measures; advantages; solar cooking recipes; food preparation; and temperature control. In addition to solar power, participants will be using a bike generator to generate mechanical and electrical energy. At the end of the workshop, participants will prepare a meal with locally grown food and enjoy it together during the Solar brunch. The food will be entirely vegetarian with gluten-free options.

Audrey Belliot (founder of Slow Lab) and Marie Verdeil (designer at Low-tech Magazine) practices focus on imagining desirable ways of living in a less-abundant future. They host solar events, give workshops and design low-tech prototypes. For Gentler Futures Festival, they collaborate in an open format to present experimental prototypes running with the weather.


02.4 — Distributed Design: speculating on alternative futures
Tutors: Olga Trevisan (she/her), Julia Bertolaso (she/her) at Distributed Design Platform
Saturday, June 1 — 11h00 — Duration: 3 hours
Max. 15 participants — free

Distributed Design Platform from Fab Lab Barcelona hosts a co-design workshop to discover and recognise "weak signals." These signals often have minimal present impact but the potential to cause significant impact on future events. A great reason to detect them while they are still weak! We invite you to a playful and imaginative session to expand our minds towards possible new futures. The interdisciplinary session will use future-thinking tools and a collaborative approach to critically reflect on the existing weak signals and co-design a new set of cards. The workshop aims to explore the impact of design practice on our complex present through a practical and hands-on approach. Participants are invited to bring at least one magazine and any printed material that can be cut out.

The Distributed Design Platform was established in 2017, co-funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Union. It brings together a diverse member-base from cultural and creative institutions, providing Europe-wide programming and opportunities to support emerging creatives working in the emerging field of Distributed Design.


03.1 — Exploring the reuse of residues in ceramics
Tutor: Irena Übler (she/her) at Prima Matters
Saturday, June 1 — 17h00 — Duration: 2 hours
Max. 12 participants — €25

The workshop invites participants to explore the reuse of waste material generated during ceramic production and to create new objects out of recycled ceramic clays. Participants will approach the topic under three hands-on phases: a guided exploration of the transformation process (turning ceramic residues into new materials); an experimentation with various clay recipes and compositions; and an open exploration of manual ceramic techniques. Additionally, slip casting moulds will be provided for those interested in experimenting with liquid clays. A selection of the final results will be exhibited during Aveiro 2024 — Portuguese Capital of Culture. After the exhibition, participants will be able to collect their pieces. Please note that the workshop is not intended for beginners: participants should have a basic understanding of how to work with ceramics. Participants are advised to bring an apron or other protective clothing, and encouraged to bring their favourite ceramic tools.

Irena Übler is an independent product designer, maker and material researcher based in Porto, creating unique design solutions for products, raising awareness of sustainable materials and exploring urban territories and creative culture with design. With Prima Matters, the designer focuses on rethinking the use and reuse of materials in a sustainable way and seeking innovative approaches to circular product design.


03.2 — Testing Corner: crafting clay ovens, from concept to creation
Tutor: Julia Bertolaso (she/her) at Testing Corner
Saturday, June 1 — 17h00 — Duration: 2 hours
Max. 10 participants — €10 

Dive into the ancient craft of oven-making in this handbuilding clay workshop. Participants will create their own small-scale oven models, exploring the fundamental elements (earth, water, air, and fire) and materials (clay) that have inspired traditional oven-making techniques for centuries. Drawing from traditional archives, this workshop will delve into the constraints of oven design, introduce open-source practices, and equip participants with essential and functional knowledge. Through a blend of exchange and experimentation, participants will be inspired by the rich history of ancestral ovens, meticulously designed over centuries. Each participant will design a miniature oven that addresses a specific problem or context relevant to their practice, infusing their creations with unique creativity and innovation. These designs will contribute to Testing Corner’s growing archive, enriching collective knowledge and creativity. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a detailed sketch and a small clay model of their oven design. They can choose to take their models home or contribute them back to the workshop for reuse, embracing sustainable material practices. Alongside the physical models, documentation of each participant’s creative journey will become part of Testing Corner’s archive, fostering community collaboration. No previous experience required. Participants are invited to bring along an apron and an object or tool to play and shape the clay.

Testing Corner was created by Gabriela Garcia, Veronica Tran, and Julia Bertolaso to foster community through collaborative, creative processes. This second edition invites the community to engage in pottery, fostering autonomy, sharing knowledge, and sustaining ceramics traditions through small-scale experimentation, making ceramics more accessible for future generations.



About the talks


Friday, May 31 (18h00 — 20h00)

01.1 — Introducing Distributed Design: a value-driven approach to design
Speakers: Julia Bertolaso (she/her), Jessica Guy (they/them), Olga Trevisan (she/her) at Distributed Design Platform

01.2 — Matterpieces: material design for circular architecture
Speakers: Patrícia Gomes (she/her) at Studio8

01.3 — Edible landscapes: art and food
Speaker: Inês Coelho da Silva (she/her)

01.4 — From volunteering to global impact: innovation in plastic recycling
Speakers: Carolina Espinoza Jiménez (she/her), Yann Chauvin (he/him) at Mad Plastic


Saturday, June 1 (15h00 — 17h00)

02.1 — Principles for designing a low-tech web
Speaker: Marie Verdeil (she/her)

02.2 — Reuse in construction: mapping the ‘mines’ for our future
Speakers: Cláudia Escaleira (sher/her), Jonny Pugh (he/him), Patrícia Robalo (she/her) at NADA NOVO

02.3 — Building from the ground: a context responsive approach
Speakers: Pietro Degli Esposti (he/him) at MaTierra

02.4 — Open source communities to design the future
Speakers: Adrián Coira (he/him) at Fair Enough, Project Kamp, Precious Plastic



About the experiences

01.1 — Food literacy projects: a guided tour through Lisbon’s urban farms
Guide: Rodrigo Borralho (he/him)
Saturday, June 1 — 11h00 — Duration: 3 hours
Max. 20 participants — €5
Meeting point: Travessa dos Lagares 1

01.2 — Solar brunch (vegetarian with gluten-free options)
Together with Audrey Belliot Darmon (she/her) at Slow Lab, Marie Verdeil (she/her)
Saturday, June 1 — 14h00
Max. 20 participants — €5



About the screenings

01.1 — Living the change: inspiring stories for a sustainable future
Jordan Osmond, Antoinette Wilson (Happen Films, 2018)
Friday, May 31 — 21h00 — Duration: 85 min.

01.2 — The POC21 documentary: eco-hacking the future
Sam Muirhead (Ouishare / Open State, 2016)
Saturday, June 1 — 21h00 — Duration: 59 min.



Performances and installations
Inês Coelho da Silva, Pietro Degli Esposti (MaTierra), Pedro Gil Faria + Hugo Pilate (What A Mess), Inês Barros, Megan Ammari, Julia Steketee (Bagaceira Project), Sofia De Francesco.



How to attend

Workshop tickets can be purchased with debit or credit card (via Ticket Tailor), and by bank transfer or MB Way (instructions during checkout). Prices vary according to the workshop and reflect the cost of the materials required. All proceeds from ticket sales go towards supporting guest workshop tutors and their project. Please note that ticket sales are non-refundable.

Talks, performances, exhibitions and screenings are free to attend upon registration. While the venue is open for all, the Talks Room will have limited seats available which are allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Mouraria Creative Hub
Travessa dos Lagares 1
1100-300 Lisbon

We are mindful of privacy rights and obligations under GDPR, therefore we would like to inform you that we are going to capture the event with photographs and/or video recordings. These will be used to share the event’s activities on our website and communication platforms, as well as in eventual articles or publications. If you wish for your image not to be used, we ask you to let us know during the event or by email.