SPACE: A West Country Gathering on Social Infrastructure and Shared Futures

SPACE: A West Country Gathering on Social Infrastructure and Shared Futures
Monday 9th November 2026 | East Quay, Watchet, Somerset

In September 2021, Onion Collective opened East Quay—a tangible incarnation of the idea that communities can come together to build their own future, with connection, imagination, and culture at its heart.

On Monday 9th November, East Quay will host its third symposium to explore this very topic. SPACE is a West Country gathering, designed for anyone who shapes, holds or dreams of social, cultural or civic space and what it can do for our shared futures.

Who is it for?

Our symposiums are designed to intentionally bring together practitioners from different stages of experience to share knowledge, spark connections, and build lasting networks of regional support.

Whether you are a seasoned community organiser, an established asset developer, or someone just beginning your journey into social infrastructure, we hope you will find support in this day.

What can I expect?

While we recognise the immense challenges of this work, this is not designed as a practical or technical training day. 

We will be digging into the deeper ideas, values and possibilities of social infrastructure under the modern pressures of late stage capitalism, spending less time on funding formulas and governance models, and more time on what lies at the heart of collective life.

Event Outline

Morning Panel:

A conversation between three pioneering people who are re-imagining the role of public space in creative and purposeful ways.

Moderated by Hazel Sheffield, Author of Frontierlands, we will explore what it means to host, hold, and sustain space in conditions of social fracture and transition.

Confirmed speakers:

- Juliet Cann: Stour Trust

- Wendy Hart: Nudge Community Builders

- Maff Potts: Founder, Camerados

A delicious seasonal lunch, snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the day by the East Quay Kitchen.

Afternoon Activities:

After lunch, there will be a choice of smaller group activities, with ample opportunities to pick the brains of your peers and seek advice—including a rapid action-learning workshop designed to help you troubleshoot your current real-world challenges and understand how we overcame the hurdles to deliver East Quay.
These sessions will be varied, and designed around the interests of participants, there will also be a quiet space to read and learn in your own time.

Event Details:

When: Monday, 9 November 2026 10am–5pm (arrival from 9:15 am for registration and refreshments)

Where: East Quay, Watchet, Somerset

Spaces are limited—reserve your place to be part of the conversation.

Please note, we expect this event to be oversubscribed, so ask anyone who books to let us know if they can no longer attend so we can reallocate places.
We are not charging for this event to make it as accessible as possible; however we know that for some people, travel and access costs may still present a barrier to attendance. We have a limited amount of funds available to support participants with these costs where they would be unable to otherwise attend; please contact isabelle@onioncollective.co.uk to discuss options.

We hope you’ll join us.