What are effective processes for establishing trust, engaging people equitably, and collaborating together?

Truly participatory facilitation establishes trust and close collaboration with those you’re ultimately hoping to impact, designing processes that center their needs and perspectives. This is a tall order and may call for some upfront work, or a “pre-facilitation” phase, during which you identify potential barriers to participation to the people coming into the space and identify techniques to create a safe and inclusive environment.

The space itself must empower everyone to engage and be as equitable and inclusive as possible. It requires a multi-directional approach, not just one direction from the facilitator or expert to the participant as recipient. This often necessitates the use of multiple methods of communication and engagement, all the while keeping the participants’ experience in mind as a guidepost.

In this dynamic session, we will outline and practices steps, tips, and tools for developing engaging, participatory, and collaborative facilitation sessions with your networks and communities.

What will I gain?

• Understand pre-facilitation planning techniques
• Directly experience multi-directional and engaging formats for participatory facilitation
• Practice designing participatory processes yourself in real-time

Led by a diverse group of leaders in collaborative facilitation, including:

• Seema Patel: Collective Mind
• Alícia Trepat Pont: GreaterThan / OuiShare
• Elis Motta: Instituto NOW
• Sarah Davids: Coach and Facilitator
• Nneka Okekearu: Pan-Atlantic University

Hosted at the Workshops Zone

Step into the Workshops Zone, where creativity and collaboration collide. For centuries, artisans and craftsmen have gathered to share their skills and passions with one another. Honoring this long-held tradition, we bring together diverse makers, creators, and innovators to roll up their sleeves and dive into hands-on learning. From the scraping of chisels to the gentle human of sewing machines, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of this vibrant space – and learn, contribute, and connect. 

What is the Networks Festival?

Embark on a month-long journey filled with connection, curiosity, and play bringing together thousands of changemakers, funders, conveners, companies, and governments to explore the power of networks to transform our world.

As you step into the festival grounds, you'll be greeted by a buzzing atmosphere of excitement and innovation. Everywhere you look, there are people eagerly discussing the latest breakthroughs in network theory, sharing stories of how networks have changed their lives and communities, and dreaming up new ways to harness the power of connections.

Leveraging the power of lived experience, we will strengthen our collective practice, directly increase funding opportunities for networks, and foster new collaborations to scale innovations and amplify transformational impact on the lives of billions around the world.

Whether you're a seasoned networker, curious changemaker, or philanthropist interest in "doing things differently" – there's something for everyone at the Networks Festival. Join us!