A group of people standing outdoors holding signs with heart and exclamation mark symbols in front of a large funnel-shaped structure on a sunny day.

Festivals as Social Innovation Incubators

In this EU-funded project, experts on festivals and youth work joined forces to create a tailored suite of resources, so that festivals can realize their potential as platforms for social innovation. FUSION enables young people/organizations to use festivals as a steppingstone to implement their own ideas, products and technologies for the benefit of society.

Festivals can act as social innovation incubators that empower young people to realize their potential to change society and inspire them to tackle social issues in innovative ways beyond the scope of the event itself. FUSION helps festivals and youth organizations to collaborate and unlock their potential for social innovation by providing them with a tailored suite of resources. These include

  • a good-practice guide, with examples of innovative social projects at festivals across Europe
  • a toolbox for project development that helps festivals and organization like NGOs and volunteer organizations cooperate better and develop socially innovative projects together (including online educational resources)
  • alliances that developed action plans – the alliances brought together actors from the fields of festivals, education, innovation and youth work for the first time. The action plans explain step-by-step how people can create their own alliances

All resources are available in English, German, Spanish, Danish and Turkish.

Take a Stand was one of the six project partners, while YOUROPE supported the project as an associated partner. YOUROPE member Roskilde Festival were also part of the project team. YOUROPE members Superbloom, Ruisrock, We Love Green, Sziget, Exit and Pohoda are featured in the resources.

This project finished in May 2023, but its outputs (see links above or related posts below) are still relevant and available.

More info: https://fusion-project.com/

Disclaimer:

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The author is solely responsible for this publication (communication) and the Commission accepts no responsibility for any use may be made of the information contained therein. In compliance of the new GDPR framework, please note that the Partnership will only process your personal data in the sole interest and purpose of the project and without any prejudice to your rights.

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Tools

A blue banner displaying the word

FUSION Toolbox: Developing projects for festivals

The FUSION Toolbox is for festivals and organizations working with festivals like NGOs, non-profits, associations, educators, youth workers etc.

Publication

Silhouettes of several people standing and walking on a platform against a bright sky, with colorful flags on poles to the left and a circus tent in the background.

FUSION Guide: Social Innovation at Festivals

The FUSION guide, Social Innovation at Festivals – A Collection of 15 Inspiring Initiatives from across Europe, consists of carefully chosen good-practice cases representing different approaches, methods, models for collaboration and a cultural variety.

Best Practice

A musician playing an accordion and another playing a saxophone on stage with a red and purple lit background, at a festival named

Social Innovation: Mother Tongues Festival

At many international festivals, English is the language to speak. Not so at Mother Tongues Festival, the largest festival celebrating linguistic diversity through the arts in Ireland.

Best Practice

A woman playing a guitar to an audience seated on rocky terrain in a forested area.

Social Innovation: Acoustic Path @Rocken am Brocken

There’s something magical about music performances in the heart of nature, don’t you agree?

Best Practice

A group of diverse young adults posing together at an outdoor music festival, with a stage in the background.

Social Innovation: Ruissiraati @Ruisrock Festival

Social Innovation: Ruissiraati @Ruisrock FestivalDid you know that Finnish Ruisrock Festival has been around for more than 50 years?! And yet, they somehow manage to stay fresh and interesting for their young audiences. This is…

Best Practice

A food stall with the sign

Social Innovation: Taste The World @Tønder Festival

Filing for asylum can be a long and grueling process. With no chance to get a work permit, refugees are often stuck in refugee centers with nothing to do.

Best Practice

People sitting and standing on large colorful letters that spell

Social Innovation: Dream City @Roskilde Festival

Every year, Danish Roskilde Festival invites young people to set up their own unique camps on the festival site.

Best Practice

A large balloon with the text

Social Innovation: YOUR Planet @Superbloom Festival

Only 50% of German SUPERBLOOM Festival’s program is music – the other half is dance, science, fashion, and more. In dedicated areas, the audience can experience these topics hands-on in countless activities that are brought…

Best Practice

Four women participating in a panel discussion on stage at the SHINE Festival, with the audience in the foreground and a banner in the background displaying the event's name and website.

Social Innovation: Shine Festival

It can be hard for young women to navigate a world where issues such as low self-esteem, violence against women and equal representation remain major issues.

Best Practice

A person riding a promotional tricycle with a red and white canopy labeled

Social Innovation: Luggage Porters @Pohoda

In socialist Slovakia, homelessness was officially not a problem; the authorities removed people without homes. In post-socialist Slovakia, the issue has become visible, and people experiencing homelessness have been stigmatized.

Best Practice

People mingle and relax around a uniquely shaped outdoor structure with colorful decorations at a festival during golden hour.

Social Innovation: Flokkr Stage @Roskilde Festival

Music is the only thing happening at festivals? Wrong! Roskilde Festival is the best example of a festival that offers much more.

Best Practice

A pathway leading to an area labeled

Social Innovation: Circular Lab @Roskilde Festival

Creating a sustainable world is the central challenge of our time. This is why Danish Roskilde Festival organizes the Circular Lab.

Best Practice

Band members on stage viewed from behind, facing a large festival crowd during the daytime.

Social Innovation: Cruïlla Festival's NGO Stands

Cruïlla is the Catalan word for crossroads. A word that perfectly represents the core philosophy of Spanish Festival Cruïlla, an event where different musical worlds and social/cultural NGOs collide and meet in the middle.

Best Practice

A large group of cheerful people, many wearing red shirts, posing for a photo in front of oversized white letters spelling

Social Innovation: Superar @Sziget Festival

With 450,000 visitors in 6 days, Sziget Festival Official is one of the biggest festivals in Europe. However, this doesn’t stop them from inviting a children’s choir onto their stage.

Best Practice

Four young adults pose together behind a makeshift stand with t-shirts and various items on display, including a sign that says

Social Innovation: State of Exit Zone @Exit Festival

Did you know that Serbian Exit Festival was founded as a student movement fighting for democracy and freedom?

Best Practice

Two young boys holding microphones and performing on stage in front of a banner that reads

Social Innovation: Turning Tables @Roskilde Festival

Empowering youth from marginalized communities by providing them with the means to make music, photography and film is the goal of the international NGO Turning Tables.