Voluntary Arts Ireland were thrilled to join the Imagine Festival of Ideas and Politics 2018 in Belfast for a series of conversational gatherings which we hosted and facilitated in partnership with the International Futures Forum, Perspectivity and others. The Common Interchange of Ordinary Intelligence explored the prospects for cultural transformation related to economics, politics, and ways of living and making a living.

‘We live in an era when the consequences and effects of dominant economic, social and political paradigms are pressing upon people, damaging democracy and fomenting feelings of frustration, helplessness and despair. It is now when creating together, wisely and hopefully, matters most.’

A number of our contributors kindly made their presentations available which are outlined below

Humanizing the Economy with John Restakis - A Soundcloud recording made available by Kevin Flanagan

Cultural Commoning - What it is and why it matters - Online slides from Kevin Murphy's presentation

Commoning Our Democracy with Michel Bauwens - A Soundcloud recording again made available by Kevin Flanagan

We were struck by the possibilities and practical applications of both the commoning and cooperative movements in strengthening cultural participation, democracy and a sustainable and just economy. There was energy and the potential for collaborative action in the room too.

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