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Commoning

Commoning brings things like land, housing, energy and leisure facilities into community ownership. These things are managed together as a community to make sure they remain available for future generations. Once in the commons, they are owned and looked after by the community forever, with no debt, shareholders or private landlords to pay.

2026 Festival Team

We're a small voluntary team celebrating what's possible when people act together for the common good. 

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“"The Festival felt like stepping into a different way of being together. So much of our systems are shaped by scarcity, control, and the need to define outcomes in advance. What the Festival offered instead was a lived experience of something else, of generosity, trust and care for each other.”
 

Person #1

Previous Festivals

This Festival is built on the tremendous efforts of an incredible group of people over several years. In particular, we acknowledge Dil Green, who founded FoC and drove the first festival in 2024, at a time when many of us felt it might be too difficult to realise. He saw clearly that the commons needed to be a social movement, and we are grateful for his vision, time, and financial support in creating such firm foundations.

 

Chikara Shimaski led and delivered the second festival, taking it forward with real clarity and commitment, and significantly expanding what the festival could be. His work not only built on the foundations of the first year but raised the ambition and reach of FoC, setting a high standard for what followed.

 

We also want to recognise the contributions of Sue Bell, Jozette Khimba, Ronan Murphy, Giulio Quarta, Dave Darby and Julian Jones, who all helped shape where we are now.The festival as it exists today is grounded in what they made possible, and we are grateful for their continued support as it moves forward.

2025

Stroud

In 2025, the theme was “a celebration of people coming  together to build commons of all kinds” and grew to 200 participants, with sessions in two venues, over two days. Contributors included Pam Warhurst of Incredible Edible, Andy Goldring of the Permaculture Association, Jess Steele of Hastings Commons , Carne Ross author of The Accidental Anarchist, Zoë Blackler of Kairos, Indy Johar of darkmatterlabs.org and many more.

2024

Stroud

In 2024, the inaugural Festival of Commoning brought together forty-five participants for two days of talks, workshops, and skill-shares. Contributors included Claire Farrell, of the Humanity Project and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, Immy Kaur of Civic Square, and Diana Finch, author of Value Beyond Money, closing with an evening of Comedy of the Commons with Mark Thomas. 

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