Sharing has taken root and the #SharingSpring is in bloom. Around the world, people who understand the transformational power of sharing are gathering to collaborate, participate, rethink, swap, celebrate and create. Inspired by the Occupy movement, Arab Spring and M15, the #SharingSpring is about ordinary people gathering to create solutions to pressing issues in their communities.
From Sao Paulo to Detroit, people in cities around the world are organizing ShareFests this spring with support from the Sharing Cities Network, the Center for a New American Dream and partners. ShareFests create a real life model of the world we want, based in sharing, right now in our cities. The transformative experience of sharing is probably the most powerful way to change the story that we don’t have enough and that we need to sell our lives in order to buy happiness. To share is to experience an abundant, caring, people-powered economy.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan Sharing Summit provided a space for a variety of local sharing organizations to gather.
Want to get in on the #SharingSpring action? Find a ShareFest near you below or host your own. It doesn’t have to be a huge production (but it sure can be if you want!) and we are here to help.
Here are some resources to help you host an awesome ShareFest:
- ShareFest Guide
- How to Organize a ShareFest Webinar
- How to Organize a ShareFest Toolkit (google docs folder)
- ShareFest 2014 Video
- Interviews with ShareFest Organizers
- Sharing Cities Network Facebook Group
- ShareFest Toolbox with Table of Contents, ShareFest Activity Guides, Checklists, Forms, Spreadsheets, Media Kit and more
These are some of the cities that are currently organizing a ShareFest or Map Jam this Spring. Click on the link below to help support your local ShareFest and stay tuned, more details will be updated as the events develop.
- San Francisco, CA, June 1st, contact llana Lipsett
- East Bay/Oakland, CA, Creating Commons Festival on May 10th + Revolution of the Gift on May 4th ShareFest all the month of May, hosted by PLACE for Sustainable Living, Dana Cafe and Oakland LocalWiki, contact Syra
- Pasadena/Los Angeles Area, CA on May 3rd, hosted by the Pasadena Earth and Arts Festival and Armory Arts Center, contact Janine
- North Bay, CA on May 31, hosted by Share Exchange and Extended Relative
- Detroit, MI on April 5th, hosted by Cass Corridor Commons, contact Halima
- Ann Arbor, MI on March 22nd, hosted by A2Share, contact Ryan
- Rochester, NY (Eventbrite RSVP) on May 2-4, hosted by RocShare, contact Andre
- New York City, NY in September (Date TBA), contact Alison
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Silver Spring, MD on May 10th, hosted by Center for a New American Dream – Maryland, contact Mary
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Cleveland, OH on April 27th from 2-4pm
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Chicago, IL, hosted by Chicago Time Exchange (Date TBA), contact Seneca
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Madison, WI on May 28th, hosted by Dane County Timebank, contact Stephanie
- Denver, CO, hosted by Open Tech Collaborative, (Date TBA) contact Tristan
- Hartford, CT on June 14th, hosted by Public Allies CT, contact Olusanya
- Portland, OR Skillshare and ShareFest on July 12th, hosted by Share Portland, contact Noah
- Asheville, NC on May 31st, hosted by Share Asheville, contact Tom
- Boston, MA, hosted by Share Boston, (Date TBA) contact Julia
- Jackson, MS Coop Skillshare at Jackson Rising Conference, May 3rd from 3:15-5:15pm, contact Kali
- Oahu, HI, on September 20th, contact Transition Oahu
- Liège, Belgium on June 14th, contact Angelo
- Brussels, Belgium on July 3rd, contact Angelo
- Porto Alegre, Brazil on July 19th, map jam on June 1st, contact Alessandra
- Sao Paulo, Brazil, (Date TBA) contact Ariel
- Hong Kong on April 12th, contact Sung Ming
- Lisbon, Portugal, several events including Map Jam & ShareFest on April 12th and June 2nd, hosted by Aga Khan Foudation, contact Carla
- Prague, Czech Republic on June 1st, hosted by Hearth.net, contact Hearth.net
- Barcelona, Spain on May 3rd and June 27th, hosted by Aurea Social contact Ale Fernandez
- Hague, Netherlands on May 17th-18th, hosted by OuiShare Netherlands
- Melbourne, Australia on June 1st, hosted by Social Surplus, contact Darren Sharp
- Siderno, Italy on May 31st-June 2nd, contact Luigi
- Toronto, Canada on July 16th, contact Lucy & Brownwyn
- Vienna, Austria on May 31st
- Berlin, Germany on August 6th
- Killaloe, Ontario Earth Day Share Fair on April 26 from 10-2, contact Natalie
- Adelaide, Australia, hosted by Share & Save, (Date TBA) contact Sharon
- Gothenburg, Sweden on June 1st, contact Bert-Ola
- Ljubljana, Slovenia on June 1st
- Amsterdam, Netherlands, hosted by Share NL, (Date TBA) contact Harmen
- Tucson, AZ Map Jam, by Sustainable Tucson, contact Bob
- Vancouver, BC Map Jam on April 9th, by the Sharing Project, contact Chris
- Brisbane, Australia Map Jam, (Date TBA) contact Matt Dillon
If your city isn’t listed here, sign up to promote your planned event or get help organizing one.