Gentler Futures Festival

A celebration of design as agent of change, design that goes beyond (design) and stimulates a type of transformation that sometimes is (cultural), other times (social), sometimes (economic), and other times (environmental).

Full program and line-up soon on gentlerfutures.com

Gentler Futures Festival is a two‒day event exploring what it means to design today, what are the challenges that twenty‒first century designers face and which legacy they hope to leave behind. To do so, the Festival gathers in one place the designers, makers and architects whose work is shaping the futures we would like to live in: planet‒centred, local‒based, non‒linear and post‒consumerism. The program, featuring hands‒on workshops, talks, temporary exhibitions, installations and live performances, aims to pose questions, launch provocations and inspire new mindsets.

The theme of the new edition, Towards Ecosystem Regeneration, envisions design as a form of advocacy for nature itself—a way to work with (and for) natural systems, rather than simply drawing from them. Honouring the countless other beings who have lived and adapted long before us, designers, architects and makers are invited to listen, learn, and find inspiration in their intelligence and in their wisdom. From designing with nature to creating for non-human species and embracing spiritual ecology, the theme Towards Ecosystem Regeneration poses an essential question: how can design go beyond “minimising harm” to become a true gift back to the Earth?

This year, Gentler Futures Festival unfolds across three locations in Lisbon: Mouraria Creative Hub (Rua dos Lagares 23), JAM Lisbon (Avenida 24 de Julho 80) and Bio Lab Lisboa (Mercado do Forno do Tijolo).

Program

Friday, June 5
15h00 — Workshops
18h00 — Talk session
20h00 — Food, drinks, and DJ sets
Ongoing — Exhibition, installations and performances

Saturday, June 6
10h00 — Workshops
13h00 — Food, drinks and DJ set
14h00 — Talk session
16h00 — Workshops
19h00 — Food, drinks, music and DJ sets
Ongoing — Exhibition, installations and performances
Talks will be held in English. Workshops will be held in English or in Portuguese depending on the preference of the participants.