Mozilla Festival 2016

Save the Date : 28th to 30th October 2016

Location: Ravensbourne College, Greenwich, London

2016 Festival Narrative

We hosted the 2016 MozRetreat in Berlin in May where we invited an eclectic group of people from our network to think creatively about the festival narrative, to collectively create purpose statements for each space, co-design the Call for Proposals, and map pathways as a large group. The full results of that 3 day retreat can be seen here however part of those conversations led to us outline this over arching narrative for Mozilla Festival 2016 below

Three days each year, we gather together and discuss, debate, create and hack to build a better Internet

We want to do our duty as outlined in the Mozilla Manifesto: Ensure the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all. That means teaching web literacy to more people in more places. It also means asking hard questions about what an ‘inclusive Internet’ really means. We need to actively address the challenges faced by people who don't yet feel they are welcome on the Web. And we mean to do this at the festival.

We have highlighted 5 key issues that are mainstream social issues and these issues will unfold within the festival program

• Online Privacy & Security - People understand and can meaningfully control how their data is collected and used online, and trust that it’s safe. In parallel, companies and governments work to protect our data and enhance our ownership over our digital identities.
• Open Innovation - Open is the default: open source and open standards continue to be at the heart of the Internet, and influence organizations and industries products, policies and practices. As a result, entrepreneurs and everyday Internet users can create, innovate and compete online without asking permission.
• Decentralization - The technologies and platforms people use every day are interoperable and based on open standards. People expect and demand systems that allow seamless flow and transfer of information and content.
• Web Literacy - People have the skills to read, write and participate in the digital world. Together, these informed digital citizens move beyond just consuming content, to creating, shaping and defending the web.
• Digital Inclusion - People everywhere can access and have the opportunity to participate in building the entire Internet. Subsequently, everyone on the Internet has the opportunity to access and shape our digital world. The Internet reflects the diversity of the people who use it.

MozFest Spaces

Spaces are physical and thematic learning hubs based around a broad topic. In 2016 we have 9 spaces which people can submit sessions proposals under. They are;

• Digital Arts and Culture - Unpacking the relationship between art, technology, and the Web
  • Space Wrangler - Julie Neville from Arts Award
• Localisation - Explore how people participate in the digital world in a way that reflects their unique culture and identity
  • Heather and Dwyane Bailey from Translate House
• Open Science - Participants explore, remix, and hack at the intersection of science and the Internet, and learn how the Web is transforming research and discovery
  • Arliss Collins, Richard Smith-Unna and Joey Lee from Mozilla Science and Kirsty Whitaker from University of Cambridge
• Journalism - learn how developers, designers, and data analysts collaborate to cover the most important stories of the day, and how they can contribute to the kind of work that protects the open Web and drives it forward
  • Erika Owens and Ryan Pitt from Mozilla Open News and Eva Constantaras from internews
• A Tale of Two Cities: Dilemmas in Connected Spaces - allows makers and learners to explore the dilemmas of privacy and having everyday objects online, through a series of interactive experiences and mischievous interventions
  • Michelle Thorne, Dietrich Ayala and George Roter from across Mozilla with Jon Rogers IoT and Ian Forrester from BBC R&D
• Demystify the Web - fun, interactive ways to teach and learn the Web in diverse, inclusive spaces; sessions are designed for creative collisions; sessions that inspire people to engage in an openly networked world.
  • Robert Friedman from Mozilla learning, Kim from Tech girls, Su Adams from ucantoo and Simeon Oriko from JamLab
• Open Badges - showcase exciting badges projects, hack on and build badge infrastructure, and encourage new partners and networks adopt badges
  • Matt Rogers, Tim Riches, Lucy Lewis and Grainne Hamilton from DigitalMe
• Youth Zone - is a sandbox for kids, teens, and adults alike to tinker, hack, build, and play as a means of learning. Independent thinking isn’t just encouraged — it’s rewarded
  • Dorine Flies from Epik and Andrew Mulholland
• Fuel the Movement - intellectual property rights should foster innovation and creation, not notice and take down. Fuel The Movement will help participants explore how copyright laws in the EU impacts them through interactive workshops, DIY making, and lightning talks
  • Melissa Romaine and Stacy Martin from Mozilla, and Georgia Bullen from Open Tech Institute

The Space Wranglers leading this key topics are from across our Network, made up of staff and partners. Without their dedication and creativity MozFest 2016 would be a very different festival so MozFest thanks them sincerely.

Experiences and Pathways

This year we are proud to announce we will have an digital art gallery experience at MozFest curated by the digital learning teams at The Tate and Victoria & Albert Museum.

We will also continue to develop Pathways which are interwoven between our Spaces bringing our participants through the festival narrative. These pathway are a selection of sessions but also experiences with a clear learning objective. More information to follow as this piece of the fesitval developes

Road Map

February

• Audit festival website
• Confirm the venue
• Initial draft of MozFest Budget

March

• Save the Date email
• MozFest Roles identified
• Design MozFest Retreat
• Short list invitees to the retreat
• Website remixed for 2015

May

• Website remixed for 2015
• MozRetreat in Berlin
• First draft of the 2016 program
• Schedule App build begins

June

• Open Call for Proposals
• Start Space Wrangler calls
• Start engaging suppliers

July

• Dialogue & Debate Speakers invited
• Review proposal submissions
• Reach out for sponsorship
• Start volunteer recruitment
• Sign Contract with Hotel
• Production Coordinator starts

August

• Close Call for Proposals
• Review all submissions
• Mozpub opens
• Determine post festival arc
• MozFest Insurance applied for

September

• Successful sessions informed
• Allocate travel stipends
• All suppliers engaged
• Inital draft of space within venue
• Detailed agenda 90% complete

October

• Festival website Live
• All risk assessments recieved and signed
• Festival logistics team start
• Program team in London
• Facilitators supplies order deadline
• Final space layout confirmed
• Hotel rooms allocated

28th- 30th October

• Festival Time

November

• Feedback Meetings with program team, Space Wranglers and suppliers
• Focus on budget wrap up
• Lie in :)