From Maker Faire Shows and Festivals to Social Infrastructure(s)

Barbora Pesek , Fadia Elgharib , Jessica Guy

19.05.2026 13:45–14:45
Home Base
Englisch
Podiumsdiskussion
Politik & Gesellschaft
#Zivilgesellschaft
How a seemingly generic festival format can evolve into a trusted platform for participation, community resilience, and long-term impact.

In this session, I draw on my experience from Czechia, where Maker Faire festivals gradually evolved into a decentralized and essential social infrastructure. To open the topic at re:publica I invite others who work with networks in different cultural, social, and organizational contexts in order to explore a shared field of perspectives and practice.

Together, we will explore how these social networks form, how they change over time, and how they can be integrated more effectively for mutual aid, knowledge  and resources exchange and community resilience. For the re:publica audience, this conversation offers a chance to see how trust-based networks emerge and evolve in different settings. Where international connections add value and how locally grounded initiatives can grow into durable social infrastructures without losing their roots.