Urban Festival is a series of virtual engagements hosted by South African Cities Network (SACN), Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Open Cities Lab (OCL), WITS Journalism and Media Lab (JAMLAB), Our Future Cities (OFC), ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, and others. The festival will run from 1-31 October 2020, culminating on World Cities Day.
The first edition has an overarching focus on inclusivity, accessibility and digital innovation. The programming will comprise a Main Programme of speakers from government, civil society and industry. This will be complemented by an Emergent Programme of wide-ranging additional presenters and organisations who have responded to our Open Call.
Learning, collaboration and networking will be facilitated through workshops, lectures and discussion groups, and film screenings, Instagram takeovers, podcasts and virtual exhibitions will encourage engagement. All materials created for and during the event will be available on the festival webpage long after the actual event, ensuring that stories, tours, research and voices are preserved and can be used to foster greater understanding and therefore better solutions.