Learning Network

Between the Gatherings, the work continues through the ChangeFest Learning Network, a shared space where people across the country stay connected, deepen practice, and learn from each other. It’s where relationships keep growing and questions can stay open.

All over Australia, a lot of people are working to strengthen participation, shift decision-making closer to communities, and build systems that support shared leadership. Often, this work happens in isolation, the Learning Network exists so people can learn together instead.

It connects practitioners, community leaders, public servants, backbone teams, funders, researchers, and young people who are all sharing, exploring, reflecting and putting into practice how change happens when communities lead. Participants continue learning across time, distance, and place.

Our online monthly Lunch & Learn sessions are free and designed to explore a story of community-led change, as well as provide space to connect with each other.

Just like the gatherings, the Learning Network is shaped by the experiences and priorities of the people who participate.

Sessions often feature stories from communities highlighting what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s still being discovered. These conversations are strengthened by recognising the leadership of First Nation peoples and the knowledge systems that have supported communities to thrive for tens of thousands of years.

Learning happens differently when it is grounded in place, relationships and lived experience.

During a Lunch and Learn session, participants share insights from their experience and take new ides back into their own work and communities. Importantly the Learning Network sessions explore the ChangeFest Principles in action:

• Shared leadership: between First Nations and other Australians requires equitable ways of working together across races and cultures.
• Collaboration: we recognise that everyone has a role to play in changing the systems they are a part of. We need all stakeholders from local to national levels to collaborate on complex challenges that communities are facing. 
• Power: that effective place based change is when communities are enabled to lead and work in collaboration with other decision makers and power holders. This requires all groups to be aware of the power they have and how this can be shared and harnessed to centre community in decision making.

Participants often say the Learning Network helps them see their work differently — and recognise how it connects to something larger happening across the country.

This might be your story of change – or someone you know, or perhaps it’s a question you have that you’d love to explore with other members of the movement.

We’re always keen to hear your ideas - please get in touch at hello@changefest.com.au