Global Grassroots Festival Comes to Ottawa!

Feature photo courtesy of Synapcity

Wondering what to do this summer? Global grassroots festival, 100in1Day, is coming to Ottawa on Saturday, June 2nd. Powered by local non-profit, Synapcity, and Future Cities Canada, this city-wide event aims to innovate Ottawa through 100 citizen-led events, all happening on the same day.

The festival started in Bogota, and quickly spread to over 40 cities around the world. Parks, streets, courtyards and schoolyards are brought to life by people hosting activities that raise awareness about social issues, bring joy and inspiration, and connect people.

“We’re excited to be hosting 100in1Day in Ottawa for a second year,” said Synapcity Executive Director, Laine Johnson. “This is not only because it was such a success in 2017, but because it’s perfectly aligned with our mission. We’re here to create spaces for people to express their priorities for their communities.”

How exactly does Synapcity do that? “We bring people and institutions together to learn, connect, and act for a better city,” Laine explained. “Our programs and services gather positively passionate people who might not have otherwise met to contribute to the collective intelligence of our city – essential to a healthy democracy. 100in1Day shows this very clearly: a huge group of individuals and organisations, all making a statement about what matters to them – all at the same time!”

This is the second year Synapcity is hosting 100in1Day. What makes 2018 particularly interesting is the election year, with municipal incumbents and candidates using the festival as a platform to express their vision for the city.

Interventions also include Creatorland, a 100in1Day Hub happening in the ByWard Market. Synapcity partner, Wingd, is hosting the event with 100in1Day sponsor, ByWard Market BIA. The goal is to foster a culture in Ottawa that supports creators, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Zainab Muse is the founder of Wingd, and is hosting the event with Ottawa fashion designer, King Hector. “The moment I was informed about the intention of the festival, I knew that I'd like to be a part of such a community-oriented event that aims to support innovative thinkers in the city.” Zainab said. “I exist primarily in the entrepreneurial space in Ottawa and I know that one thing we don't have enough of is visibility for creators, entrepreneurs and innovators in the city. I believe with the utmost conviction that we can do better at fostering a culture here in the city that frequently supports and embraces the people trying to push the city forward through their ideas, businesses and initiatives.”

For those interested in urban design, the Friends of Byron Path are hosting ‘Design Your City’ – an outdoor lego-building station to help design a livable city. Organizer Christine Earnshaw (founder of Tree Fest Ottawa and Synapcity 100in1Day Project Lead) explained: “More and more, Ottawa is talking about livable cities, and the city has made progress recently with several complete street initiatives. For this activity, we want to give everyone the opportunity to bring to life their own vision of a beautiful, human-scale city."

Registered interventions can be found here, with an interactive map displaying activity locations. There’s something for everyone:

• Environment: Hug a Westboro Tree, Mud-Lake Clean-Up, Seed-Bomb Pollinators, Robot Missions Field Test.
• Art: Latin Dance in the Park, The Happening Arts Park, Propeller Dance Workshops, Sing-Along with Chris White.
• Walk/Cycle: Vanier VeloFest, Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, Carlingwood-Westboro Walk.
• Discussion:Let’s Talk Community, Sit-In for Affordable Housing, Butterfly Run Film Night.

100in1Day is all about community. Don’t miss the chance to show your support this June 2nd.