An invitation to a festival of sharing

People with experience of poverty will be sharing their insights and talents at a special new event in London this October. Char Brown, Ruth Knibbs and Diana Skelton from ATD Fourth World share the details…

On 17 October—which is the U.N. International Day to End Poverty—ATD Fourth World is pleased to invite you to join Hope in Action: A Festival of Sharing.

Date: Saturday, 17 October 2026

Time: 2 pm to 6 pm

Location: Set Social – Peckham, 55a Nigel Road, Peckham, London SE15 4NP

Vision

This is a festival to draw hope from the knowledge and talents of people with lived experience of poverty! People in poverty—whose expertise often goes unseen and unvalued—are partners in creating solutions. Led by experts with experience of poverty, this festival will bring together people from all backgrounds to learn from one another, create together, and celebrate the contributions everyone makes to our society.

The festival will welcome:

families and local residents
community organisations and charities
schools and young people
local partners, allies, and decision-makers.

Aims

To encourage conversations and relationships that nurture hope by breaking down barriers and challenging stigma.
To promote dignity, participation and inclusion by creating opportunities for everyone to contribute equally.
To raise awareness of poverty as a violation of human rights.
To create practical items that will be shared with local community organisations, demonstrating solidarity through collective action.

Programme

1: Community sharing workshops

Throughout the day, participants will take part in hands-on workshops led by people with lived experience of poverty. Together, they will create items that will be donated to local organisations. Workshops will include:

Decorating tote bags containing essential items for people experiencing homelessness.
Designing bookmarks for reading projects with children.
Decorating cupcakes to be shared via local food banks and community organisations.
Making bird feeders for care home gardens.

These are opportunities for people to exchange skills, stories and knowledge, recognising that everyone has something valuable to teach and something to learn.

→ New workshop ideas are welcome! However to respect the practicalities, please avoid activities that are very messy, for example (like non-washable paint or glitter), or require specialist tools and training.

2: Music, performance and community voices

A programme of live performances will run throughout the afternoon, creating a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere. This will include:

Local musicians and choirs
Poetry and spoken word
“Let me tell you!” messages from people with lived experience of poverty.

3: An exhibition: Hope and human rights in action!

This will include

Key moments from the history of ATD Fourth World, a “joyful revolution” of fighting poverty through participation and human rights.
Local and international highlights from 17 October, the U.N. International Day to End Poverty.
The recognition of extreme poverty as a human rights issue.
Narratives of hope and social change from people with lived experience of poverty.

Organisers are looking for partners to help. Would you like to help plan and facilitate a workshop? Or recruit live music or poetry performers? Can you help find sponsors and donors, or organisations that might become co-hosts? If so, email atd@atd-uk.org