We are delighted to be screening the Four Horsemen as well as participating in the workshops around the theme for the year - "new ownership: the shift from top down to bottom up". The Festival will take place on September 17 and 18 at Amsterdam's EYE Film Institute.

Connected technologies are empowering people all over the world to connect and drive personal and societal change. This is happening against a backdrop of rapidly declining trust in traditional institutions and systems of governance.  This is what Ross Ashcroft's thoughts on new ownership are - http://picnicnetwork.org/ross-ashcroft-four-horsemen

Confirmed speakers include:

• Tim O'Reilly, CEO of O'Reilly Media and one of the founders of the open source and Maker movements, will talk about the DIY revolution that has emerged and is being powered by platforms such as Make Magazine;
• Doc Searls, journalist, blogger and author of "The Cluetrain Manifesto" and "The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge", will discuss how customers power and its impact on sellers;
• Bonnie Shaw, Director of Social Innovation at iStrategyLabs, will discuss alternative currency systems and how the sharing vs. owning paradigm is affecting access and consumption;
• George Dyson, a boat designer, writer and distinguished technology historian who will talk about how technology has and will evolve to further empower people; and
• Rupert Turnbull, Publisher of WIRED UK, who will discuss how new ownership is transforming the media landscape.

Sessions

The Festival's programming will be an eclectic, but thoughtful mix of lectures, discussions, business competitions, co-creation labs, a SME exhibition and matchmaking activities. Highlights include:

• Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, a competition which awards 500,000 euro and expert coaching to the best green business plan;
• Vodafone Mobiles for Good, a new Dutch competition which awards 120,000 euro, office space at Start Up Bootcamp Amsterdam and professional coaching to the best mobile technology companies which improve health and well-being;
• PICNIC Crossover Marketplace, a SME exhibition which will showcase 100 Dutch and European start ups and small companies; and
• PICNIC Academy, a Festival element which will explore the future of education, online learning and the shift towards more participatory learning.

For more information, visit www.picnicnetwork.org 

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