Friday 13 Nov is World Kindness Day, and the launch of #Kindfest2020 , the virtual not-for-profit festival bringing together a star-studded line-up of speakers, all sharing their collective wisdom, energy and ideas about how kindness can create a more hopeful and resilient world.
In business a culture of kindness has a profound impact on wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, creativity, innovation, performance, profits and growth. Which is why there is a kindness revolution happening in forward-thinking businesses right now.
Curated by Magnus Wood, founder of The Kindness Consultancy, the Kindness at Work Tent at #Kindfest2020 brings together kindness at work pioneers to discuss kindness in leadership and business and provide practical advice for starting your own kindness revolution at work – many of whom are available to interview and give tips/advice etc, see below for details of people and topics.
#Kindfest2020 will offer practical solutions to creating kinder lives, workplaces, and communities, and putting kindness at the core of building back a better and fairer post pandemic world.
“If you smile at someone maybe they’ll smile back, and just the same with kindness; if you show some kindness to people then maybe you’ll get a little bit in return. It is in important that we show kindness to a lot of people because they are so short of kindness. It’s rather like loneliness…. [this is why] Kindfest will be a great benefit to all people.” Captain Sir Tom Moore
A not-for-profit virtual festival, #Kindfest2020 is part of the kindness revolution, a global movement united against the rise of toxic and polarizing tribalism. Come, be inspired, and join a growing and supportive global community championing empathy and kindness.
“It is essential to explore new ways of working together right now. We need to spread kindness and support people who are struggling – be they our children, loved ones, colleagues or strangers. Kindfest2020 is a chance to come together, recharge our batteries and stock up our kindness reserves” Susie Hills, Kindfest Founder and Kinder Lives Curator
Featuring special musical performances by Billy Bragg, Citizens of the World Choir, The Include Choir, Sound of the Sirens, Frank Turner, Glenn Thomas, Jackie Emerson and Katisse. Plus over 100 speakers including Aaron Roach Bridgeman, TV presenter; AC Grayling, Philosopher; Prof Alice Roberts; Bryony Gordon journalist and author; Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP; Cathy Newman, author and broadcaster; Cherie Blair CBE QC, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Claudia Hammond, broadcaster and writer; David Jamilly, founder of Kindness UK; Dunola Oladapo, Schwarzman Scholar and Founder of Luton Lights; Don Diffang, Scientist and founder of Do Me A Favour Buddy; Fatima Zaman, Head of UK Delegation at G20 and Kofi Annan Foundation Advocate; Graham Allcott Founder Think Productive; Dr Jamil Zaki Stanford academic and bestselling author of The War for Kindness; Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia and Wikitribune and wt.social the non-toxic social network; Keira Byland, Treble gold winning cyclist, Special Olympics; Marilyn Okoro, Olympian; Matt Callanan, We Make Good Happen; Matt Johnson, TV presenter and Mind Ambassador; Nicholas de Wolff, de Wolff Advisors; Dr Radha Modgil, GP, writer and broadcaster; Rory Stewart, former MP; Tessy Ojo OBE Chief Executive of The Diana Award; Simon Anholt, The Good Country Index, SULEY RaPOET award winning poet and speaker; Giles Paley-Phillips and Julia Bradbury from podcast A Little Bit of Positive; Baroness Warsi Member of House of Lords and All Party Group for Compassionate Politics – and many more.
Join the thousands of people already signed-up. Discover the latest psychological, health, business management and economic research on kindness. Hear about the profound impact it can have on health, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, creativity, innovation, performance, profits, and growth.
The Festival is organised into themed tents. Tent 1: Kinder Lives – Inspiring ideas for how to lead a kinder life; Tent 2: Kindness at Work – An exploration of kindness in leadership and business; Tent 3: Thinking Kindness – All the latest research and thinking on kindness; Tent 4: Kinder Politics – Exploration on bringing people together and de-toxifying political debate; Tent 5: Kinder Youth – Kindness and young people’s mental health. Each tent is curated by an expert in that field. Festival goers can explore different tents and themes throughout the event and will receive access to recordings of the entire festival afterwards – so will not miss a thing.
There will also be a festival book shop run by The Guardian Books, featuring speaker’s books in a special Kindfest section and a Mental Health First Aid Tent to signpost attendees to support services where needed.
For those who can’t tune in live on 13th November tickets for a recorded version of the whole Festival are available until 13th December.
Tickets start at £5, with pay it forward tickets available for £10 and free tickets released every Friday. 100% of profits go to charity partners The Blurt Foundation, The Captain Tom Foundation and YoungMinds.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, kindness transforms lives. It bolsters, soothes, fortifies, and ignites something in others in a way that’s instantaneous and long-lasting – the sheer memory of the kind act providing warmth for years to come. KindFest is like a shining beacon on the horizon in what has felt, to many of us, to be an unkind year. I’m excited to be a speaker among such an incredibly curated list of speakers and very honoured that The Blurt Foundation has been chosen as one of the charity partners.” Jayne Hardy, Founder & CEO, The Blurt Foundation
Vanessa Longley, YoungMinds Director of Development said, “We are delighted to partner with #Kindfest2020, to spread the word about the importance of young people’s mental health, the importance of being kind to ourselves and others, and the need to come together, albeit virtually, during what has been a difficult and tumultuous year.”
Add #Kindfest2020 to your profiles and join the kindness revolution @TeamKind @teamkinduk
DETAILS
- WHAT: #Kindfest2020 – virtual festival of kindness
- WHERE: Worldwide online
- WHEN: Live on Friday 13 November 2020, 14hr-19hr GMT, or recorded version available until 13th Dec
- CURATORS: Tent 1: Kinder Lives: Curators Kamilah McInnis, Broadcaster and Susie Hills, Teamkind & Kindfest Founder; Tent 2: Kindness at Work: Curator Magnus Wood, The Kindness Consultancy; Tent 3: Thinking Kindness: Curators Professor Robin Banerjee and Visiting Professor Claudia Hammond, University of Sussex. Robin Banerjee is the Director of Sussex Kindness Research, and Claudia Hammond is the presenter of All in the Mind on BBC Radio 4 and Health Check on BBC World Service; Tent 4: Kinder Politics: Curator Matt Hawkins, Compassion in Politics; Tent 5: Kinder Youth: Curator Kimberley Rowell, Journalist, Broadcaster and Podcaster
- FULL LINE UP & SPEAKERS : Tent 1 Kinder Lives , Tent 2 Kindness at Work , Tent 3 Thinking Kindness, Tent 4 Kinder Politics , Tent 5 Kinder Youth
- TICKETS: Free, £5, £10 or £15 www.teamkind.org.uk/tickets
- GROUP TICKETS: Groups 10 + available from kindfest@teamkind.org.uk
- CHARITY PARTNERS: The Blurt Foundation, The Captain Tom Foundation and YoungMinds
