2024

Regeneration in Action

The 2024 SocialFuse Festival marked an exciting new chapter – co-designed with the community and rooted in the powerful theme of Regeneration.

This year’s festival embraced a blended format: a central conference day at Chesterfield Studios, alongside a weeklong programme of hands-on workshops and fringe events held in spaces across Derbyshire.

The theme of Regeneration ran through every element of the festival. From economic resilience to environmental action, from reimagining public spaces to rebuilding trust in systems – sessions explored how we can revitalise our communities through collaboration, creativity, and long-term commitment.

Highlights included:

A thought-provoking conference day packed with speakers, panels, and provocations focused on place-based change
A vibrant and growing Fringe Programme featuring everything from circular economy demos and sign singing to funding drop-ins and creative writing workshops
A co-designed, community-led approach that placed accessibility, representation, and inclusion at its heart

Together, we explored what it means to regenerate – our systems, our spaces, our relationships—and how we can act collectively to shape a more hopeful future.

The Conference

With the theme of Regeneration, we explored how communities can achieve holistic regeneration that enhances their overall well-being, resilience, and vitality.

Featuring the Rose Hill Arts Centre, The House Outside, Kula CIC, Men in Sheds and the University of Derby and other purpose-driven organisations, we heard how effective regeneration efforts require collaboration, innovation, and long-term commitment from all stakeholders to create lasting positive change.

Lunch was provided by local social enterprise Saffron Kitchen CIC.

Saffron Kitchen started life as a mid-day meal delivery service for elderly and vulnerable people and carers. They knew from their our own members of the Asian Association of Chesterfield and N. Derbyshire , associate members and a wider community survey that a need existed.

Over the past four years, Saffron Kitchen has grown to expand their services to event catering and the launch of their own line of ready meals.