The Earthstronauts

What? An interactive, in-person workshop designed to help participants launch and/or supercharge ideas and projects driving Europe and North Africa’s energy transition. The event will centre on boosting participants’ storytelling and communications skills, and will include the opportunity to pitch for additional funding to help your idea take off.
When? Monday 24th – Thursday 27th June, 2024
Where? Türkiye (just outside of Istanbul).
Who for? People with big, bold ideas. We’re particularly interested in applicants from the Mediterranean region, especially Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Türkiye, Italy and Spain. You can apply as an individual or as two people from the same project (note you should both complete the application form).

More and more people are coming together to accelerate the transition to clean renewable energy, leading efforts at the local level that are inspiring global change.

These people are driving the energy transition in local communities through projects such as regenerative farms, energy cooperatives and more. While big political decisions set us on the course toward clean energy, it’s local people and projects that are having a positive effect on day-to-day life.

These future-minded, big-picture thinkers and local doers are what we call “Earthstronauts”, and we want to supercharge their efforts.

What is an Earthstronaut?

“Earthstronauts” have all the pioneering qualities of an astronaut, but they’re focused on the changes needed here on Earth.

They’re pioneers, they’re grounded visionaries, and they’re making change through bold, collective action.

Are you an Earthstronaut?

Do you have a project or idea that tells a story of the energy transition that people can relate to?
Are you taking your town off the grid, putting solar panels on a school, or managing an energy-efficient renovation of your local community centre?
Perhaps you are an engaged citizen or part of a small local group — working with communities like farmers or fishermen, mayors or mothers, coastal communities or rural residents?
Or maybe you need money or expertise to make your idea happen, scale it up, or share what worked and how other people could do the same?

If any of that sounds like you, you’re an Earthstronaut! Apply here

We’re looking to support projects that can help drive Europe’s and North Africa’s energy transition

The European Climate Foundation and the Pooled Fund on International Energy, with support from Dancing Fox, are looking to support small projects that have the potential to make a big impact when it comes to driving Europe’s and North Africa’s energy transition.

If you have a project that more people should know about or a success story that needs amplification — then we want to help you. This might be through supporting you to learn new skills, providing insights and ideas, growing your network, providing additional funding, or all of the above!

We’re particularly interested in people who have never had funding before, who are not part of the world of foundations and NGOs, and who work with people in towns and communities outside urban centres.

What’s more, the ECF is ready to make funding available to help take your ideas to the next level. At a similar event last year, well over EUR 100,000 in funding was allocated to qualifying projects.

What to expect

We’ll select 30 of the most promising candidates to gather in Türkiye for a four-day, interactive training where we’ll collectively learn new skills and sharpen our ideas.

You’ll be given the opportunity to pitch your biggest, boldest ideas for the chance to make them a reality or to replicate them far and wide. We encourage project teams to apply in pairs (although individuals are welcome too).

This is not an ordinary workshop: it’s an interactive, in-person training and co-creation experience. For four days, you’ll be immersed in a creative hack-a-thon in Türkiye with storytellers from Dancing Fox, energy experts from the ECF, and 30 other creative sparks.

While we don’t guarantee that everyone attending the workshop will get their project funded, we will provide you with new skills, a remarkable experience, and a community of fellow Earthstronauts.

Together we’ll:

Explore the art of culture hacking and invitational organising
Unlock the secrets of being a more confident, magnetic storyteller and presenter
Have a collaborative look at your project through the lenses of narrative hacking, persuasion science and behavioural economics. We’ll think about who your audience is and work with you to figure out what will draw them to your idea
Dive deeply into the worlds of creativity and imagination to supercharge your idea from conception through to launch (and beyond!)

Ideal applicants are

Working on the transition to fossil-free energy
Working at a local level with farmers, school boards, local councils, unions or other civic bodies and professions
Passionate about learning and personal growth
Open and curious about new ideas
Team players

While not excluding applications from other regions, we’re particularly interested in applicants from the Mediterranean and North African regions.

*If you don’t tick all the boxes but think you are a good fit for this training, then please still have the courage to apply.

Please note: Full attendance at the workshop is required. If you cannot attend all four days from Monday 24 – Thursday 27 June, then please do not apply.

How much does all of this cost?

Nothing. We’re covering the cost of the venue, facilitation, food and drink, and your travel to and from the venue.

How to apply and by when?

Fill out the application form. This includes recording a two-minute “elevator pitch” for your idea.

If you are applying as a pair, it would be great to have one video from both of you. (You can either record your video live in the application form with your laptop’s camera or pre-record your pitch on your phone and upload the video when you apply.)

Deadline: extended to May 12th, 2024

Fill out the application form

How will places be allocated?

We’ll consider the quality of your pitch and aim to create a diverse group of participants and ideas, with a majority representation from the Mediterranean coastal states.

In mid-May, we’ll start letting people know who is in and we’ll kick off with an online gathering to prepare you for the event.

If you have questions, please feel free to get in touch with the Dancing Fox team at misterfox@dancing-fox.com and Anton Lazarus at anton.lazarus@europeanclimate.org

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