DEMOCRACY ESCAPE ROOM

Fix the System or Replace it?
Political Imagination in Action

By Michael Damman & Maaike Berthoud

 Ideas / Action | Fri 9th Oct | 6 - 8.30 pm

We feel stuck. Representative democracy is failing to meet the challenges of our era. Is reform possible or is something more radical required?

Come spend your Friday evening in our unconventional Democracy Escape Room to discover what ways-out are available to us today to get unstuck from the impasse. This is an immersive and entertaining session of vision-building and strategising to repair and reinvigorate our democracy. It also involves fun and games because democracy resets come with energised citizens.

With the guidance of two experienced facilitators, Michaël and Maaike, we'll expose structural flaws in our political system and propose democratic innovations to address them. We'll identify what's most urgent, question proposals and assess their merits, determining what it would take - legally, politically, strategically - to implement any of the solutions. Together, we'll construct a viable way out and a credible path to enact the solutions.

Expect real talk and honest debate about turning frustration into action. Expect to find community and gain an invigorated spirit. You'll leave with the tools to imagine what's next, and concrete ways for committed action. 

DINNER OPTION AVAILABLE AFTER THE SESSION

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ABOUT THE HOSTS

Michaël Damman brings a rare combination of anthropological insight and hands-on organisational experience to the field of democratic innovation. Having spent many years working across the socio-cultural, educational, and psychosocial sectors, he has developed a deep, practice-based understanding of how groups think, decide, and act together. He is particularly drawn to questions of collective intelligence, citizen participation, and shared governance - not as abstract ideals, but as processes that can be designed, tested, and improved. At the Brussels Citizens' Assembly, he coordinates evaluations and designs interactive formats that give citizens real ownership of pluralist information. At Agora.brussels, he builds partnerships with associations advancing democratic renewal. He's also part of the Belgian democratic reform movement Démocratie XXL, advocating for expanding citizens' political rights through direct and deliberative democracy.

Maaike Berthoud boats an exceptional blend of theoretical insight and hands-on creative experience. As a theatre teacher and director with a background in participatory democracy, she embodies a unique approach to political engagement, bringing together academic rigor and the arts. Previously a political consultant at Dreamocracy, her talent for fostering collaboration and encouraging innovative thinking has helped to creatively integrate diverse perspectives in political contexts.

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ADDITIONAL INFO

FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium <30	Available on request