What Is MenFest

MenFest is about building community.

Bringing together an Annual Gathering of men and men-centric organisations to share, present, perform and teach.

A taster of all the amazing workshops, retreats, books, podcasts, discussions, etc., that are created and presented for men to explore and celebrate – being men and building the future we desire – together.

Since our first gathering in 2019, MenFest has hosted some of the world’s leading voices in healthy masculinity, ethical approaches and sustainable practices. We’ve also had a whole lot of fun and a chance to kick back and relax.

MenFest is an opportunity for you to help co-create a safe space and a strong community – through Radical Participation, Radical Diversity and Radical Inclusion – to bring and share our gifts and offerings with other men over four amazing days!

If you, or someone you love, identifies with the label ‘man’, you/they are invited to attend our annual MenFest Gathering!

Creating New Culture

MenFest is NOT a typical ‘festival’!
 
It is a not-for-profit, volunteer-led gathering. We’re not selling some drink to all of our attendees for corporate sponsorship. There are no VIP areas. We don’t hire in headliners. We don’t offer ‘free tickets’ based on a man’s empirical past because at MenFest each man’s gifts are worth as much as the next man’s…
 
Each man books his place or is given support from more abundant men or organisations to stand in circle. Through equity, to equality. Each man then has the opportunity to bring his gifts to share with the community that we co-create.
 
For us to go forward and handle the issues we face as men, in creating a fair and just society representative of healthy masculinity, we need a stepping off point. This is that point.
 
We, men, gather to honour where we’ve come from and the lessons we’ve learned, to arrive in and recharge our bodies, to share ideas, stories, ambitions, struggles, successes, wisdom, rites and recipes, to care for one another and to have FUN! Together. Now.

Building Healthy Community

Humans have been sitting in circles, in all cultures, from ancient times. In those circles, brothers and friends found solutions to their problems, managed conflict, made conscious decisions, they laughed and played, celebrated and grieved together and learned about the flow of life.

At MenFest, we seek to emulate this as a circle of circles, honouring and bringing members’ own groups, organisations and circles together and encouraging every man to grow their own support networks.

We Stand Together

In support of…

Inclusion and Diversity

We stand together – with only one commonality – identifying each as a man. All colours, all sexualities, all religions, all nationalities, all abilities and other identity markers are welcome. We acknowledge the wrongs done to certain groups and we strive for healing and reconciliation.

Women

We stand together in support of the women in our lives, their wisdom, circles and gatherings. We are mindful of the wrongs men have done and continue to do to women and we seek lessons in healthy masculinity so we may honour women and the feminine – as we honour ourselves.

Environment

We stand together in appreciation of the natural world. We are mindful of the harms that continue to be done to our planet. We seek to heal and regenerate a healthy relationship with Earth.

Core Values

In creating the community experience of exploring and co-mentoring, we are guided by the following values:

Compassion

We start from a place of compassion for the joy and tragedy, the complexity of the human condition and the inherent flaws every person will always possess.

Humility

We accept that we will occasionally meet our shadow sides and we commit to listen and learn from our co-mentors in those moments. We agree to practice being centred in our truth and come from humility beyond dogma.

Courage

We will nonviolently and compassionately address the questions, frustrations and confusions around the Masculine within ourselves, as parents, teachers, and within all our communities with respect and dignity for people with differing experiences.

Integrity

We seek to embrace the current human condition, with all of our faults and foibles, as we strive to create ‘Thriving Life’ and incentivise modern society to live sustainably in right relationship and realise lasting harmony between all sexes, creeds and nations.

Balance

We respond to the issues we face as Men, in ourselves, in our families and in our communities with the full breadth and depth of our abilities for self care, to practice showing up – acknowledging, adjusting and balancing our shadows – while appreciating our need for community.