News / bristol pound
Way Out Economics conference to take place in Bristol
The focus of an upcoming new conference offers “a way out of our mainstream economic system malaise”.
The Way Out Economics event, hosted by Bristol Pay, will cover fairer forms of money and trade, non-financial values, alternative approaches to ownership and how to change the way people think about the economy and their place in it.
It comes as the organisation formerly known as the Bristol Pound looks set to mothball its operations after a failed bid to raise the money required to build the Bristol Pay platform.
Writing in the Bristol Pay newsletter update, managing director Diana Finch says the news is a “huge disappointment” as she shifts focus to leaving a legacy of the Bristol Pound a decade after it was first launched.
It’s with this in mind that the conference is planned for October 4 at St Anne’s House in Brislington to bring together “new economic thinkers and doers from around the UK and beyond”.
Making the announcement about the future of Bristol Pay, Finch said: “Despite our best efforts at fundraising via a range of methods, we’ve not yet managed to raise the funds to build the platform for City Pay and Bristol Pay.
“This is a huge disappointment of course. We’ve extended the runway for as long as possible by scaling right back over the last year but the end of the runway is now approaching and, unless funding or a new partnership emerges in the next couple of months, we’ll have to mothball operations.
“We hope to keep the websites live for a year, and I’m personally committed to volunteering my time to promote our work as much as I can. But realistically my focus for the next couple of months will be on leaving a legacy for our work. It’s with that in mind that I’m arranging the conference and writing a book documenting the story of the Bristol Pound and Bristol Pay.”
The news comes almost a year after Bristol Pound notes were withdrawn from circulation and the organisation said it would focus efforts on the development of Bristol Pay, a non-profit payment platform with the aim of raising funds for social and environmental projects around the city.
Diana Finch is focusing efforts on the legacy of Bristol Pound – photo: Ellie Pipe
Finch says the upcoming hybrid conference will have “provocations, not presentations and open spaces, not panel discussions” with the precise content of the day will be determined by the participants themselves.”
People can sign up to the Way Out Economics conference via: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing?embed&eid=31372.
Free tickets are available but attendees are encourage to pay if they can afford to to ensure the conference breaks even.
Main photo: Diana Finch/ Bristol Pound CIC
Read more: End of the line for Bristol Pound after nearly a decade
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