Castlemaine Festival for Democracy
Thursday 12 November 2026
10:00 am – 9:30 pm | The Mill, 1/9 Walker St, Castlemaine
What if our democracy was truly citizen led? What if it wasn't just about elections?
Join Really Local and the Castlemaine Institute for a day of conversation, ideas and connection exploring what a genuinely citizen-led democracy could look like. In a moment when cynicism about politics runs deep, this is a chance to step back from the despair and practise imagining what a stronger, more participatory democracy could feel like, and what it would take to build it.
Come to one session or register for all. All are welcome.
Program
01
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Shedshaker Taproom
The What: models of citizen-led democracy
We open with a public forum asking: what if our democracy was genuinely citizen led? Speakers share new models for citizen-led democracy, before an interactive session invites everyone in the room to explore what it could actually mean for us, here in Victoria.
With: Zoe Daniel · Kate Lawrence · Voices for Bendigo · Mount Alexander Peoples’ Assembly team (Really Local)
Lunch
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Shedshaker Taproom
Lunch is provided by Shedshaker Taproom for morning and afternoon ticket holders.
02
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Shedshaker Taproom
The How: workshops to build the skills democracy needs
Interactive workshops to build the muscles democracy needs: listening, negotiating, disagreeing and finding common ground. Featuring Australia’s first Democracy Fitness session, led by We Do Democracy from Copenhagen; ‘democracy games’ with ProSocial World; and a hands-on session on decision-making roles to practise making hard decisions together.
With: Linea Sveistrup · Lucy Mayes & Paul Atkins · Jim Buckell
03
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Boomtown Winery
The Launch: dinner for democracy
The day closes with dinner and the official launch of the Mount Alexander Peoples’ Assembly. Iain Walker from the newDemocracy Foundation shares global insights on citizens’ assemblies, followed by an open invitation to help shape how our new local assembly runs. Musical MC Will Tait hosts the night, sharing stories from the day and corralling the room to ‘write a letter’, which he’ll put to music for the night’s celebratory finale.
With: Iain Walker · Will Tait · Mount Alexander Peoples’ Assembly
Speakers and session leads
Zoe Daniel
Former Independent MP for Goldstein
01 The What
Zoe Daniel spent nearly three decades as an ABC journalist, including as Africa correspondent, Southeast Asia correspondent and Washington bureau chief. She was the independent federal Member for Goldstein from 2022 to 2025. She is now the inaugural Independent Chair of Mental Health Victoria and an advocate and advisor on democracy, including through the Fair Elections Case in the High Court.
Kate Lawrence
Host, Democracy After Disaster
01 The What
Kate Lawrence is an independent audio producer and storyteller based in Macedon, and founder of Story Ground. A former community bushfire educator and local government recovery officer, she made Democracy After Disaster, a nine-part documentary podcast on how communities affected by disaster can lead their own recovery. The series won the Investigative Journalism category at the Australian Audio Awards.
Voices for Bendigo
Grassroots community movement
01 The What
A community-led, non-partisan movement inspired by Voices for Indi, launched in October 2026 and spanning Rochester, Heathcote, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Kyneton and the communities in between. It aims to give local people more say in the decisions that affect them.
Linea Sveistrup
We Do Democracy, Copenhagen
02 The How
Linea Sveistrup joins from We Do Democracy, a Copenhagen-based advisory that designs and runs citizens’ assemblies, panels and councils across the Nordic region. She leads Australia’s first Democracy Fitness session: short, practical exercises developed in Denmark, each training one ‘democracy muscle’ such as active listening, empathy, compromise or disagreement.
Lucy Mayes & Paul Atkins
ProSocial World
02 The How
Lucy Mayes is a strategic facilitator who helps teams, partnerships and communities move from talk to traction, drawing on a background as a lawyer, social worker and company director.
Dr Paul Atkins is an organisational psychologist and Associate Professor at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. He co-founded ProSocial World and is lead author of Prosocial: Using Evolutionary Science to Build Productive, Equitable, and Collaborative Groups.
Jim Buckell
Really Local / Groupwork Centre
02 The How
Jim Buckell is a facilitator, trainer and writer with the Groupwork Centre, which has supported social and environmental justice groups since 1984, and a member of the Really Local committee. A former journalist with The Australian and ABC Radio, he helped Indigenous broadcasters in Central Australia set up CAAMA and Imparja.
Iain Walker
newDemocracy Foundation
03 The Launch
Iain Walker led the newDemocracy Foundation as Executive Director from 2011 to 2026 and is now its Director of Advocacy. He has run more than 30 deliberative processes for local and state governments, including long-term financial planning for the City of Melbourne, and is an author of the UN Handbook on Citizens’ Assemblies.
Will Tait
Musical MC
03 The Launch
Will Tait is an MC, facilitator, writer, performer and musician, and an Associate of the Castlemaine Institute. For many years he was the resident ‘Musical Philosopher’ for Future Crunch, writing songs for their stage shows, and he co-hosts Pockets Full of Change on Castlemaine’s MainFM.
Mount Alexander Peoples’ Assembly
Really Local
01 The What · 03 The Launch
A community-led citizens’ assembly being built by Really Local. Between 20 and 40 residents, chosen by lottery to reflect the shire, will be paid for their time to hear from experts and community members and make recommendations on a local issue. It launches officially at the Dinner for Democracy.
Tickets
Tickets are available for each session, or for the whole day, with full-price and cost-conscious options. Lunch is included for morning and afternoon ticket holders.
Want to host an event as part of the festival? Get in touch: connect@reallylocal.au
Presented by
Really Local, a Castlemaine-based community group trialling local innovations that return people to the heart of our democracy, and the Castlemaine Institute, a not-for-profit research and learning organisation working for thriving economies, communities and landscapes.
With support from the newDemocracy Foundation.