2026 re-imagining
Where we started - the 2025 Festival
In 2025, the March Festival included 14 events, across 9 cities and two countries with around 650 registrations, all achieved through a volunteer run approach with no funding. Contributors included organisations such as TACSI, CPI, Town Team Movement (now DoingCo) and UTS as well as many public employees. The Mandarin newspaper promoted the Festival and published specific contributions. Survey and follow-up feedback was very positive.
We were thrilled with how the inaugural Festival turned out — the burst of energy, the ideas, the gratitude we felt from and toward everyone involved.
The 2026 retreat - what is CBF going forward?
The retreat was an opportunity for us to reflect on what emerged from the inaugural Australia and New Zealand Festival and consider where we can add the greatest value over the next few years. We took time to work out how we wanted to work together and the qualities we wanted to express.
Our distributed, grassroots approach has worked well and we’re proud that we created something valuable. But we want to build on it. A genuine community is beginning to form with a shared commitment to improving public systems through creative practice.
The retreat confirmed that our interest has shifted from creating a major annual event to experimenting with different ways to strengthen the field of creative bureaucracy across Australia and New Zealand.
But what does that look like?
It is a project-led approach based on small, practical and visible initiatives, each sponsored by one of us. This is our 'minimum viable big idea', 'smallest thing with significant impact' and 'building just enough structure to support the work' approach.
Our focus is on the practitioner community and in creating 'third places' for officer level public servants and local change makers. It is here we see the greatest need. We will start by creating useful resources, sharing interesting practice and exploring shared dilemmas. We want to create momentum without the need for significant organisational infrastructure.
This is all developing but here’s a look at what those 'projects’ look like at the moment.
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PURPOSE
Capture interviews, conversations, podcasts and written stories that celebrate creative bureaucrats and practitioners working to improve public systems.
CONTRIBUTION
Make local practice visible, generate examples and shared learning, and help others understand the Hub and where they might contribute.
EARLY ACTION
Begin with a small, visible series and identify an informal lead.
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PURPOSE
To grow creative bureaucracy and inspire curiosity through practical action
CONTRIBUTION
Strengthen community-led practice and public sector capability by helping practitioners learn from one another, share experience and build confidence across organisational boundaries.
EARLY ACTION
Choose one practical workshop or resource that can begin with little infrastructure or funding.
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PURPOSE
Build a clearer picture of the creative bureaucracy and public innovation landscape across Australia and New Zealand.
CONTRIBUTION
Identify existing initiatives, potential collaborators and opportunities for greater connection, making it easier for people to orient themselves and participate.
EARLY ACTION
Begin a shared map of people, organisations, initiatives and emerging opportunities.
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PURPOSE
One of two proposed formats for informal cross-public-service conversations.
CONTRIBUTION
Create space for practitioners from different jurisdictions and sectors to share experiences and explore how public service culture continues to evolve.
EARLY ACTION
Develop the format through a small recurring conversation, then clarify its audience, cadence and role within the Hub
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PURPOSE
A complementary proposed format within the cross-public-service conversation stream.
CONTRIBUTION
Bring practitioners together across organisational boundaries to support one another, compare experience and continue the conversation about changing public service culture.
EARLY ACTION
Pilot the format alongside Culture Club and define the distinctive contribution of each
