PublicSpaces Conference 2026: Open Social Awards Call Now Open
9 Apr 2026
The upcoming PublicSpaces Conference 2026 in Amsterdam (4 – 6 June) will bring together organisations, practitioners and policymakers working to shape digital spaces grounded in public values. The European Cultural Foundation supports this work as part of its commitment to strengthening European digital citizenship and advancing alternative approaches to the design and governance of digital infrastructures.
As part of this year’s programme, New_ Public, PublicSpaces and Waag Futurelab are launching the first Open Social Awards on 5 June 2026. The awards recognise projects developing decentralised social media and open technologies, highlighting approaches that prioritise transparency, interoperability and accountability in digital environments.
Applications are now open to developers and teams working with open social protocols such as ATProtocol and ActivityPub. The awards include a €10,000 grand prize and two €5,000 Excellence Awards, and will be selected by an independent jury that includes Audrey Tang and Mike Masnick.
