Set sail with us for Islands of Hope, 9-11 September 2026 - a free, online festival where imagination meets possibility.
Building on the award-winning spirit of previous Islands of Innovation adventures (ALT Team Award 2025, ALT Community Choice Award 2025), this year we invite you to journey with us toward hope— for our world, our students, our colleagues, and ourselves. Together, we'll explore new horizons of teaching, learning, and connection in a vibrant, collaborative space.
Across three days of synchronous and asynchronous encounters, you'll drift between experiences, discover new ideas, and co-create with a global community of academics, academic developers, learning technologists, and third-space professionals. Whether you dip in for the synchronous opening or closing keynote or immerse yourself in the full voyage, there’s a place for you on this island.
We’re delighted to welcome Dr Sandra Abegglen as our opening keynote explorer, guiding us through the stories, insights, and inspirations from her edited collection Stories of Hope and Dr Elizabeth Munro will close our festival journey with her keynote on Discovering Contemplative Possibilities in your Teaching.
Please register for either or both keynotes via our Eventbrite.
Come curious. Come creative. Come hopeful.
Join us as we chart a shared journey toward brighter futures.
Programme
Synchronous activities
Wed 9 September 2026
13.00-14.30 BST / 20:00-21:30 CST
20.00-21.00 BST / 03:00-04:00 CST (10/09/2026 CST)
#LTHE chat, Islands of Hope via Bluesky
Friday 11 September 2026
13.00-14.30 BST / 20:00-21:30 CST
Keynote: Dr Elizabeth Munro, Discovering Contemplative Possibilities in your Teaching.
Followed by an opportunity to contribute a patch to a digital 'quilt of hope', led by Dr Charlotte Stevens from #creativeHE.
Asynchronous activities
9-11 September 2026
Come and explore our Islands of Hope and create your own. We are going to build our Islands of Hope around five elements:
- Wood (Growth, expansion, and spring)
- Fire (Energy, passion, and summer)
- Earth (Stability, balance, and late summer)
- Metal (Structure, harvesting, and autumn)
- Water (Adaptability, rest, and winter)
More detail will be available soon.
For more information on taking part in future similar events, contact cie@liverpool.ac.uk.
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