FULLER FUTURES FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE
Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/22/2026 - 04/26/2026
12:00 am
Categories
Fuller Futures Festival 2026 Final
Wednesday, April 22– Sunday, 26, 2026
Southern Illinois University Carbondale in partnership with the City of Carbondale
Inquiries: fullerfutures@siu.edu
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fuller-futures-festival-2026-tickets-1982883347470?aff=oddtdtcreator
Proposal Submissions: buckminsterfuller.com
Reimagining Solutions for the World We Share
From Wednesday, April 22 through Sunday, April 26, 2026, the Fuller Futures Festival & Conference convenes on the
campus of Southern Illinois University and throughout the City of Carbondale for five days of immersive programming
inspired by the unfinished work of Buckminster Fuller.
Fuller challenged humanity to make the world work for 100 percent of humanity. Fuller Futures carries that challenge
forward by gathering artists, designers, scientists, students, civic leaders, and global thinkers to practice comprehensive
systems thinking and collaborative problem solving.
This is a festival and convergence. It is rigorous and celebratory. It invites imagination, experimentation, and
disciplined hope at a time when many are searching for constructive ways to respond to global complexity.
Earth Day Opening Plenary and Celebration- Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The festival opens on Earth Day with Medard Gabel, who will share a brief history of the SIU World Game, and
architect Thomas Zung -both longtime collaborators of Buckminster Fuller. Zung’s more recent work continues to
advance integrative architecture and whole-systems design rooted in Fuller’s philosophy.
The evening concludes with a public Earth Day celebration around Campus Lake featuring Ari Lazer’s geodesic light
installations, music, interactive activities, and an invitation to reimagine Bucky’s Haven as a living site of future design
and experimentation.
The World Game Relaunch- Thursday, April 23, 2026
A central feature of Fuller Futures is the relaunch of the World Game. Originally developed by Buckminster Fuller in
the 1960s during his time at SIU, the World Game was conceived as a global simulation to determine how planetary
resources could be equitably and intelligently distributed to benefit all people.
Medard Gabel, who began working on the World Game with Fuller at SIU and continued its development for decades,
will be present to connect participants to its living history. Gabel’s work bridges early systems modeling and
contemporary global data analysis.
World Game sessions will be facilitated by Ben Lowder and collaborators. Participation is limited to ensure depth of
engagement. Workshop participation is limited to ensure depth of engagement. Advance registration is required.
World Resources Simulation Center: From Global to Local- Friday, April 24, 2026
Hosted by the College of Arts and Media, the World Resources Simulation Center takes a current global issue and
collaboratively scales it from the planetary to local level. Participants work across disciplines to analyze systems,
information, and propose pathways for constructive movement.
Led by Peter Miesen and colleagues, the simulation emphasizes collaboration, practical systems literacy, and shared
responsibility. Workshop participation is limited to ensure depth of engagement. Advance registration is required.
Design Science Studio and Artistic Installations
Art is not peripheral at Fuller Futures. It is foundational.
The Design Science Studio, supported by the Buckminster Fuller Institute, will present its showcase and Design
Science Challenge. Director Roxanna Shohadee and an extended network of artists from across the region and country
will contribute installations, embodied experiences, and cross-disciplinary works inspired by comprehensive design.
Additional hands-on workshops led by Kurt Pryzbilla and Ari Lazer invite participants into material practice, bamboo
dome building, and experimental form-making.
The festival affirms Fuller’s conviction that art and science together shape cultural transformation.
Featured Performances and Presentations- Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, 2026
The acclaimed one-man theatrical work The History and Mystery of the Universe by D.W. Jacobs will be performed at
the Varsity Theater in a three-show run. The play explores Fuller’s life, intellectual struggles, and enduring
commitment to serving humanity through design science.
Confirmed contributors include: Thomas Zung, Medard Gabel, Ben Lowder, Shirly Sharky, Peter Miesen, Roxanna
Shohadee, Kurt Pryzbilla, Ari Lazer, Jeff Perlis, Curt McNamera, Chris Moeller, Nyle Henson, Pat Field Ravasio,
David Shouse.
Submissions received to date reflect international and interdisciplinary interest, including contributions from Brazil,
ocean infrastructure innovators, regenerative design practitioners, sociocracy researchers, systems philosophers, and
architects advancing living material systems
A True Town-and-Gown Event
Fuller Futures is hosted at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in partnership with the Buckminster Fuller Institute
and the Fuller Dome Home Museum and Visitor Center. The City of Carbondale proudly co-hosts the event, reflecting
our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth. As the community where Buckminster Fuller lived
and built his iconic Dome Home, Carbondale continues to serve as a living laboratory for design science and bold civic
imagination.
Campus collaborators include SIU Sustainability, the College of Arts and Media (Design& Architecture schools),
Morris Library, the Sharpe Museum, the University Honors Program, and additional academic and community partners.
One of the pleasant byproducts of the event are the SIU alumni planning to attend, bringing together a dynamic group
that showcases the powerful influence of Buckminster Fuller’s legacy at SIU.
Programming extends beyond campus into the broader Carbondale community, reinforcing the event’s inclusive spirit
and highlighting the unique legacy that is already present in numerous murals, art and domes in town.
International interest continues to grow, underscoring the global relevance of Fuller’s ideas.
Access, Registration, and Support
Students must register but will be admitted at no cost in keeping with Fuller’s belief that the future must be accessible
to all. Community registration is offered through tiered pricing. Those who are able are encouraged to select full-price
registration and/or contribute additional support. Contributions help sustain student access and ensure the widest
possible participation during challenging economic times.
Limited-capacity simulations and workshops require advance registration.
Find the full schedule of daily events listed on Eventbrite page; this will continuously update as programming further
develops.
Inquiries: fullerfutures@siu.edu
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fuller-futures-festival-2026-tickets-1982883347470?aff=oddtdtcreator
Proposal Submissions: buckminsterfuller.com
About Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller was an architect, systems thinker, inventor, and educator, best known for the geodesic dome and for
advancing a philosophy of comprehensive design. He was an SIU professor from 1959-1972 and was deeply influential
for students and community he worked with while in Carbondale and Edwardsville. He is often considered the father of
the modern sustainability movement. He urged humanity to think globally, act responsibly, and use technology in
service of life.
Fuller Futures invites a new generation to continue that work.
Quote from Elizabeth Donoghue (President of the Fuller Dome Home Museum, Assistant Director of the University
Honors Program and Chair of the SIU Sustainability Council)
“Fuller Futures is a convergence that bridges generations, and it is possible because of the legacy Buckminster Fuller
left here at SIU during one of the most prolific periods of his life. We have the immense privilege of welcoming
individuals who worked alongside Fuller, some of them former SIU students, who went on to build remarkable careers
and dedicate their lives to advancing his ideas. Many of them will be together on this campus again for the first time in
decades.
At the same time, we are seeing people emerging from every discipline, from poets to material scientists, who
encountered Fuller’s thinking in their own way and felt changed by it. For many of them, Carbondale and SIU
represent a place that has carried this story forward. To finally gather here feels significant.
And then there are our current students. When you begin talking about Fuller’s optimism and his belief that we can
make the world work for everyone, they recognize themselves in that call. They understand it. As we relaunch the
World Game, host the World Resource Simulation, and welcome artists, designers, and thinkers into the conversation,
you can see that recognition taking root.
To bring all of that together here, in the center of the country, at a moment when the world feels fragmented and
solutions are urgently needed, is powerful. We absolutely honor Fuller’s legacy. But this is not simply about
preservation. It is about practice. Many of his ideas were ahead of their time. The time for them is now.”
Stan Reno, City Manager of Carbondale
“Carbondale has long been a place where bold ideas take root. Hosting Fuller Futures is not only a celebration of
Buckminster Fuller’s legacy here, but also an affirmation of our community’s commitment to innovation,
sustainability, and inclusive opportunity. We are proud to partner with SIU and our cultural institutions to welcome
thinkers and creators from around the world to Carbondale.”
For more information contact Elizabeth Donoghue at 618-525-3099, or via email at elizabeth.donoghue@siu.edu.
For media requests, contact Public Relations Officer, Eva Fisher, at 618-713-0711 or via email at
efisher@carbondaleil.gov.
“Carbondale prides itself on providing its visitors, students, businesses and residents with a unique mix of edge and
ease. It’s a cultural town, yet free of pretense, embracing the great outdoors as readily as urban sophistication. Here,
we are open to new ideas, experiences and cultures, so you are encouraged to both express yourself and be yourself, in
all ways. That’s Carbondale…All Ways Open… for family, fun, business, new ideas and a bright tomorrow.”