Oxford Jam began in 2010 as a fringe event to the Skoll World Forum, offering a fully accessible and open opportunity for anyone to generate sessions around social enterprise themes. P.S. it was initiated by Ben Metz from CIVA, so thank you Ben!

 

Originally based at the Jam Factory, it moved to the Old Fire Station in 2012.

The 3-day event played host to a vast number of sessions with presenters from all over the world. It was a space for the nurturing of social economy and social finance projects.

Themes ranged from the impact of ageing on our economy, through to how to create an Amazon site for rural African farmers.

The main focus for Oxford Jam was around international development and social enterprise. Presenter and attendees were predominately from outside of Oxford.

Sessions would be a few hours long and there would be lots of social and fun wrap-around events including film nights and a cabaret night.

 
 

In 2018, another shift in theme and the focus became looking to Oxford as a place for social and system change. Marmalade started to attract a local Oxford following resulting in more engaged Oxford-based presenters, organisations and attendees.

 
 

Marmalade -  a new sort of spread

2015

In 2015, Oxford Jam became Marmalade. The Old Fire Station started to co-produce with CIVA, the programme developed and there was a shift from social enterprise towards social innovation and social justice.

To allow for in-depth conversations and thought around these topics there were fewer but longer sessions. The Old Fire Station produced an ‘Art Day’ which focused on the cultural sectors relationship with power, money and relationships.

 
 

In 2019, the themes examined were relationships and place. We believe that relationships are the foundation for social change – relationships within organisations, across organisations, and between people with different amounts of power, including those whose voices are rarely heard. We filled the building with fun, patrolled by ‘Insecurity Guards’, a campfire in the evening and a cosy living room during the day.

 

In 2021, we had to re-think Marmalade, and instead of organising lots of in-person events or (yet another) Zoom webinar, we worked with social change organisations to pair people up to talk about the big social change questions. No big conference rooms, no 100-people webinars. Just a new acquaintance and an enriching meaningful discussion. Those discussions were fed back to us and turned into a Marmalade Recipe book.

2023

For 2023, we were back doing what we love - in partnership with Skoll World Forum - getting a bunch of different people in different rooms talking about the importance of change for Oxford. Over 2,000 people signed up to 78 sessions across 18 venues in the city.

 

2024

We look forward to welcoming thousands of people from 9 to 12 April 2024. With 90 sessions to enjoy across 11 venues, there’s something for everyone looking to learn, plan and connect.

We can’t wait to see what you host, the conversations you spark, and the people you meet!

In addition, this year, we’re bringing the arts back into the festival.

The Marmalade Mural will inhabit the large back wall of the lower gallery at the Old Fire Station. It is being created by the artist The Big Orange M.

We will also be hosting a Marmalade exhibition in the upper gallery of the Old Fire Station.  We have three groups presenting work:

Nor Greenlagh from Greenspace. They work in partnership with the young women of NameIt Youth Project, led with youth worker Nafeesa. The are turning their zine and posters into bigger display boards.

Rana Ibrahim for Iraqi Women and War. They are a women's community group that give women who have been affected by conflict an opportunity to process their experiences and tell their stories through art. They are bringing some of their paintings to be displayed in the gallery.

Woven Ink. They are an animation and creative studio that use animation as a powerful and emotive way to share stories and connect people to ideas and lived experiences.