OUR MISSION
1) Build a space for politics and pop culture
2) save democracy through conversation
3) make democracy accessible to all
ABOUT
DemocraFest is a day festival on 30 AUGUST 2025 in HERTFORDSHIRE, easily accessible from CENTRAL LONDON by public transport, which aims to bring politics into British pop culture.
As two women in their twenties working in Westminster, we know firsthand how EXCLUSIVE politics can be. The Westminster bubble feels SEPARATE from the cultural conversation, while it impacts EVERYTHING around us.
At DemocraFest, we believe ART is political, FILM is political, MUSIC is political, CULTURE is political, EVERYTHING is political.
We believe PROGRESS is CREATIVE.
Politics is EVERYWHERE, it effects every aspect of our lives, and we’re always TALKING about it. So why not make a day of it?
In an age of DIVISION and DISENGAGEMENT, it’s time to come together — to SAVE DEMOCRACY.
DemocraFest 2025 is the inaugural festival of ART and SPEECH. You won’t want to miss this.
OUr STORY
Sophie and Claire met while working in the House of Commons in January 2024. Claire is a 22-year-old American college student, and Sophie is a 29-year-old ex-corporate lawyer. Sophie hatched the idea for DemocraFest during conversations with friends, who felt they had been left behind by Westminster politics. When she met Claire, they bonded over their shared worries of growing political disengagement in the States and UK. They saw joining the growing wave of global democracy festivals as the solution. Together, they founded DemocraFest C.I.C. in March 2024, and are learning more about this new adventure every day.
We are a
community
interest coMPANY.
Every POUND
invested in us
is a POUND
invested in our
mission.
Sophie
Harborne
founder & CEO
Sophie Harborne started her career in corporate law working as a banking lawyer at a magic-circle law firm in London and then Madrid with a stint in a tech start-up. She decided that she wanted to give up the corporate rat race and work in an area which she was truly passionate about. She moved into politics. She currently works as a Parliamentary Researcher in the House of Commons.
Coming into politics as an outsider, Sophie noticed a few things:
(1) The Westminster bubble seemed to keep people out - wasn’t the point of democracy to let people in?
(2) Most of her 20-something friends seemed completely disinterested in politics - what would it take to get young people excited and engaged again?
(3) Why did political events have to be in conference centres with stale sandwiches and hobnob biscuits - does being politically engaged have to feel so stuffy?
She hopes DemocraFest will start a democratic movement in which everyone’s voices can be heard.
sophie.harborne@democrafest.co.uk
Claire
Brennan
Co-FOUNDER
& Marketing manager
Claire Brennan is an undergraduate student in her final year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is from Fort Worth, Texas and moved to London in January 2024 to study politics abroad. She has worked previously as a photojournalist and on numerous political campaigns. She is currently studying political science, history, and data science.
Claire met Sophie while working together as staffers in the House of Commons. Claire’s role at DemocraFest includes producing all photo and video content, building advertisements, managing social media, and managing all film and visual artists spotlighted by the festival. She will return to London prior to the festival in May 2025.
claire.brennan@democrafest.co.uk