Wow presents… the power of story

eighth action track

The Mencare Summit is organised in partnership with WOW – Women of the World, a UK based organisation who specialise using creativity and expression as transformative tools for sparking joy, creating community, and realising a better future. Since WOW’s inception in 2010, they have created many projects, partnerships and programmes that explore being a man in the 21st Century.

The Mencare Changemakers Journey will mark a key milestone in this work. Alongside the Brazil summit’s seven Changemakers tracks, WOW will present an eighth strand of activity developing the role of arts, festival and storytelling as essential tools for social change.

Policy shifts are vital, but we also know that lasting change happens when culture itself evolves, when people are invited to take part, to discover new perspectives, and to feel included. Through creativity and shared experience, we can reach people and challenge attitudes. 

Across a year-long programme, WOW will be engaging the Changemakers and the wider public, in Rio and beyond, to shape a global festival methodology for Boys and Men; one that can invite wide participation, discussion and share ideas across borders. 

This work will include being on the ground at the 2026 Summit. WOW will convene a group of world leading artists in residence to spearhead this work. Changemakers will then experience first hand the power of festival on Day 3 of the Summit in the centre of Rio in a programme created by WOW. More details coming soon. 

The resulting methodology will be ready in 2026 and will articulate how to work across the sectors of research, advocacy, activists, artists, business, service delivery and policy making to bring stories, new narratives and lived experience to life.