Château du Feÿ

Château du Feÿ is a modern utopia in the heart of France’s Burgundy region. In this inspiring space, we connect art, nature, and community with unexpected results. Nestled into its own private forest, the 400-year old Château enjoys a protected status as one of France’s historical gems, while also being a hub of imagination that welcomes international guests to the local area. Each year, artists, philosophers, and future-looking creators live and collaborate in our interdisciplinary commune, which culminates in the Feÿ Arts Festival. The Château also offers year-round events, retreats, and educational programs that expand horizons. Today at Château du Feÿ, people from around the world find a sense of belonging and leverage the power of community to create knowledge, friendships, and meaningful shared experiences. Through our many projects, we experiment with ways of living and revitalization that can be a model for the future. Our creative ecosystem builds bridges between rural and urban populations, between disciplines, and between the world of yesterday and that of tomorrow. Together, we connect the possible and the seemingly impossible.

Our Regenerative Initiatives :

1. Preserving Soil Life and Fertility:

We have devoted time to preserving the fertility of the soil on our 100-acre property such as transforming a mowed grass area into a labyrinth with 2000 indigenous heat-resistant plants. We established a perma- vegetable garden sustained by rainwater collection. We have a strong zero-waste policy and we are now implementing a tree nursery to build living hedges in the region, supporting conventional farmers in transitioning to sustainable farming.

2. Building a Strong Local Community:

We believe a robust local community is the foundation for change and resilience. We mapped all local actors working towards a sustainable transition, created a 1000-member strong Facebook group, and organized more than 50 events focused on sustainability.

3. Cultivating an International Eco-Leaders Community:

Hosting important ecological gatherings like AlterEgo, Convention of Companies for Climate, Eco-Weaving and Rencontres Vivantes, has created a thriving international community of eco-leaders. This network provides a sense of belonging and support for each other in transitioning towards sustainable futures.

4. Promoting a New Ethos for Vendors, Collaborators, and Clients:

We've engaged our vendors, collaborators, and clients in a more sustainable lifestyle through events that advocate for, and educate about, the circular economy. Chateau du Feÿ serves as a transition space for many, fostering a shift in consciousness when it comes to ecology.

5. Renovating Heritage :

To reduce emissions, we have renovated Feÿ utilizing eco materials and slowly replacing the entire energy system. At Feÿ, heritage architects dialogue with the Agency for Ecological Transition. Rather than building new, our philosophy is rooted in the belief that the world should restore its heritage to align with modern expectations. We steadfastly uphold this stance by always restoring instead of buying new.

Through our many projects : we believe that the Chateau du Feÿ project addresses several global challenges by providing innovative local solutions, demonstrating the potential for grassroots initiatives to contribute to broader solutions. Key challenges addressed include:

1. Many rural areas globally face economic decline, population loss, and cultural erosion leading to the rise of conservative policies and anti-EU sentiment. Feÿ revitalizes the poor rural area of Joigny by fostering collaboration among local actors, creating economic opportunities and attracting new people to the area. A replicable example of decentralization.

2. Historic sites worldwide struggle with financial viability, modern cultural relevance and preservation.Feÿ demonstrates how historic chateaux can be financially sustainable through adaptive reuse, providing a model for the preservation and sustainable use of historical spaces globally.

3. Loneliness and isolation has been declared a pandemic by the US surgeon general, with impacts as bad as smoking. Feÿ focuses on community building, holding space for diverse individuals to come together. The project's rituals and methodologies for bringing togetherness serves as local solutions to address global challenges related to social cohesion.
4. The climate crisis and challenge of the sustainable transition. Feÿ implements and educates on sustainable practices and fosters a resilient territory in terms of food and energy supply, demonstrating how small-scale initiatives can serve as examples for other towns in transition.
5. Rethinking our institutions and finding solutions to face the world's crisis. Feÿ is a magnet for many world experts and entrepreneurs in a staggering range of disciplines which has led to global groundbreaking academic advances, projects, communities, companies and nonprofits being created and flourishing at Fey. We accelerate collective intelligence around important topics such as the climate crisis, governance, AI and politics.

What particular initiatives will these funds support?

The funds will be directed to the non-profit "Friends of Fey" responsible to preserve the built, living and natural heritage of the Château du Feÿ. The funds will be strategically invested in optimizing our water system.

Renovation of the two Water Tanks: We will upgrade our existing water tank to increase its efficiency and capacity. This renovation is essential to ensure a reliable water supply, especially during critical growing periods.

Implementation of a new water collection system around the existing well.

Optimization of Rainwater Collection: We will improve our capacity to collect and store rainwater from roofing systems. This enhancement will further secure our water reserves and reduce our dependence on external water sources.

These improvements will support the survival of Feÿ and improve its sustainability, especially the well-being of our vegetable garden (potager) as well as the establishment of a tree nursery: This nursery will provide native trees for local farmers, encouraging the adoption of agroforestry practices that enhance biodiversity and soil health.

By investing in these enhancements, we aim to create a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient water management system that supports our community's agricultural needs and environmental goals.

How will/do you measure or determine the impact of your efforts?

Here are the metrics we will use:

Water Savings: Calculate the reduction in water use by comparing historical usage data before and after the project implementation.

Rainwater Harvesting Yield: Monitor the volume of rainwater collected and utilized. This helps to assess the effectiveness of the new rainwater collection systems.

Reduction in External Water Sources: Measure the decrease in dependency on external water sources, demonstrating the project's impact on increasing water self-sufficiency.