As humans, we have the right to MOVE, and as stakeholders in sport and physical activity it is our duty to help our fellow citizens exercise this right.

The International Sport and Culture Association invites you to experience one of the world’s most dynamic conferences dedicated to sport and physical activity, the MOVE Congress in Birmingham, UK, from 4−6 October 2017.

It’s our Human Right to MOVE, so what’s stopping us?

We see the obstacles every day. The heavy traffic that is a mobile hazard to cyclists. The park you shouldn’t run alone in at night. The staircase in your building that is only for emergencies. The school sports ground that is fenced off after hours. The lack of affordable or convenient activities offered in your community.

Humans have a fundamental right to be active, but urban environments are stripping us of active spaces and restricting us with dangers and barriers that make it harder to keep moving.

The consequence is a ticking physical inactivity time bomb. Inactive people across the globe are at greater risk of poor health and premature death. But a quarter of adults are still not active enough and the prevalence of inactivity is growing among children.

Why you shouldn’t miss the MOVE Congress 2017

This is your opportunity to meet our network of organisations and individuals who are moving people worldwide: our international speakers who are transforming urban spaces, schools and hard-to-reach communities, and reconnecting adults and children with nature; and our partners Birmingham City Council, Sport England, StreetGames, Youth Sport Trust and the Wild Network.

Together, we are the enablers of the human right to MOVE. And the transformation from inactive to active communities starts with us – right now.

Register for the MOVE Congress 2017 now

MOVE Congress 2017 Themes

This year's MOVE Congress themes are:

Track 1 - Day 1

MOVEment Spaces: Reframing urban spaces for physical activity

To many citizens, today’s cities can feel like hostile environments where high-rise buildings, cars, concrete and fences stand as obstacles to exercising outdoors and feeling safe when doing so. Our speakers will draw on their experiences to show how urban spaces can be reframed as active spaces – even in busy and densely populated cities. In this session, we will look at “green” (parks and green spaces), “black” (paved and asphalt spaces) and “blue” (water) settings that can offer solutions to the perceived lack of MOVEment spaces in our cities.

Track 2 - Day 1

ReMOVING barriers – Getting it Right: Engaging hard-to-reach groups in physical activity

Although everyone has the fundamental right to move, many social groups are being left behind when it comes to access and awareness of affordable activities that can enhance their wellbeing. As a result, their physical activity levels tend to be much lower and it can be hard to motivate them to take up or continue activities, especially if they are not tailored to their needs. Join the debate and learn from physical activity initiatives and campaigns that have successfully ReMOVED barriers to reaching the “hard-to-reach”.

Track 3 - Day 2

Me time, wellbeing time, WILD time! Bringing physical activity back to nature

As modern work and technology consume more hours from our day, the need to “create time” is starting to dominate the wellness space: time for ourselves, time to look after our bodies and time to reconnect with nature. MOVE Congress partner The Wild Network believes the answer to combating sedentary behaviour among adults and kids, and reclaiming our “me time” and “wellness time”, is through Wild time. Join this session to discover the advantages of un-taming your physical activity offers and bringing your participants back to nature!

Track 4 - Day 2

Active School Communities: Creating an active culture for every child

Despite physical education reforms in some countries, opportunities for physical activity are still vanishing from the average school day. This session will reveal how different stakeholders are working with schools on innovate approaches to physical activity before, during and after school. Our speakers will show how programmes are targeting children that need the support and confidence to MOVE more, and addressing the physical, social and emotional barriers that their influence their motivation. Discover your role in building active school communities!

Visit the official MOVE Congress 2017 website for more information and programme updates