Curious Shapes is a strategy, research, and communications collective working at the intersection of technology, democracy, and social change. For over a decade, we've collaborated with civil society organizations, movements, technologists, tool developers, and funders across the world to understand complex challenges and develop effective, creative approaches to building power and protecting rights in difficult contexts.

Why We Exist

We formed as a collective because we were frustrated with how calcified the pro-democracy and human rights space had become. The pattern was predictable: research something, write a report, do a training, go to a conference, count people in the room, maybe some policymaker outreach. It circulated in the same places and didn't build real change or connections.

We wanted to work differently. More collaborative. More creative. More focused on what actually works on the ground rather than what looks good in a theory of change document. We wanted to center the people doing this work in risky contexts and build genuine infrastructure for learning and innovation, not just more convenings and reports.

So we started experimenting. We brought together people who don't usually collaborate: lawyers with fiction writers, technologists with musicians, youth activists with policymakers, organizers across regions facing similar repression. We developed research methodologies that are rigorous but also actionable for communities working in crisis. We created spaces where movements could identify urgent challenges together, develop solutions collaboratively, and share what worked so others didn't have to reinvent the wheel.

What we Believe

Communities in at-risk contexts are the experts on what they need and what works. Our job is to facilitate, support, and amplify their knowledge, not parachute in with solutions.

Innovation is already happening in movements around the world, but it's often happening in isolation. We build infrastructure for genuine relationships across borders - connections where organizers share strategic information, learn from each other's contexts, and build long-term solidarity.

Democracy work needs to feel exciting and relevant, not like homework. When we connect organizers with cultural producers, technologists with storytellers, we make complex issues accessible and movements more effective.

Impact in restrictive contexts looks different than traditional metrics. We've developed approaches to tracking incremental progress, understanding what really matters to communities, and demonstrating success in ways that don't put people at risk.

Sustainable Movements Need Sustainable Communities. We prioritize joy, creativity, and mutual support as organizing strategies, not luxuries - because movements that burn people out don't last, and change takes longer than any single campaign.

Who We Work With

We collaborate with a wide range of partners:

• Civil society organizations and movements working on digital rights, democratic participation, human rights, and internet freedom in complex and at-risk contexts

• Technology developers and tool providers building security, anti-censorship, and organizing tools for high-risk communities

• Funders and implementing organizations looking to understand impact, improve strategy, or develop more effective programming in restrictive environments

• Journalists, researchers, and cultural producers working at the intersection of technology, rights, and democracy

• Networks and coalitions coordinating across borders on shared challenges

How We Work

Centering Communities & Managing Risk

We've spent over a decade building relationships in internet freedom, digital rights, and pro-democracy communities globally. We understand the complex realities these communities navigate: operating under surveillance, managing trauma, working with limited resources, responding to constant crises.

Our approach prioritizes:

• Active listening and continuous feedback rather than imposing predetermined solutions

• Rigorous security protocols for all communications, research, events, and content production in at-risk contexts

• Transparency about power dynamics and recognition that local actors are the experts on their contexts

• Flexibility and adaptability because crisis work doesn't follow neat timelines

• Long-term relationship building rather than extractive, transactional engagements

Collaborative Methodology

We believe the best solutions emerge from bringing together diverse expertise and perspectives. Our work typically involves:

• Co-creation with communities rather than top-down program design

• Interdisciplinary collaboration connecting technologists, organizers, cultural producers, lawyers, researchers

• Cross-regional learning so innovations travel and movements don't reinvent the wheel

• Evidence-informed strategy based on rigorous research and user needs

• Iteration and adaptation based on what's working and what's not

Global Networks

Our team has extensive networks across:

• Civil society and activist networks in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East

• Internet freedom and digital rights organizations globally

• Network measurement organizations and technical researchers

• Anti-censorship tool providers and security tool developers

• Media freedom and journalist protection organizations

• Regional organizations and policymaker networks

• Cultural producers, artists, and content creators working on social issues

• Donor and funder communities

These relationships enable us to connect clients with relevant expertise, facilitate cross-border collaboration, and ensure our work is grounded in current realities across contexts.