This blog shares our process of developing a youth friendly tool for making sense of the nuance of societal structures.
Earthlings
We all know that our societies are not adapting at the speed and scale needed to avoid ecosystem collapse. But we are also failing to respond at a cultural level—the crisis which we have inherited is the result of a complex web of practices, infrastructures, technologies and socio-cultural values - a polycrisis.
To navigate this polycrisis we need to change ourselves: our thoughts, behaviours, values and our relationships to the planet and one another. This is not just a technological challenge but a challenge to our collective and cultural imagination. And its a challenge where the cultural sector can take a leading role.
We think that more diverse, and more ambitious public engagement must be a central component in our climate policy and action. It is a key—and neglected—pathway to bringing a better future closer.
Read our report on the challenges with public engagement on climate.
Convening public conversations to explore more diverse stories about where we are, how we got here, and what futures we can choose together.
Creating better opportunities for citizens to engage in public debate and policy, with a particular focus on upstream sense-making and planning functions.
Convening public conversations to explore more diverse stories about where we are, how we got here, and what futures we can choose together.
Futurall, is a creative studio for people led change. Their work combines at-scale public engagement with values-based, collective reimagining for systems change. While playful in form and interaction, their work looks to challenge dominant narratives, subvert power structures and equip people with the tools to be agents of change. Futurall have partnered with organisations such as Nesta, The Fitzwilliam Museum, The Design Museum, The European Commission, Science Gallery and the Scottish Government on projects that connect designed experiences to policy influencing and social change.
David Gunn is creative strategist with twenty years experience working at the intersection of culture, commerce and social good. He has led the development of high-profile climate action campaigns and platforms with partners including President Obama, UNEP, TED, COP26, David Attenborough, Netflix, Count Us In, Sky and others.
Mark Workman is a specialist in Strategic Foresight with a particular focus on climate futures and energy transition. He was a contributing author for the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2022) and is currently an Affiliate Researcher at Imperial College London.
Are you a Museum or gallery who wants to better leverage your collections to systematically engage with climate change? Collaborate with us to develop new prototypes of public engagement, that use social science and culture to broaden the conversation and galvanise citizen action.
This is a long term programme to advocate for a sector wide shift in public engagement around climate. If you're a funder, policy maker, curator or cultural institution we invite you to come on a journey with us.
