Getting energetic with utopias
I’m drafting my ClimateCultures review of Energetic, the book from the Stories of Change project on the past, present and future of energy. I helped organise the 2016 launch conference, with TippingPoint, the Open University and others, and it’s great to see the wealth of thinking and creativity the project’s generated. Energetic includes an account from Dan Barnard of fanSHEN on engaging people with future thinking, and their principles are good ones to adopt and adapt:
“Assume the problem exists”; “Frame questions positively”; “Admit (and celebrate) that all solutions are imperfect and incomplete”; “Make it fun”; “Make it quick”; “Make it personal”; “Give the idea concrete reality”; “Give the global challenge local relevance.” fanSHEN create live events and interactive experiences “to take massive, important subjects and synthesise them into playful, approachable formats.” Their approach to story – clearly shared by Stories of Change generally is key to how we find meaningful and positive ways into the future.