Harnessing the Arts for Futures Thinking and Planning

Creative Futures at the University of Galway and the Futures Thinking Forum invite you to participate in

Harnessing the Arts for Futures Thinking and Planning

Incorporating new tools and methods for thinking about and planning for different possible futures is increasingly a key feature of work across a variety of sectors in Ireland, including the public sector. In this half day workshop participants will be introduced to creative approaches to harnessing the arts and literature to imagine and explore possible futures from multiple perspectives. The hands-on practical element of the day allows professionals working in research, practice and/or policy environments to experience using the Literary Futures approach to create and interrogate their own imagined futures and consider the challenges that might emerge were these worlds to come into existence, including, for example, the effect of any unintended consequences on different stakeholders and communities. The workshop will also explore the ways that Literary Futures might contribute to the day-to-day work of participants.

Literary Futures workshops, developed at the Universities of Lancaster and Galway, are designed to be accessible and empowering. All activities are easily replicated and can be used in a variety of planning, research or policy situations. They also encourage communication and collaboration among different stakeholders at a time when multiple voices feed into and influence policy decisions and approaches.

This event responds to the OPSI / OECD Policy Brief, ‘Towards a Strategic Foresight System in Ireland’ and the ongoing ‘Strengthening Policy Making and Foresight in the Irish Public Service’ project. Literary Futures is a method that can be used within this wider foresight landscape. It contributes to the ‘Strengthening Policy Making and Foresight in the Irish Public Service’ project’s aims of supporting organisations and departments make sense of and act upon different ideas of the future, informing better decisions about the future that require action today.

Registration is essential. Spaces on this workshop are limited.
No previous experience is necessary.

Programme:
12.30 – 1.00: Buffet lunch on arrival

1.00 – 1:30 Testimonies from Futurists in the UK and Irish Public Sectors

1:30-3.30: Literary Futures Workshop

3.30 – 4.00: Break

4.00 – 5.00: Group Reflection: The Practical Implications of Literary Futures In/for the wider Futures Thinking Landscape

If you have any questions please contact Dr Orla Lehane orla.lehane@universityofgalway.ie or Dr Maria Roca Lizarazu maria.rocalizarazu@universityofgalway.ie