In June I had the privilege of participating in the first convening of Disruptive Imaginings, a project lead by One Earth and their partners that brought together 26 experts from sustainability, futures, and art for a week long retreat on Wasan Island in Ontario's lake country.
What was on the table?
How to "engage people in imagining possibilities and world making."
Our theory: through the arts.
Through conversations, demonstrations, and even games, the group tackled tough questions about emergence, resiliency, artistic agency, and many, many others as they related to re-framing public perspective on possibilities for the future. Going into the week, I was not even fully aware of what the field of 'futures' entailed. Realizing how design is being used in futures work blew my previously narrow concept of 'design' wide open and was one of the my biggest take-aways from the week.
The five days also created plenty of time space to get to know the incredibly fascinating people in attendance. I can not thank One Earth, Musagetes, and the McConnell Foundation enough for inviting me to participate.
There is much more to come from the Disruptive Imaginings collective! Stay tuned.
In the mean time... more of the majesty of Wasan Island:
