We love speaking about these topics and welcome all chances to share our enthusiasm about them with others. We’ve presented keynotes at conferences, engaged with departments and teams, at schools, at art events and the list goes on.
Starter Programme
The starter programme typically lasts 8 weeks. First we work to understand more deeply the aspirations of the group and any important contextual information. We then design and create a bespoke experience for the group and the context. In some circumstances, there can be extra benefit to hosting sessions in person. We believe this is particularly true when groups of people are working on a specific project together that requires novel ideas and ways of approaching and engaging with the topic. In these cases, we work with the group to co-design a more intensive programme.
We will however (in general) follow these key steps:
Host a weekly or bi-weekly online session with participants.
Design a space for them to explore themselves and the context they are in.
Provide ‘unusual or strange’ provocations weekly.
Facilitate group to explore the provocation with each other, as well as its relevance to their initiative.
At the end of the of the programme we sense-make the entire experience with the group, and work through how to apply these new perspectives to their complex and entangled challenges.
Mark Leckey, “Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore”(Still), 1999
Research to further the concept
Our research explores models that are frequently used within current social change and social impact initiatives. However, it also seeks to ‘unearth’ models that are not being consciously used, but exist nonetheless.Think indigenous knowledge, music or arts, queer, unpublished work or any work that does not make it into the mainstream (and many many more).
Lastly it explores models that are seen as emerging practices. The intent is to codify and weave how we currently consciously think about creating change, with how we are unconsciously influenced by a much greater plethora of models, concepts and approaches. We have conducted elements of this research in different guises throughout the past 10+ years, which gives us clues about where to go looking for new and/or unusual , how to read weak signals, practice in codification as well as experience in how to synthesise lots of small discoveries into a bigger picture.
We welcome funding, fellowship or other similar opportunities, as these are critical to dedicate deep time and focus into this area. With a funding opportunity dedicated to this research, our aim would be to synthesise, build and publish new open source models for others to experiment and play with.
Thinkers in Residence
Thinkers in Residence
is best understood as a think-tank-like, residency inspired programme dedicated to forging profound connections. The programme is built around a vital enquiry, which is defined as a topic, problem or question that preoccupies the group and unfolds over an extended period of time.
Read testimonials from our participants below!
Everything was strange ... everything ... the format, the participants, the topics, the expectations – everything was unusual. It didn’t match what I do at my computer every day. That’s what kept me coming back.
Lisa RobinsonBBC Media Action I became a sponge. And I kept putting drops of everything I soaked up into everything that I was doing. So the effect and the impact was huge – it even impacted the way I spoke about things.
Diane DrubayWe Are Museums The format presented such a fantastic tool for governments, organisations, and companies: they could present a problem to an amazing group of thinkers and get their problem dissected. In a matter of hours they could have a map of different inspirations and reflections that could help unlock solutions to that problem. That is incredibly valuable. If you put a problem in front of this group, you’re going to get an accelerated understanding of how to solve it.
Next problem!
Kalle Hellzen 180 Amsterdam “If we're talking in the language of symbols or images, it was a bit scary at times, a bit disturbing because you didn't quite know how you should navigate in that language or in that landscape. You didn't quite know in which country you were in. But you would always come to places where you hadn't been before.”
Anne-Sofie Norn UN Live - Museum for United Nations