COLLECTIVE FUTURES FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET

Spaces to explore an emerging field

Practitioners from the field of Collective Futures responded generously and whole heartedly to this global exploration. Sharing with us not just their experience and insights but also their techniques, inspirations and stories in how they navigate this field. We are aware of the potential value of this work for others and have been inspired by the community who engaged. As such we have taken a new interactive approach in sharing our findings.

By bringing together the distilled learning of what participants shared we have developed an open source online space for anyone interested in bringing Collective Futures approaches into their work, communities or organisations.

Interactive exploratory research space

We welcome you to discover our interactive exploratory space, with sections for inspiration, stories, insights, influence and play.

This exploratory space is accessible via Miro, a digital whiteboarding tool. Users can, in their own time, explore and interact with our Collective Futures research, as well as chapters containing a range of different resources and content including:


Shares concepts and different ways of looking and approaching the field of Collective Futures for people and planet.

Shares a growing resource library that might inspire different ways of thinking, doing and knowing.

Shares people’s experience of how this work shows up in practice.

Shares core insights from the research interviews and workshops, both sensemaking and enabling factors.

Shares a clear set of recommendations for policy, funding and decision-makers.

Invites people to explore and be inspired by different tools and resources.

The spaces have been arranged across two concentric circles, the inner circle focuses on our work, and the outer circle on our impact.

Our work

Throughout 2022 we’ve been learning with and from people exploring Collective Futures from around the world. In this section, we share how we framed this this enquiry (‘Space to think’), stories from the people we spoke to (‘Space for stories’) and the inspiration we drew on along the way (‘Space for inspiration’).

Our impact

Our work showed us how much potential there is for Collective Futures to move towards a better world for people and places. Here we share ways that the practice might grow (‘Space for insights’), and how we would like to influence external ecosystem to help the practice flourish (‘Space for influence’). Within the ‘Space for play’ section, we invite you to be part of growing this practice.

Both the ‘Space for inspiration’ and Space for stories’ sections will continue to grow during the coming months.

How can I get involved?

There are many opportunities to get involved with our Collective Futures work whether through engaging with our exploratory space, attending global conversations or events.

Get involved

If you have a question about Collective Futures and our research, or would like to speak to the team, contact us below.

A big thank you to our contributors

We would like to extend a big thank you to all who contributed towards this important research, without whom, this work would not have been possible.

  • UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK
  • 10 UNBOXED Commissions
  • The 14 initial research participants
  • All those who joined our deep dive workshops
  • Speakers from the Creative Conversation sessions
  • The RSA project team

Where to next?

  • Collective Futures

    A global exploration of the potential for collective imagination and creative collaboration to shape better futures for people and planet

  • A new mission: Design for Life

    We are at the start of the latest chapter in the RSA’s rich history as a social change organisation. Read and feedback on our new mission paper, Design for Life.

Updates from the project team

  • Super-nature: shaping how cities feel

    Blog

    Tamsin Hanke Sash Scott

    Super-nature was one of 10 commissions to feature in the 2022 global exploration research project, Collective Futures. Learn about the work and its outputs in this field note.

  • Out of this world

    Blog

    John Peto

    Unboxed's Our Place in Space project convened astronauts, academics, artists, authors and engineers to bring the universe to thrilling life for schoolchildren across the UK.

  • About us: our language has saved us once before

    Blog

    Natasha Ryan

    Our partnership with Unboxed featured 10 major commissions across science, tech, engineering, arts and maths About Us was one of those commissions. Learn more.