Future
Narratives
Lab
On many major social challenges we face, our ingrained conventional understandings and mental models, or ‘narratives’, limit the terms of debate, trapping us in narrow and destructive patterns of action.
The Future Narratives Lab works to analyse and understand these narratives, and translate that knowledge into practical steps to create and propagate alternatives.
Messaging & Framing
Working with organisations to tackle communications challenges, and escape damaging frames
Convening & Organising
Building power through workshops, events, and training, and establishing new networks and communities
Creative & Tools
Translating research into effective tools and media content, improved through testing & iteration
Narrative Project
With Land We Can: changing the narrative of land in the UK
What would take to shift the way we think about land in the UK, and to recognise its crucial role at the intersection of our many social and economic challenges?
Working with Shared Assets and Land in Our Names, with support from the Emerging Futures Fund of the National Lottery Community Fund, the Lab has been working to design the beginnings of a new narrative for land in the UK, as the basis for more productive social action.
You can see one of the outputs of this work by watching the short film opposite, or find out more in the article linked below.
Messaging & Framing
AI Messaging Guide for NEON
In collaboration with New Economy Organisers Network, we’ve developed a Messaging Guide for progressive campaigners on Artificial Intelligence. As a rapidly evolving subject, its a living document which will update and change over time, but we hope it represents an important first step in pushing back against corporate frames of inevitability and fear that have dominated recent discussion. More to come in this area soon.
Public Event
Escape from Humanity: the narratives behind Big Tech
In 2021 we held a session exploring the narratives that have shaped the technology platforms now playing a greater role than ever in our culture and society. We were joined by:
- Dr Kanta Dihal – Senior Research Fellow and project lead of the Global AI Narratives project at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge
- Jeannette Estruth, Assistant Professor of American History at Bard College, Faculty Associate at the Harvard University Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.
- Michael Sacasas, Editor The Convivial Society, Author of the ‘The Frailest Thing: 10 years of thinking about technology’
- Daniel Stanley, Founder & CEO – Future Narratives Lab