INFINITE HOPE WORKSHOP

In this workshop, we help facilitators ignite the civic imagination among their participants. We invite the facilitators and workshop participants (storytellers) to then upload the workshop outcomes (stories generated and insights gained) by following the Atlas of the Civic Imagination "Participate" instructions.

Overview / Intro / Core Idea

The “Infinite Hope - Imagining a Better World” workshop is a future-focused workshop highlighting the power of stories as tools for fostering civic imagination and inspiring real world change. As this title suggests, the focus is on world-building, that is, thinking about what alternative worlds might look like, reading them in relation to our own, and deploying them as a means of expressing and debating visions for what alternatives might be to current conditions. We find that this frees participants from the constraints on the imagination which are posed by a relentless focus on existing constraints which limit the possibilities for change, which results in activists self-censoring themselves.

Highlighting the importance of civic imagination, the workshop leads participants through an exercise of building a future world in which both real and fantastical solutions to cultural, social and political challenges are possible, ultimately leading them to strategize how we may be able to get to this imagined future starting today. The workshop begins with a big picture brainstorm. Working backwards, the participants then break into smaller groups to share insights and build on these imagined worlds to brainstorm character-based narratives of social change set in the shared future world. After working out their stories, the groups are then given a short amount of time to prepare a presentation of their narrative. Encouraging spontaneity and creativity, the final share backs given participants an immediate platform for sharing their stories, creating a sense of community between participants and leading to group dialog and reflection.

In effect, the workshop helps participants brainstorm the full range of possible directions they could go. Many of the political veterans in the organizations we work with have been initially skeptical of what they saw as the ‘escapist’ dimensions of our approach, but they have often rethought this opposition when they see how this approach re-energized participan

Logistics / Nuts and Bolts

Goal: This workshop offers a hands-on opportunity for participants to experience of the imagination as a step towards understanding how alternative narratives can inspire community building and scaffold participation to achieve systemic change. Supported skills include speculative design thinking, narrative construction, and critical thinking. Extension options then connect to participatory media making practices and related production skills.

Participants: Our own experience demonstrates that this workshop is well suited to a broad range of participants, including youth, mixed age groups, administrators, and media professionals. Ideally, this workshop is run with around 30 participants, though smaller and larger groups can be accommodated.

Duration: The basic workshop takes 2 hours, but can fluctuate depending on the number of participants.

Materials needed: The materials needed for this workshop are large flip charts/paper boards for brainstorm or whiteboard and markers, sheets of paper and pencils to support group work, and optionally props for performance (can include wigs, fabric, toys, anything, glue, paper, other

crafting materials).

Space requirements: The workshop calls for space for large group brainstorm (where everyone can see the whiteboard or large flip charts), space for small group work, and space for final performances.

Preparation (what the facilitator should do to prepare): icebreaker prompts, initial brainstorm themes (suggest preparing 6) in advance, with the flexibility of allowing participants to propose some during the workshop session, collect performance props.

RUNNING THE WORKSHOP

Icebreaker (15 minutes)

As participants enter, hand them a card/print out that contains the following prompt:

Think of a story or character that inspires (or inspired) you to think about the future. This story or character could be based in a book, a film, a TV show, a song or any other popular culture narrative format.

Ask them to write down their response on a sheet of paper you just handed them.

Once everyone arrives, go around the room and have everyone say their name and share the popular culture story/character that inspires them when they think about the future. Use the ice breaker as a moment to introduces fictional narratives and storytelling as a powerful tool that helps us express our experiences and connect with others.

Introduction (5 minutes)

Introduce the concept of civic imagination as an approach that aims to open up possibilities, strengthen community, and express goals/dreams. Premised on the need to be able to imagine civic alternatives and possibilities to take constructive/creative action, the civic imagination can help guide action.

Civic Imagination defined: “Before we can change the world, we have to be able to envision the possibility of change, we have to be able to imagine what kinds of change would be desirable, and we have to be able to think of ourselves as people capable of making change. This is what we are calling the Civic Imagination.” (Henry Jenkins 2016)

World building defined: Sometimes associated with science fiction, worldbuilding describes a process in which individuals or groups of individuals build imaginary universes. This approach flips traditional approaches story making on its head as it support the creation of a fictional world in which multiple narratives and elaborate backstories can thrive. It also provides mechanisms for many people to participate in the process of creating and elaborating on the world.

ACTIVITY SERIES

Future World Brainstorm (20 minutes)

Use a board or flipchart. Based on the introduction, participants imagine a future aspirational world set in a specific year (i.e. 2060) where fantastical things are possible (future is a fantasy).

Brainstorm Prompt

In this workshop, we are going to collectively brainstorm a future world one based in the future. For the purposes of the brainstorm, we ask you to temporarily bracket your expectations of how this future world WILL be. Rather, we ask you to focus on how it COULD be, beyond realistic constraints. The fantastical is possible.

Ask participants to brainstorm what the world looks like in terms of key themes, which may include:

Food

Transportation

Education

Communication

Government

Travel

Health

Environment

Media

We recommend that the facilitator seed a few categories that are fairly neutral and then allow the participants to propose more once they understand the process. This will allow the facilitator to understand what the participants think of when they consider the future.

Do not worry if the brainstorm surfaces paradoxical, or even contradictory, future world visions. Resolving and bridging these contradictions will be supported through the story making process detailed in the next section.

If you feel that participants may hesitate to participate immediately in a freewheeling brainstorm you may be consider including interim steps to get the process started. One such step could include alternative brainstorm methods. You may choose to create the topics for the brainstorm and write them on a whiteboard one by one. Then pause, let people write ideas on post-it notes, place them on the board and then talk about them together. If you have a large number of participants, you may also choose to use tools like word clouds to support the brainstorm process.

Story Making (20 minutes)

Break participants into smaller groups to come up with narrative of a story that happened in this world and relates to one of the themes fleshed out in the brainstorm. To do this have each group identify (and claim) one area of the brainstormed future world. Ask them to claim it by circling the area they choose. This first and foremost a story making activity, rather than one that tells stories. The fictional narrative should tell a story that was one step along the way to the world of 2060 surfaced through the brainstorm.

The narrative needs to incorporate the following:

● a character, group of characters, or a community,

● a conflict (something happens in the story)

● a resolution to the conflict or a partial resolution is somehow reached through a series of narrative twists

● Which of the areas included in the brainstorm resonated for you?

● Why do you care about these issues?

● What would need to happen between today and the world of the future to make this happen?

● What may be one step along the way?

● Why may take this step?

● Under what circumstances?

● What may they do? And how?

● What would this lead to?

Circulate and spend time with each group as they work on making their stories. If you see that a group is struggling try to help them by asking some of the following questions:

● Which of the areas included in the brainstorm resonated for you?

● Why do you care about these issues?

● What would need to happen between today and the world of the future to make this happen?

● What may be one step along the way?

● Why may take this step?

● Under what circumstances?

● What may they do? And how?

● What would this lead to?

Performance Planning (15 minutes)

Ask the participants to come up with a way to ‘perform’ the story back to the whole group. They should aim to make their performance should be 1-2 minutes long. Key elements of performance must include:

Some sort of action

Everyone in Group

Narration

Some of the participants may worry about the performance, reassure them that such nervousness is normal and that we realize that they do not have enough time to rehearse and perfect their performance. In fact, the improvisational elements are key to the workshop process.

You may want to provide participants with assorted props to help them prepare for the performance. These can be anything you feel could appropriate and is available to you.

Performance! (20 minutes)

Each group shares back their story through a short performance. Allow each group to perform, but carefully calculate the time it will take to get through the performances as this will vary depending on the number of groups you have.

If you realize you are absolutely running out of time, you may choose to only have a few of the groups perform. This is not ideal as it undercut the community building aspect of the workshop, but it will still allow you to accomplish many of the workshop’s goals.

As the facilitator keep careful track of the stories presented.

Move into a final reflection where you ask participants to consider the following questions:

● What did you notice in each story presented?

● What stood out to you?

● How did change occur?

● What may we be able to relate these observations to the way change occurs in the world around you?

● What did you notice about yourself, the other participants throughout this process?

● How can the imagination serve us in our civic lives?

Conclude the debrief with a return to the definition of the civic imagination and sharing of poetry outlined in Part 6.

Adding Stories to Atlas

Follow the instructions provided in the Facilitator section of the site and invite workshop participants to create brief (written, audio, video) summaries of their sessions. If you have internet connectivity, ask them to use the code you provided to upload their stories using the code you provide them.

If you do not have internet at the workshop site, collect your participant stories and upload them later as as a group of summaries.