Long-term thinking

Drawing of people in nature collectively imagining multiple alternative futures towards a guiding star

If we expand our understanding of cultural democracy to include future generations and the rest of the natural world then we unlock the potential for cultural acts that are conducive to all life, to long-term thinking, and a flourishing future for people and planet.

A 100 year timeframe helps us expand our horizons to consider the rest of nature, as well as future generations, to disrupt the usual concentrations of organisational power as well as encouraging futures consciousness in our cultural practice. It also expands who has responsibility for the cultural landscape to a much wider web of people.

We have learnt during the first year of animation of this 100 year cultural strategy in action that the practice of long term thinking is really hard in a world that is culturally bound to short-termism. We have discovered that nurturing a cultural legacy mindset feels more and less comfortable or important to different people in different roles and contexts within the cultural ecosystem. This can relate to the precarity of a creative life as much as the typically short timescales that shape the systems we work within.  However, we have seen a number of creatives and ecosystem stewards lean into long-term thinking in their creative practice and develop projects that lift up longer timeframes and circles of accountability in relation to: land connections, cultural heritage, intergenerational justice, nature (intra)connection, or climate and social crisis.

Long-term thinking in practice

Since autumn 2020 CoLab Dudley has used the concept of ‘Time Rebels’ as a convening call for a collective of creatives and people who have other roles in our local cultural ecology.

The Time Rebels of Dudley co-create experiments rooted in nurturing collective imagination capacity and creative animation of ‘What If’ questions that help invite local people to think about the future in many different and unusual ways.

An architecture student standing in front of their work, holding a sign that reads 'What if our culture and stories rekindled lost connections on Dudley High Street?
Two people sitting at a table covered with colourful pieces of paper on Dudley High Street next to a sign reading 'write a poem for future Dudley'
Colourful text reading 'Live 2031 The Time Rebels' above an ink drawing of a green leaf with radiating yellow lines within pink brickwork as part of Juneau Project's activity to design a future band poster
A group of people in sunshine at Bumble Hole Nature Reserve
A textile wall hanging with large red writing reading 'Dudley present future' and intricately stitched Priory Park, Dudley Castle and Dudley Zoo reimagined in the future with more nature, biodiversity and renewable energy, as part of the Stitchers in
A cork board wall covered in colourful cards with different 'What if...?' questions

Long-term thinking in action…

Stories of Place is a monthly and seasonal gathering of curious people to explore the stories that have been found and created on Dudley High Street and to collectively prototype experiments inspired by these stories.

This ritual with place invites us to be in relation with land and nature and uses nature-inspired observation, sensing and connection activities to grow an archive of place-based stories that inform community-led climate action.

Stories of Place draws on collage, photos, stories, poetry, sounds, maps, research from the past, present and future (as imaginaries) of Dudley High Street, and invites us to reflect on these in relation to past and future generations. It helps us prototype experiments now to bring us closer to imagined futures.

Afro Histories Dudley exhibition of photos and stories from Dudley's Black community with a banana plant
A sign on a model of Dudley High Street reading 'Got a story to share? (real or imagined) - add a scroll of the past to the High Street model, capture the present in a polaroid (write, draw...), make a mini zine of future dreams'

Navigation Tools: Patterns and Principles

An ecological understanding of culture draws lessons from healthy living systems patterns. These patterns can encourage our cultural actions to be regenerative. Use the Patterns Canvas in the Dudley Creates Navigation Guide to try designing from patterns to details, zooming out before you create detailed plans.

Doughnut Economics explores the mindsets and ways of thinking needed for humanity to thrive in the 21st century, meeting the needs of all people within the means of the living planet. The Principles Canvas in the Dudley Creates Navigation Guide invites you to think through your everyday actions and your plans using Doughnut Economics Principles of Practice.