Glossary

Collective Imagination is a multidisciplinary practice(s) involving a group or community who come together to dream into, rehearse and enact different possible futures. This has the potential to illuminate pathways forwards, as well as to unsettle the status quo.

It is about growing our capacity to shift perception and reveal how unsustainable and incongruous many dominant systems are. The methods, tools, and infrastructures that are part of this field of practice emphasise our interdependence, exploring what the collective can dream and build that an individual cannot.

It is related to, but distinct from, complimentary ideas and approaches such as futures & foresight work (which focus more on scanning the horizon of what is already coming, rather than creating the conditions to imagine and construct new, alternative futures), narrative work (which shapes our understanding of the world, but does not necessarily open the door to radically reimagining it), and deliberative democracy (which enables people to come together to collectively decide upon the future, but does not in and of itself require that future to be different from the present).

We’ve used the term ‘Collective Imagination’ throughout this toolkit - however it’s important to acknowledge that it is one term used in a field that has many different and growing terms. We see some of these as distinct, like the Ecological Imagination or the Black Imagination, and some which can be used interchangeably, like Civic Imagination or Social Imagination or Public Imagination.

Ecological imagination allows us to go beyond a relationship with the earth that is merely transactional or extractive. It refers to our ability (as humans) to envision and understand complex interactions within ecological systems, and to think creatively about the relationships between different components of ecosystems. It also refers to the wisdom inherent in nature, and invites that wisdom to act upon human systems and environments. By practising ecological imagination, we can dream with the Earth, and the Earth can dream with us. Together, we can envision possible futures and solutions that enhance the sustainability and health of the whole.

Foresight involves the ability to anticipate potential future events, trends, and developments, and to plan or prepare accordingly. It combines elements of prediction, planning, and proactive thinking. Foresight is not just about predicting the future, but also about understanding the potential implications of current actions and trends, and using this understanding to make informed decisions that shape future outcomes.

The term ‘imagination infrastructures’ acknowledges that the work of imagination requires long-term investment and maintenance for it to continue functioning well and serving its community(ies). It acknowledges that imagination is not an individual pursuit, but a collective one, that requires investing in sites of practice such as relational, material, social, civic, and natural world infrastructures, as well as laying the ground for ongoing practice through tools, programmes and projects, creating a mycelial web of support for the collective imagination practices. These practices can help to build up and maintain the collective muscle of imagination, with cumulative effects that then make other things possible.

These infrastructures are not static. To be able to imagine a new world, and to live into that imaginary, we need imagination infrastructures that are in a continual process of becoming. Imagination infrastructure designs and builds not scaffolds to hold up a known future, but playgrounds upon which new (and old) imaginaries can play, learn, interact and conjure.

Kinship extends to those considered part of one's family or close relational network, even if there is no biological or legal tie. This broader understanding acknowledges that relationships akin to family can be formed through emotional bonds, shared experiences, and mutual support. Concepts of kinship can also expand to include non-human entities such as animals, plants, and ecosystems. This expansion reflects an ecological or spiritual recognition of interconnectedness across living systems, emphasising that humans are part of a larger community of life that deserves care and respect. Such a view is often associated with indigenous worldviews and contemporary ecological thought, where the notion of being "kin" includes a moral and ethical dimension of living in harmony with nature.

Life-affirming infrastructure refers to systems and structures that are designed and operated in ways that support the well-being of all forms of life and the health of ecosystems. This concept goes beyond the basic functionality and efficiency typically associated with infrastructure, integrating principles of sustainability, ecological balance, and social equity.

A "paradigm shift" refers to a fundamental change in the underlying assumptions or methodologies within any theory or discipline. This term, popularised by philosopher Thomas Kuhn in his work on the history of science, describes a transformation in the accepted norms, values, and practices that govern a field, often leading to new frameworks and perspectives that differ radically from previous ones.

A polycrisis refers to a cluster of interconnected crises that mutually reinforce and exacerbate each other, spanning across different domains such as economics, environment, politics, and social structures. A polycrisis is characterised by the interaction of various global or regional problems that create a compounded effect, making solutions more challenging and impacts more severe.

A metacrisis refers to an overarching crisis of the systems that underpin society, including economic, political, educational, and cultural systems. A metacrisis reflects a deeper and more systemic dysfunction or failure that impacts multiple aspects of human civilization. It points to fundamental flaws or inadequacies in how societies operate and address problems, suggesting that traditional methods of crisis management are insufficient or part of the problem.

Somatics is a term used to describe a field of study and practice that focuses on the body as perceived from within. This approach emphasises the internal experience of the body, incorporating the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. It involves the exploration of physical movements, awareness practices, and therapeutic techniques to enhance bodily perception and function and to internalise knowledge that is felt and lived, or ‘embodied knowledge.’

The term "sympoiesis," which stands for "making-with," is a concept developed by scholars like Donna Haraway to describe systems that do not have self-contained boundaries but are complex, interdependent, and co-evolving. This concept is used in social and cultural theory to emphasise the interconnectedness and collaborative processes of living and nonliving actors in systems.

Systems change refers to a broad, transformational process that affects the fundamental aspects of a system, including its structures, practices, policies, and power dynamics. It goes beyond addressing symptoms or making incremental improvements; it targets the underlying causes and mechanisms that produce issues.