Public futures cafe
Michael Dobbie, Meryl Karlson

creative neighbours developing unique local forms of self-education, wellness, care, mutual aid and collective wisdom

The Public Futures Cafe is a laboratory for a new social creativity. Local neighbourhood space to explore and develop (in neuro-diverse ways) culture for unpredictable times. This is space for collective dreaming, sense making, collaboration, creation and action…being able to sit with uncertainty, to check-in, re-imagine and innovate futures that reflect unique local realities in the moment as needed. It’s safe experimental ground for the kind of human messiness, mistake-making and intuitions that are necessary for sustainable social creativity and innovation. This is neighbours inspired to engage in their own unique way, discovering what ‘citizen’ means for them.
Our times call for a re-inventing of the spaces in which we live, learn, work, play, re-create and heal. This is complex design for the average person but in collective wisdom with others new ways of living and being do emerge. As creative beings we have abilities to both build and take centre stage for new stories, rituals and practices of futures arising.
Placemaking is a living, changing human process where local potential and resources are made conscious and visible for all to feel inspired to engage. This is a model, a prototype for public space becoming personal, citizens embodied as the commons themselves.
Have a tea, get comfortable, dream, reflect. Bring your current work, artistic/creative process, somatic practice, your maker project, craft, propose a social issue or idea. We invite listening, curiosity, dialogue. Self organising we work alone and together, we deliberate and plan, improvise and play with available elements.