The Art of Futures Thinking

On-site in Copenhagen

Learn how to use futures as a creative and critical lens to inform the present

This course sharpens the participants ability to harness their imagination through Futures Thinking and Futures Literacy, an essential 21st-century skills for imagining, questioning, and shaping alternative futures. Leaning on Futures Literacy principles, it encourages collective intelligence and divergent thinking to expand perspectives and embrace and appreciate the value of not-knowing.

Through a mix of theory and practice, the course will challenge assumptions, encourage curiosity, and foster a mindset open to uncertainty and emergence. Participants will engage in challenging images and narratives about the future, uncovering assumptions and biases, practicing storytelling and prototyping to challenge assumptions, shift dominant narratives, and spark new questions and create a futures mindset.

Instead of treating the future as something to predict or control, participants will learn to use it as a creative, critical lens, gaining a deeper sense of complexity, anticipation, and agency.

Who is this for?

This course is designed for anyone intrigued to learn from envisioning futures through dynamic exercises, creative friction, stretching conventional thinking beyond boundaries, and cultivating a mindset to embrace uncertainty as a resource.

‍If you are more interestedin learning about strategic foresight, we recommend our Applied Strategic Foresight course.

Location

Copenhagen

Time

9.00 - 17.00 Local Time

Dates Available

November 27 - 28

Price

2000 EUR (+ 25% VAT)

Learning Outcomes

Using futures to inform the present: You will develop theability to anticipate, negotiate, and respond to emerging and alternativefutures, to raise new questions and novel possibilities, that can informresearch, strategy, innovation, and creative work - leveraging the future toguide present actions.
Futures Literacy Fundamentals: You will gain a foundational understanding of futures thinking and futures literacy, as well as the methodologies and tools required to question established beliefs and assumptions, challenge limiting perspectives and open up spaces for alternative imaginaries.
Explore Alternative Futures: Engage in collaborative and creative processes to unfoldpotential futures, through storytelling, speculative practices, and othermethods, to create alternative narratives of what the future might hold.
Revealing Assumptions: You will learn to identify and critically reflect onthe underlying assumptions, biases, and narratives that shape how we and organisationsor communities, perceive the future.

Course Modules

Futures Thinking and Futures Literacy: Learn the core principles and frameworks of futures thinking and futures literacy to build the mindset and tools needed for navigating uncertainty and complexity.
Challenging Dominant Images of The Future: Explore and critically assess prevailing images of the future, investigating where they originate, whose interests they serve, and who may be left out.
Unfolding Alternative Futures: Develop the ability to imagine and articulate provocative, creative, and inclusive alternative futures through structured and speculative methods.
Revealing Assumptions: Learn to uncover and critically examine the underlying assumptions, biases and mentalmodels that influence how we perceive the future.
‍Worlding the Future: Use storytelling and futures tools to build compelling, alternative future worlds based on transformed assumptions and new perspectives.
‍Questions About Today from the Future: Learn to use imagined futures as a lens to generate critical questions about the present.
Prototyping with Futures in mind: Translate insights from alternative future into ideas or prototypes that inspire new ways of thinking, acting, and designing in the present.

Format

The course takes place over two full days in Copenhagen.
‍
This course is designed to create a collaborative environment of divergent thinking, knowledge sharing and exploration, consisting of presentations, co-creation and reflection. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with methods and practices in a collaborative setting, gaining hands-on experience and shared discussions and reflections.

Seats are limited to ensure personal attention and meaningful interaction with the instructors and fellow participants.

Course includes

Live instruction and facilitation by CIFS advisors/futurists
Course material (provided prior to course) and presenter slides
‍LinkedIn certificate of course completion badge
Free 1-year personal Futures Membership of CIFS (not including shipping costs on FARSIGHT outside of Denmark)
Light breakfast, lunch, and refreshments on each course day

In case of cancellation, please read our course cancellation policy.

Please note that we charge Danish VAT.
You may as a foreign organisation, however, subsequently claim refund of the VAT from the tax authorities.

For more details on our courses contact courses@cifs.dk

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