Prototyping Utopias is a project that aims to bring together local organisations and communities in the place of Bow in East London to explore the potential of a collaborative economy of visions and skills in creating Bow as a future utopia.
The project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as part of their 2016 Connected Communities Research Festival inspired by the 500th anniversary of the publication of Thomas More’s Utopia.
‘Utopian thinking’, as the construction of ideal worlds, or ideal futures, is intrinsically tied to ‘design thinking’, imagining and shaping futures through the construction of versions or prototypes of these realities. This proposal essentially explores a highly contested relationship: how a process of prototyping U-topias through participatory creative practices is linked with Eu-topias, the shaping of better places. Central to this exploration is the notion of collaborative economy, the sharing of skills, assets and ideas to prototype utopias.
The project will deliver two open day events in Bow on the 30th of April and the 21st of May 2016. The first is focussed on ‘dreaming’ and the second on ‘prototyping’. More information on the activities can be found on the home page. Outputs from the activities will be shared at a major public exhibition, the Utopia Fair at Somerset House in central London, between 24th and 26th June 2016.
The Prototyping Utopias project is led by the Open University and The Glass-House Community Led Design in collaboration with Bow Arts, Bow Church, Bromley by Bow Centre and Poplar HARCA.
The project is now completed: you can view the final report here.
The project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as part of their 2016 Connected Communities Research Festival inspired by the 500th anniversary of the publication of Thomas More’s Utopia.
‘Utopian thinking’, as the construction of ideal worlds, or ideal futures, is intrinsically tied to ‘design thinking’, imagining and shaping futures through the construction of versions or prototypes of these realities. This proposal essentially explores a highly contested relationship: how a process of prototyping U-topias through participatory creative practices is linked with Eu-topias, the shaping of better places. Central to this exploration is the notion of collaborative economy, the sharing of skills, assets and ideas to prototype utopias.
The project will deliver two open day events in Bow on the 30th of April and the 21st of May 2016. The first is focussed on ‘dreaming’ and the second on ‘prototyping’. More information on the activities can be found on the home page. Outputs from the activities will be shared at a major public exhibition, the Utopia Fair at Somerset House in central London, between 24th and 26th June 2016.
The Prototyping Utopias project is led by the Open University and The Glass-House Community Led Design in collaboration with Bow Arts, Bow Church, Bromley by Bow Centre and Poplar HARCA.
The project is now completed: you can view the final report here.
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