Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums

Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums provides examples of the active and diverse roles that museums are taking  to expand futures thinking in communities, including developing capabilities to envision and enact more prosperous, equitable and sustainable futures.

Edited by Director of MOD. Dr Kristin Alford, the book presents 21 examples that demonstrate how museums are cultivating futures capabilities in diverse global contexts. The volume acknowledges innovative practice, builds a foundation for growing futures work in the museum sector and inspires others in the field to adopt futures frameworks in their practices. This realm of thinking, including components of anticipating futures by exploring drivers of change, imagining immersive experiences of futures, creating tools and methods to enable futures capability, and participatory futures informing museum design practice, provide important responses to a multitude of complex problems like climate change, technological development, and social inequity. The book prompts museums to think about their role in shaping alternative and novel narratives for our future.

With expert contributions from across the world, Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums serves as an essential source of inspiration and information for museum professionals and cultural institutions ready to lead transformative change. It invites academics, futurists, museum professionals, and students to explore how museums can be places that impact change in today’s (and tomorrow’s) world.

Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums is available now and promises to inspire museum professionals worldwide to embed futures thinking within their practices for more thoughtful, prosperous, equitable and sustainable futures for all. Purchase your copy here.