Episode 4 – Spaces for Collective Imagining
Episode 4
In this episode, we talk to Cat Zuzarte Tully and Abi Nokes of School of International Futures (SOIF) about the practice of foresight and what distinguishes SOIF’s approach from other futurists. We explore intersections with network practice and what it looks like to convene people to deliberately shape futures together.
Cat and Abi share what it takes to host interactive foresight sessions that promote psychological safety conducive to collectively imagining futures. They talk about challenging dominant patterns of thinking and navigating power dynamics to envision alternative pathways that put intergenerational fairness at the forefront. They shine a light on how responsible leaders can democratize the ways in which we engage with signals of the future that are here with us now.
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This Episode Features…
Cat Zuzarte Tully – Managing Director of the School of International Futures (SOIF)
Cat Zuzarte Tully leads the School of International Futures (SOIF), a not-for-profit international collective of practitioners based in the UK who use futures thinking to inspire change at the local, national and global levels. SOIF has worked with organisations like the UN, Omidyar, NATO, the Royal Society and national governments to make the world fairer for current and future generations. SOIF also supports a growing network of Next Generation Foresight Practitioners.
Previously, Cat served as Strategy Project Director at the UK Foreign Office and as Policy Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. She is a non-resident fellow at the US Government Accountability Office’s Center for Strategic Foresight and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Chilean Council of Foresight and Strategy.
Cat’s mission is to inspire individuals, communities, organisations and governments to reinvigorate democracy by designing, scaling and embedding a range of innovations incorporating thinking about the future.
Abi Nokes – Director of Networks at School of International Futures (SOIF)
Abi has been building her network-weaving practice for the last 12 years, and is committing to supporting the development of networks that systemically make the world fairer.
Abi joined the SOIF team in March 2022 as the Director of Networks to support the seeding and strengthening of networks across SOIF’s work and ecosystem including our NGFP network, our alumni community and practice-based learning networks, among others.
Prior to joining SOIF, Abi led an advisory and field-building organisation around networks called inHive, where she worked with foundations, civil society organisations and youth networks to design networks that create more equitable opportunities for young people.
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And your co-hosts, Elsa Henderson & Carri Munn.