Why

Often community involvement in future related decisions are around immediate and specific issues. By using applied science fiction as a tool in participatory foresight, this project is looking at a 30-year horizon through a fictional lens, enabling those who take part to think in everyday terms about what and how they want their local area to become in the future, grounded in the plausibility that the subject specialists bring to the process.

What

The project is made up of different stages, gradually increasing its reach at each stage.

Six local specialists were recruited, covering future looking themes, for example: sustainable biotechnology such as algae and bioplastics, retail and the high street, food production, urban landscape and architecture, biology of ageing, and food security.

Five people from the local community joined the project – a mix of those who live and work in the area.

These eleven people joined the project’s applied science fiction practitioner (Stephen Oram) and the participatory foresight social scientist (Dr. Christine Aicardi) in a workshop to discuss the potential futures. The subject specialists brought their particular knowledge to the discussion and the local residents brought their expert knowledge and perspective of the local area to the discussion. Through creating a ‘level playing field’ between all these experts, the discussion was both informed and holistic.

Leading on from the workshop, three short stories (10 minutes each in length) were written by the project authors (Ana Sun, Penny Walker and Stephen Oram), in collaboration with Christine and in consultation with the workshop attendees. These stories, designed to highlight some of the pluses and minuses of these possible futures, are being used in interactive public events to open the conversation up more widely. The workshop attendees are encouraged to attend public events and engage in the conversation.

This approach has been tried and tested by Stephen and Christine over the past 9 years, particularly in projects with: Furtherfield’s Citizen Sci-fi to celebrate 150 years of Finsbury Park; with the thinktank Cybersalon; and multiple projects with King’s College London. Each project has its own ‘flavour’ but have similar underpinning principles.

Additionally, documenting the process from beginning to end is important for transparency and for other areas to use as a guide in their localities i.e. the process, but also to give sense of what was discussed, what was important, public reaction etc.

When

April 2025 onwards (the first public event is 10 August at the Fitzrovia Fete, Foley Street.)

Who (so far)

The subject specialists are: Dr. Bradley Elliot, Reader in Ageing Physiology (University of Westminster); Prof. Catherine Loveday (University of Westminster); Eva Pascoe (The Retail Practice); Dr. Pooja Basnett and Abdiqani Ibrahim Osman (The Cavendish Living Lab); Dr. Rachel Benchekroun (UCL); and Prof. Tim Waterman (Bartlett School of Architecture).

The fitzrovians from the local community are: Barbara Corr; David J. Phillips; Garry Hunter FRGS; Helena Roden; and Pam Fish.

Some of our participants are able to think about fitzrovia from more than one viewpoint. For example, Tim Waterman is also a long-term resident and Garry Hunter is Arts Advisor to the Institute for Healthy Urban Living at Westminster University.

Alongside the participants, the following people are leading, advising or supporting the project: The Fitzrovia Community Centre; Dr Lewis Dartnell, professor of science communication at the University of Westminster; Ana Sun, speculative fiction author; Penny Walker, author; Dr Christine Aicardi, Senior Research Fellow, King’s College London and specialist in participatory foresight; Stephen Oram, social science fiction author and applied science fiction practitioner; and Elijah Rosney, videographer.

Legacy

Ideally, this project alongside the previous Finsbury Park project will provide a template and a proof of concept for similar projects around the UK, all with their own local flavour but within the broad parameters devised through the course of this project. Once established, this methodology can be rolled out in any area of any country.