Embodied futures: Weaving futures thinking, applied theatre and community development in creative and participatory embodied practice

Abstract

This practice-led research both bridges, and offers an extension to, the fields of Applied Theatre, Participatory Community Development and Futures Thinking. Through a series of practical workshops, conducted in Australia and Timor-Leste, the study explored what a structurally transformed world might practically be like. Themes discussed in the reflection on practice include: patterns of time and macrohistories; distancing through role and metaphor; and re-contemplating ancestors’ influence on people's worldviews. Outputs from the project include an Illustrated Exercises Book and the Embodied Futures Framework for stepping through stages of change to help groups understand what transforms tomorrow.