SG - Utopian thinking: A crisis of imagination?

About Open Mind Lab series Exploring Utopias: Imagining Alternative Worlds

In a world of both plenty and plenty of longing, rapid digitalisation of our daily lives, and ongoing global crises, how can we make sense of ‘utopia’?

Are utopias a window into a brighter future - alternative horizons to set sail for - or are they false political promises fuelling dystopian realities? Where is the line between utopia and dystopia?

Popular literature and the media brim with dystopian works, whereas the existence of utopias has dwindled. This could be seen as a reflection of our current times, growing disappointment and a loss of hope. Do we face a crisis of imagination and could a renewal of utopias fuel hope? Or can we shed a different light on the power of imagination and re-fuel our abilities to construct narratives of alternative realities?

Come on a journey with us through historical and contemporary works of utopian and dystopia expressed through literature, philosophy and art as we critique and celebrate their contributions, analyse their political groundings and question the place of utopian thinking today.

Across two evenings, we will explore some of the fundamental paradoxes of utopian ideals, such as happiness, freedom and desire. Through talks from inspiring guest speakers, interactive theatre and other engaging participatory methods, come and dream with us, feel hopeless with us, learn with us, and create a unique, collaborative utopian narrative!

About Utopian thinking: A crisis of imagination?

Is there a crisis of imagination? Is there a place for utopian an dystopian thinking in the problems and challenges that we face today? Do we need utopian thinking at all? And if so, what will it look like? During this interactive dialogue we will explore these questions together. Come and join us to discuss several samples of utopian and dystopian narratives from literature and philosophy. Through a fishbowl discussion we will explore what we can learn from these examples and how they are relevant in today’s world. Next to that, we will experience the challenges and possibilities of utopian thinking ourselves, by imagining our own utopias through short exercises.