Testing a toolkit for imagination
By: Lizzie Bird
How do we have meaningful conversations about the future, especially when it can feel abstract or overwhelming? I tested the toolkit Futures Bazaar, and this is what happened.
In my role as an intern at Folke, I’ve been exploring practical ways to make future-thinking more tangible, collaborative, and creative.
Rethinking the future
One toolkit I recently tested is the Futures Bazaar, a workshop format developed by the BBC - https://www.bbc.co.uk/gel/features/futures-bazaar-toolkit. Designed as a hands-on, participatory experience, the Futures Bazaar invites people to “shop” for possible futures using prompts, scenario cards, and creative exercises.
It draws on futures thinking and speculative design to help participants imagine different possibilities and reflect on the kind of world they want to help shape. The materials are freely downloadable, making it accessible for anyone curious to try it out.
Ideas for greener cities
A few weeks ago, I ran a trial session with some willing volunteers. Having never attended one before, I was curious to see how the tools would work in practice. The structured steps guided our group of 4 from broad thinking into more focused ideas, and the format made it surprisingly easy to engage in future-oriented conversations without getting stuck in abstraction.
As we moved through the workshop, the group identified a theme to explore further. This was exploring greener cities of the future. By the end, we had developed two project ideas that captured this direction.
The first, Supercharged Health Extractor, imagines small, everyday interventions designed to boost joy and optimism. The second, Seed U 2morrow, explores how we might reconnect people with nature by distributing seeds through local networks, turning communication into something that literally grows.
Testing the Futures Bazaar showed me how the right tools can open up space for imagination, dialogue, and concrete ideas. Conversations about the future don’t have to be distant or theoretical, they can be grounded, creative, and even a little playful.
