Designated, organised cohousing is still marginal; it certainly isn’t how the majority of the western world lives. What’s interesting about this article from Curbed is the insight into why there is a reluctance to organise communities like this in certain cultures. Is there a fear that a shared and varied influence on a child’s upbringing…
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We’re so excited to bring you the news that the first performance-based Cultural Residency at the Imagination Lab, the Institute of Imagination’s events space, will be BitterSuite‘s project, The Firebird Lab. The residency explores our Imagination Matters theme Empathy and will be series of multi-sensory workshops exploring the theme, using Stravinsky’s The Firebird as a…
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Here’s an interesting initiative from the US Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC). We love ‘imaginings’ – a combination of community, culture and creative thinking. It’s a really refreshing take on public consultation and grassroots activism, all with a future focus. They’ve even produced a free guide to creating your own arts-based community dialogue. What…
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We are none of us unaware of the social and developmental issues that surround us. This inequality hits even harder when the disparity is extreme and local in a community. Some of the most affluent live alongside the most disadvantaged, and you don’t have to go far to see it. This article from ArtsFwd is the…
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A true champion of the movement, Mike Senese‘s Maker Faire has become a global phenomenon since its inception in 2006, with over 200 events around the world. iOi is proud to have hosted one of the brand’s Mini Maker Faires in the past, and next month Derby sees one come to the UK. Last weekend, the flagship…
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One “wooden spoon at a time”. In this article from The Guardian, Rhik Samadder explores craft and the philosophy of “welldoing”. Getting stuck in with a new and varied band of social media and consumerism-bucking champions, he finds solace and community in the reward of the self-made. As we get ever-farther from tangible outputs, throw down…
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The school environment is about more than just learning, but any challenge becomes particularly pertinent when it affects children’s school days. With a bold plan in a city with so little green space, a joint initiative is on a mission to fight overheating by drastically overhauling schoolyards and playgrounds. And the dream doesn’t stop there,…
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We’ve been looking at empathy on Imagination Matters, and on that theme is one of The New York Times‘ excellent Text to Text series. Here, the learning tool is comparing works on moral indignation and empathy, aiming to provoke critical thinking in students. We think they’re really useful tips for us all, especially for where…
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Now more from our season on the theme of empathy. The Guardian described Raoul Martinez’s book, Creating Freedom: Power, Control and the Fight for our Future, as ‘this year’s essential text for thinking radicals’. Here we wanted to share an extract where he explores how imagination bridges the gap between the empathy we need to combat…
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We love talking about those inspiring learning in young people, so we were particularly excited to read this article about the London teacher named best in the world earlier this year. Andria Zafirakou is an art teacher with an unconventional approach; a departure from the more common strategy of teaching core subjects with rigorous structure…
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