As we’ve explored before, the arts are an inspiring and accessible way to increase empathy. This article from Thrive Global looks at the concept of ‘conscious listening‘. Through music we can of course learn about a culture other than our own. But by sharing the music of others we can also strengthen bonds with and…
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We love learning about the positive effects of simple, creative activities; it’s at the core of what we do at iOi and IM. Even better in this case, dancing is also a naturally communal activity that reinforces social bonds and benefits us all. So, feel the rhythm, catch the beat, and keep it moving. If…
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Being curious is often framed, even in childhood, as being nosy or even a nuisance, with sayings and fables warning against it. But should we be questioning this suspicion; are we curing more than just impoliteness? Being curious – being interested, asking questions – is the foundation of our work at iOi and IM. It…
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Sci-fi and dystopian stories might seem like pure escapism, but what separates them from fantasy is their roots in our reality. It’s a great example of how creativity and imagination finds a route into solving real-world problems. At this MIT conference, three sci-fi creators tell us how dystopian ideas could inform our tomorrows (and todays).…
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We’ve talked a lot about cultivating empathy through creativity. Expanding on this thought, this article on The Conversation, from Elizabeth Reid Boyd, Arts and Humanities Lecturer at Edith Cowan University, looks at the concept of ‘moral imagination‘. It’s rare in all our explorations that we exercise and ‘train’ this tool, and especially with such a…
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We love this truly international event and celebration, which sees hundreds of thousands of people coming together to come up with creative solutions. The fact that the Night of Ideas has grown so exponentially and become so popular in just four years shows that there’s a great appetite for this kind of community and shared thinking. And…
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Exciting news about our 2019 Cultural Residency, exploring the Imagination Matters theme – Empathy. Each year here at the Institute of Imagination we run a residency inspired by one of our Imagination Matters themes. Through our Imagination Lab in Lambeth, the residencies deliver collaborative, interdisciplinary projects with visitors. Following 2018’s Places to Imagine residency and the wonderful…
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A lovely article from Nathan Dunne of The Guardian, showing us how understanding others can be a pretty basic art. With screens and space removing us from each other, something as simple as life drawing connects us. An intimate study of an unknown body reminds us of our own memories and feelings, and that others…
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A fun example of lateral thinking with a serious message. Something that looks like a gimmick has an obvious purpose – to clean up litter – alongside a couple of more subtle ones about our behaviour. Seeing the consequences from another perspective might have us eating crow indeed. As you enter Puy du Fou, a historical theme…
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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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