Freedom, solidarity, empathy, tolerance, equality – and many other values formed the basis for „The Invention of the Future“ by trainees at the Louise-Schroeder-School in June 2024. In the workshops coding, analog black and white photography, motion comics, analog game development and podcasting, they developed their perspectives on the future.
Brainstorming sessions, research, and discussions have resulted in many different media products offering various perspectives on the future. We have collected them in a Padlet. By clicking to Padlet.com and to Audiyou.de Data will be transmitted to the platforms; see the links to the services' privacy policies. Privacy policy of the wannseeFORUM.
Coding workshop
Algorithms are increasingly shaping our private lives, professional lives, and social interactions. What challenges does this pose for artificial intelligence designed by humans, for example, in the training of machine learning? Can future technologies make the world a fairer place and positively change how we deal with prejudices and stereotypes? Who benefits from AI? What tasks should AI be allowed to perform for us, and what must we do ourselves? From what perspective do we view the world?
These and other questions resulted in the interactive MakeyMakey installation „2074“ and exciting interactive stories programmed with Twine. „Build a fUture”, “The Library of Times”, “A walk to remember”, “Future for you” and „Interview with the future“ can be played through collectively in a Padlet.
Black and white photography workshop
What does the future of solidarity look like, for example? Workshop participants discussed solidarity and civic courage, societal and performance pressures, the tendency towards dystopia, and social inequality. Based on their perspectives on the future, they developed photographic series and presented them in a final exhibition. The series "Real People in Non-Places," "Human Nature," "Utopia within Dystopia," "Dystopian Past – Utopian Future," "Human, All Too Human," and "Everyday Utopias – Moments of Happiness" can be viewed by clicking on [link/image]. this pad to see
Podcast Workshop
Resource scarcity, uninhabited continents, technology-free zones, intensified conflicts between rich and poor? What will the world look like in 2099? What do we want to take with us into the new millennium of 2100, and what do we want to overcome? The podcast group researched current studies on the worries, fears, and hopes of young people in particular, and discussed the causes of pessimism/dystopias and the possibilities for utopias. The resulting podcast can be heard on Audiyou.de.
„The Future Podcast – Pilot Episode“and the following accompanying text:
„"The sphere of Dr. Bob and Priest Elia has lit up; a glimpse of the future that reveals secrets and raises questions. Join the unbeatable duo of scientific and spiritual visionaries as they navigate a multitude of questions.".
How would people in 2024 think about the future, and what can the inhabitants of the new world of 2099 tell us?
Hosts Dr. Bob and Priest Elia meet with five individuals to discuss what life was like at the turn of the century. They explore the role that faith, implants, and fertility preservation play in the lives of the people of tomorrow.
How does society change through scientific advances and spiritual insights? What new challenges and opportunities arise from technological change?
Particular attention is paid to the topics of technology, child-rearing, and a multitude of conspiracy theories. What lies behind the new trend of idyllicism, the founding of a new (technology-skeptical) party, and the rediscovery of humanity's relationship with nature – and how do these factors influence people's lives?“
Analog Game Development
What freedoms are important to us? Freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom from discrimination and persecution, and freedom from inequality are just a few on the long list of freedoms that were important to the workshop group. In examining the concept of freedom and its limits, such as privileges or security needs, the discussion focused on the (game) rules of coexistence in a democratic, digitalized society – and on hopes and ideas related to it, such as…. „"positive influence on freedoms through personal commitment"“ or „… working on solutions that are individually understood and implemented…“ can. The games "Freedom Grip" and "Echo of Tomorrow" emerged from the discussion and testing, in particular, of image-generated AI. Game materials and more can be found here on Padlet.
Motion comic workshop
„"Confidence," "Museum of the Past," "Visions of the Future," "2050," and "Adapt" are the titles of the workshop group created in the motion-comic format. They are the results of experiments with AI and discussions about dealing with artificial intelligence, fears and desires, and possibilities for actively shaping a digitized society. Visions, concerns, and options for action thus became the starting point for the development of storyboards, which were then drawn and adapted into films.
You can see all projects in this Padlet collection. Enjoy watching!.
Photographic insights into discussion processes (flipcharts) and practical media work are collected in this Flickr album.
How do we want to live? In order to address uncertainties and fears and to develop one's own design possibilities and courses of action, the design of utopias will continue to be an important topic in the wannseeFORUM.
The seminar was a collaboration with the Louise-Schroeder-School Berlin
It was funded by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family
It took place as part of the collaboration in the program „Civic youth education in the AdB“ in the project group „Social Question and Civic Participation“ instead, funded by the Federal Ministry for Family, seniors, women and youth.
The wannseeFORUM Foundation is a recognized operator of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
