Future Matters: Futures Known, Created and Minded

Programme Details

Plenary and Parallel Conference Sessions

The conference will consist of parallel sessions, interspersed with several plenary sessions, including presentations by our keynote speakers.

Parallel sessions will comprise three (or exceptionally four) thematically linked presentations by individual presenters. Each parallel session will be one and a half hours in length (or two hours if it comprises four papers), giving a total time for each presentation of 25 minutes. Presenters are asked to present their key points only to leave ideally 10 but a minimum of 8 minutes for discussion. Sessions have been designed to offer maximum common ground and opportunities for cross-fertilisation between presentations.

To download a copy of the finalised timetable for the conference, please click here.

More information on the timing of named parallel sessions will be made available - please remember to check back regularly.

Other Events

Exhibition of Art Works
Contributions to the conference by artists will include several pieces installed at locations throughout the Glamorgan Building:

Jan Bennett
John Drummond, Deep Water
Alberto Duman
Seth Oliver

Poetry Performance
Poetry by Dan Drummond, aka Hangetsu. Monday 4 September, 19.30, Bute Lecture Theatre

Film Evening
Bute Lecture Theatre, 4 September, from 20.00

To feature: La Jetée and Koyaanisqatsi

Film Screening
6 September, 15.00, Birt Acres Lecture Theatre, Bute Building
The Last Atomic Bomb, dir. Robert Richter, prod. Robert Richter & Kathleen Sullivan (2005), followed by discussion with Kathleen Sullivan.

Scenarios Game - '100% Pure Conjecture'
4 September, from 20.00, room -1.60, Glamorgan Building. Follow-up session running concurrently with lunch on Tuesday 5 September.

In New Zealand, state-funded Landcare Research Ltd has created four plausible but contrasting future scenarios, logically linked together and each rooted in an aspects of today's society. From these four scenarios, published last year as a screenplay dialogue between an elder and a young person in 2055, Rhys Taylor and Bob Frame have devised '100% Pure Conjecture' as a participative game or imagination tool. It is being used by varied audiences to stimulate consideration of key drivers of change and the possibility of arriving at such futures, whether or not each is desirable! It invites follow up, such as visioning of desired futures and policy analysis to see where current directions could be leading. Role-playing offers an insight to what life within these might offer our grandchildren's generation. These four scenarios are either rich or poor in natural resources plus ecosystem services, and either strong or weak on social cohesion.

Try out the Scenarios game as a Conference option on Monday evening and then learn about its users and what participants reveal about their understanding of the future at the workshop/seminar on Tuesday at 12.30 on Tuesday 5 September in rooom -1.60.

Festive Evening
5 September, from 19.00, National Museum of Wales. A drinks reception in the Impressionists' Gallery will be followed at 20.00 by dinner in the Main Hall. The evening will be accompanied by stories from David Ambrose, with music from Peter Stacey.

The National Museum Cardiff, the flagship of Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales, is situated in the heart of Cardiff's impressive civic centre. The building, with its striking neo-classical façade was designed in 1909 and opened to the public in 1927. Today, it holds a unique position amongst British museums in its diverse and outstanding range of art and science displays. Alongside the permanent displays, special temporary exhibitions add to the enjoyment for over a quarter of a million people who visit the National Museum Cardiff annually.