Future Nostalgia
A writing workshop exploring what we might gain, lose, and long for in the world to come.
Overview
One day, the world we're living in today will be a distant memory.
The technologies we rely on, the places we live, the rituals we take for granted, and the ways we exist and connect with one another may become unrecognizable. Some things will disappear. Others will transform. And some may become more valuable than we ever imagined.
It’s hard to fully understand the significance of a moment while we're living through it. We tend to notice what has changed only after the change has happened, and understand what mattered only after it's gone.
Future Nostalgia is a four-hour creative experiment that brings together a small group of people across disciplines to see the present through the eyes of the future.
Through observation, conversation, collective inquiry, and speculative writing, we'll explore the world as it is, imagine how it might change, and write about futures that haven't happened yet.
Core questions:
What will we miss about the world we're living in today?
What will technology/AI make unrecognizable?
What might future generations find strange or beautiful about this world?
How might our rituals, traditions, or ways of connecting change?
How might imagining what we’ll long for in the future change how we operate in the present?
You'll leave with the beginning, or perhaps the ending, of an original written piece, new ways of seeing and thinking, and a few ideas that might grow into something more.
This lab will be facilitated by Negin Sairafi.
Participation
This is a participatory Lab, not a lecture. Throughout the afternoon, you’ll move between independent writing and reflection, creative exercises, conversation, experimentation, group exercises, and sharing.
You’ll be invited to contribute your ideas and work, listen to others, and give and receive reflections. You don’t need to be a professional writer, or even consider yourself a writer, to participate. You just need to be curious, open to experimentation and willing to engage.
You’ll always have agency over what you choose to write and share.
Details you need to know:
This is a 19+ experience. Doors open at 12:45 PM and the Lab begins promptly at 1 PM. Because the experience builds progressively and relies on group participation, we won’t be able to accommodate late arrivals.
Venue
The Lab will take place at a studio at 688 Richmond St. W in Toronto. We'll share the suite number and arrival instructions with registered participants before the event.
The studio is a short walk from the Queen streetcar at Bathurst. Paid street parking and several paid parking lots are available nearby.
Accessibility: The studio is located three flights up and has one shared washroom. A freight elevator may be available upon request. If you have accessibility needs, please contact us before registering so we can confirm whether the space can accommodate them.
What to bring
Bring whatever you prefer to write with: a notebook and pen, a laptop or both. You may also want to bring a water bottle and anything else you need to feel comfortable for the afternoon (e.g. snacks, coffee/tea).
We'll communicate anything else you need to bring in a follow-up email.
Media & documentation
We’ll document parts of the Lab through photography and
video and may share this documentation publicly through
The World Building Lab’s website, social channels and
other communications.
We may also photograph or share artifacts created during the Lab, with your permission. We will not publish audio from conversations, discussions, or participant sharing, so the substance of what is said in the room can remain in the room.
Cancellations & Transfers
As this is an intimate experience with a limited number of spots, all tickets are non-refundable.