CDN’s Futures Lab officially launched on 1 October with an energising online session led by Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney.
With a focus on igniting sparks of innovation and creativity, Duncan challenged us to think differently about the way we approach uncertainty.
He explored some of the barriers that can hold back creativity and encouraged participants to embrace a more playful approach to how we work. Defining creativity as “the habit of continually doing things in new ways to make a positive difference in our working lives,” Duncan highlighted the importance of combining playfulness with our sensory skills to unlock new ways of thinking.
Looking to the future, he identified five key skills that will become increasingly important:
Creativity. Intuition. Curiosity. Empathy. Imagination.
Duncan also highlighted the crucial role diversity plays in driving innovation, with a powerful message that “Diversity is Innovation.”
The session was highly interactive, using polls, discussion, activities and role play to get participants involved, challenge their thinking and put new ideas into practice.
A launch with a little extra impact
We’re also delighted that Duncan has generously donated his fee for the session to CHAS, helping to support the incredible work they do with children and families across Scotland.
A huge thank you to Duncan for such an engaging and thought-provoking session – and for helping us get Futures Lab off to such an energetic start!
And this is just the beginning…
Futures Lab is designed to help Scotland’s colleges build the confidence, creativity and agency to thrive in uncertainty, creating space to explore, experiment and turn insight into action.
There’s plenty more to come, including FEAST (Fostering Experimentation, Agency, Skills & Transformation) and the Carnival of Curiosity – two opportunities to explore ideas, challenge thinking and try something different.
Sign up to the Futures Lab Jiscmail and stay connected to a growing community curious about the future.
