OBJECTIVES

The aim is to collectively speculate on the potential that the community has and how their chosen place might play a role in realising this shared ambition, using a commonly understood visual form (the newspaper front page) to co-create stories of a future that is recognised by the participants, reflecting their potential agency and the value that the community possesses.

NEEDS

Large sheets of paper and markers, or a printer or photocopy machine to produce the templates, ideally at a large format so that participants can work collaboratively on the same tool.

Access to flat surfaces such as tables, indoors or outside. 

STEPS

1. Create a simple visual that reproduces the basic characteristics of a 'blank' newspaper front page that includes no information or content and only contains spaces for the recognisable features (columns, headlines, images) - 30 min of preparation

2. Introduce the tool to the participants : the newspaper format is a way to use stories to imagine a possible future for participants in relation to the place previously discussed. The goal is for participants to tell their own stories (with a beginning, middle and end) of their dreams, ambitions and successes, and to discuss what these could achieve for the community - 10 min

3. Discuss a range of possible scenarios that describe a shared dream for success or breakthrough for the community at some future point in time (3, 4 or 5 years). Time permitting, develop these scenarios into stories to be included in the newspaper report. Encourage participants to write the stories in a way that helps imagine the process that might be followed to achieve these dreams and to draw images of the outcomes of the future scenario - 1h30

4. End the activity by discussing specific actions that could be taken to begin the process of achieving the outcome of the story - 20 min