Rewrite the Future?

In this blog, Matthew Sheard, Head of Experience and Engagement at the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums, introduces the new exhibition ‘Rewrite the Future’ and reflects on some of the challenges faced during planning.

“You can’t REwrite the future, it hasn’t been written in the first place.” 

So said someone when we discussed the title of our latest exhibition at the Wardlaw Museum. 

And that person is right, of course. The future isn’t written. But very often it feels like it is. 

We have a tendency to think that the future is on a trajectory that we can’t change; we’ve made our choices, things are set in motion, we’re on our way; there’s nothing we can do about it now. It’s written even though it hasn’t happened yet. 

Rewrite the Future at the Wardlaw Museum aims to challenge that perception. We can direct our future, we can build a more just and sustainable world than the trajectory we’re on might lead us to. But that requires societal change and some difficult decisions. It requires us to make some compromises, but also means that we’ll benefit in other fantastic ways. 

Through a collaboration with StACCS, the St Andrews Centre for Critical Sustainabilities based at the University, we’ve explored some of the areas in which change can happen; the people who need to be included, the places where different approaches can be applied, and the new ways of thinking that we need to take up. 

And in each of these areas we’ve explored just a few ideas that are coming out of research into these areas. At times I’ve been amazed – who knew there was potential to build homes using algae? And that doing so could reduce the use of cement, a major contributor to carbon emissions?  

At other times I’ve been intrigued – we can approach technology differently so that it works for all of us without our data being exploited. 

I’ve been confused – why do we accept advertising that seeks to manipulate us into making choices that we don’t want to make and that aren’t good for us? 

And I’ve been angered – thanks to the Refugee Tales project featured in the exhibition I’ve learnt that people seeking asylum in the UK can be locked up indefinitely, even though they’ve committed no crime. And that it happens to 24,000 people a year. And that at least one person has been imprisoned for nine years.   

But I’ve also been encouraged. Because the exhibition shows us what change looks like and how we can build a just and sustainable world that benefits us all. 

One of the ways it does this is through a game that’s designed to be played on the screens as you move around the exhibition. You make the choices you’d like for the future and see how it affects society – does that choice make our world more or less just, more or less sustainable? And you see how it affects you personally – are you richer or poorer as a result? Are you more powerful? More comfortable? Healthier? 

Through the game I’ve seen that what we might tend to see as a sacrifice brings enormous benefits to everyone. With one choice I might have a little bit less money in my pocket, but I’m happier. I might give away a little of the power I have, but society is fairer. 

The results of the decisions we collectively make are displayed in the gallery, so we can see what our world would be like if the choices we made together were enacted. And so far, after a week of the exhibition being open, it looks like our visitors want to build a pretty decent world.  

That encourages me, and it shows me that the future can be rewritten. 

The question it leaves me with is this; why isn’t our society like that already?  

And to answer it, we’ll have a big conversation with politicians towards the end of the exhibition during which we’ll ask that very question; this is the society we all want, the world which is best for all of us; how are you going to get us there?

Matthew Sheard
Head of Experience and Engagement, University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums