Future: Forward

​"The future that our sector will have tomorrow depends upon the actions we take today." 
- Maud Lyon, Cultural Alliance President

Future: Forward is a special initiative to explore the major trends, and many complex factors, that are already shaping the future of arts and culture.  Our work began with a keynote at the 2015 Annual Meeting by Strategic Foresight Specialist Garry Golden. Our staff then scanned for signals of change and developed four scenarios of what the future might be like in 2035 – and the path that might take us to each one. 

The scenarios were presented publicly at our "Rehearsing the Future" event in February 2016, where we invited arts and culture professionals, community leaders and civic officers to work together in small groups and discuss the implications of each. 

Now, we're sharing the scenarios in this online toolkit for you to do your own future planning. Use the Discussion Guide to guide your conversations as you review each scenario through the Prezi slideshows, Narratives and Character Scripts. We encourage you to use these scenarios to generate conversations with your board and staff about what is coming, and how your organization or art form can best prepare for and take advantage of the major trends of our time.  

Future: Forward Tool Kit

Scenario 1: America Bends Towards Justice
​Narrative
Character Script

Scenario 2: Circling the Wagons
​Narrative
​Character Script
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Scenario 3: The New Creative Marketplace
Narrative
​Character Script

Scenario 4: Philly Goes Global
Narrative
​Character Script