What Future Can We Divine?

Rise and Fall of a Temple is currently showing as an exhibition at Chelsea Space and developed as part of the UAL Research Fellowship at the British School at Rome.

How can we collectively imagine more inclusive and resilient futures? Can we draw on lessons from fallen civilisations such as the Roman Empire to gain perspective on today’s environmental, social, and political crises? Looking back offers a powerful lens through which to examine how power, culture, and systems rise, fracture, and transform, with the Roman Empire’s long history of expansion, inequality, migration, collapse, and adaptation providing critical insight into the vulnerabilities and complexities of contemporary global systems.

The day will unfold as a shared ritual, beginning with historical, political, and creative provocations. Roman divination practices, particularly astrology (reading the heavens) and augury (interpreting natural signs such as birds), serve as symbolic and methodological guides, opening questions around how civilisations have sought meaning, orientation, and foresight in times of uncertainty.

As the symposium progresses, these ancient practices are brought into dialogue with contemporary methodologies including curating, permaculture, writing, and sound-based practices. Together, they frame an interdisciplinary exploration of how communities collectively sense, predict, and negotiate uncertainty, and how cultural narratives, ecological listening, and shared meaning-making shape our relationship to the future.

The symposium will culminate in a collective sound ritual, offering a space for embodied listening, reflection, and integration. Please bring a yoga mat/blanket/pillow for your comfort during the sound bath.

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This event is free and open to all.

A schedule will be available to participants closer to the time, which will include regular breaks. Refreshments will also be provided.

Please contact our team if you have any specific access requirements: publicprogramme@arts.ac.uk