How we think about futures is, in large part, shaped by how we think about time; whether we see ourselves in an old story or a new one, heading to a moment of crisis or a turning point, in a moment of rapid disruption or the slow playing out of old patterns. Our temporal assumptions shape our perception of possibility, silently structuring our frames of reference and sense of agency. An important element in our capacity to understand each other and to coordinate ourselves in uncertain times depends, then, on our capacity to attune ourselves to the implicit assumptions about time and to the multitude of rhythms of life at play in any situation. Such attunement requires a renewed capacity for deep listening – to each other and to ourselves.

In this talk I will outline the relationship between futures, time and listening and make the case for listening - as a form of attunement to time and rhythm - as a useful starting point in opening up possibilities for collective understanding and mutual action. At a time when the UK government has removed ‘listening’ from the National Curriculum in England, and when both leadership and global citizenship are too often equated with raising our voices, I will explore how we might return mutual listening to the heart of formal and informal educational practices today.

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