In January 2024 we embarked on a remarkable journey with a group of young people from all countries of the UK and many different backgrounds; a voyage of discovery into a future imagined by and for young people and future generations. Together with leaders from Paul Hamlyn Foundation and as part of Kinship Discovery, we explored the challenges facing young people in the UK today, the glimmers of hope we want to keep in our sights, and a beautiful future animated by seven kinds of love. Follow the crew’s journey and hear their story of the future they dream of in this powerful encounter. Made by Jo Barratt with Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Gemma Mortensen.  The wonderful young people whose voices you hear are Amira Hayat, Charli Ivy Perkins, Dami Fawehinmi, Ella Greenway, Felix Miller, Gage Oxley, Halima Ali, Jason Wong, Kaya Birch-Skerritt, Lilia Hakem, Nathan Holmes and Nirushan Sudarsan. Their fellow crew members on the journey were Cassie Robinson, Moira Sinclair, Jane Hamlyn and Olivia Gable of Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Special thanks to Ruth Ibegbuna and India Morgan of Northern Soul for so lovingly co-creating this journey with us. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

In September 2023, a small group of transformational leaders from across the world gathered deep in the Somerset countryside to go on a journey together. They came together in recognition that these times demand new kinds of leadership; that we must dream big, dig deep and act bravely. Through their journey, the group opened up to new and radically different possibilities and began to chart new courses towards bold dreams for the future. This audio piece tells the story of their journey in their own words. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud, Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir and Yasmin El Dabi The wonderful crew who journeyed with us are Alice Jay, Cat Tully, Christine Lai, Jenna Nicholas, Jo Sparber, Kim Willis, Louis Butler, Manish Joshi, Mark Cridge, Mathieu Le Fevre, Mitya Savelau, Tara McGuinness and Tom Adeyoola. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Jess Steele OBE is a community entrepreneur and bold innovator who has spent over thirty years working with communities, creatives, governments, funders, corporates and academics to transform neighbourhoods. Here she introduces us to the wonderful people, places and history of Hastings Commons, a community-led regeneration programme she spearheaded in her hometown, with new models of ownership, management and collaboration that inspire people far beyond the local area. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Li An Phoa and Maarten van der Schaaf are behind Drinkable Rivers – a movement bringing people together around a vision of a world in which we can drink from all our rivers; a sign of whole ecosystem balance. Follow them in this encounter as they walk the Thames engaging with local people, school children, farmers, fishermen, politicians, pilgrims and many more, giving attention to hope and helping us remember our connectedness to and through the water. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Lines from The Dry Salvages by TS Eliot read by Guy Hayward Song lyrics to Old Father Thames (Keeps Rolling Along) read by Guy Hayward

Scarlett Somerville is an artist and activist currently studying for her A-levels. Deeply connected to her landscape and enchanted by nature, here Scarlett shares her vision for a simpler future as well as her perspective as a teenager profoundly troubled by a world that seems to be getting exponentially worse, yet not entirely sure her generation is taking things as seriously as they should. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Nightingales recorded by Scarlett Sommerville Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

The question of how to define and how to identify ‘glimmers’ of the future has been an important part of our journeys and wider research at New Constellations. Gemma has been collaborating with Graham Leicester and Cassie Robinson on a collective enquiry around how to identify examples of the flourishing futures we hope to help reach towards. Made by Jo Barratt Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Across four summer days in July 2023, 17 people from all walks of life in York came together to explore the future of the city that they call home. This audio piece tells the story of the journey they went on to discover and create more beautiful futures in York. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud, Yasmin El Dabi and  Kate McLaven. The poem ‘A nurse log’ is by Sarah Huggett The wonderful crew who journeyed with us are Andrew Morrison, Ben Porter, Felicity Palmer, Frankie Sewell, Helen Jones, Laura Cooper, Laurence Beardmore, Layla Grainger, Mike Fletcher, Olivia Carpenter, Pete Kilbane, Sam Leach, Sam Watling, Sarah Huggett, Stephanie Wong, Victoria Hughes and Violet Cannon Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Ian Goldin is an academic, economist, author and optimist. Born in South Africa, he was involved in the anti-apartheid struggle and returned from exile to work as Nelson Mandela’s economic advisor. He was later Vice President of the World Bank, founding director of the Oxford Martin School and now works as Professor of Globalization and Development at the University of Oxford, leading research programmes on Technological and Economic Change, the Future of Work, and the Future of Development. Join Ian on a walk around Oxford as he explores the new Renaissance and critical crossroads moment he believes we’re living through, the opportunities and threats this poses, and how impossible ideas become reality.  Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Lucy Neal is an artist, theatre maker, writer, celebrant and community activist. Steadfastly involved in the grassroots Transition movement in her beloved Tooting since 2008, in this encounter Lucy invites you to join her as she bikes through her community and marches through the streets of central London, exploring what it means to hold the grief, love, devastation terror, beauty and infinite possibility of these times. Lucy’s recently republished book, Playing for Time: Making Art as If the World Mattered is a resource for artists, community activists and anyone wishing to reach beyond the facts and figures of science and technology to harness their creativity to make change in the world. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and X @newconstells

Peace-pilgrim and former monk, Satish Kumar has been inspiring global change for over 50 years as an activist, author, editor and speaker, seeking to inform and inspire a just future for all. In this encounter he reflects on how his spiritual relationship with nature can teach us to be compassionate, how to be kind, how to be generous, how to be non-discriminating. From developing meditation practices to growing our own food, Satish inspires us to nurture a relationship with the natural world, wherever we are living. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews  and  Lily Piachaud. This Encounter was made from an interview with Satish by Katie Revell for Farmerama. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Shevaun Haviland is the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, responsible for representing British business in front of government, and around the world. An optimist who believes in vision and the power of positive thinking, Shevaun shares her passion for business as a force for good, her fundamental belief in community, and her dreams of space travel. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and  Lily Piachaud. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Kersten has worked in local government for over 30 years, most recently as Chief Executive of Bradford Council and previously in the same role for the City of York. She has worked across the voluntary and community sector, education and central government. As she approaches retirement from her current role, Kersten talks to us about her transformational work in Bradford, improving the lives of everyone who lives there, and building a place to support people for years to come. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews and  Lily Piachaud. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Gemma marks the winter solstice, and the tilt from darkness towards light, tucked up at home after a dawn foray into the Dartmoor squall. Reflecting on the year passing out and the one to come, she finds solace and encouragement in Six Ethical Maxims for a Marginally Livable Planet – the work of David Schenck and Larry R Churchill – one of the many wonderful things shared with New Constellations during our journeys (thank you Peter Macfadyen for this one).  Made by Jo Barratt and Gemma Mortensen, with Iris Andrews and Lily Piachaud. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcription

‘Bold Dreams: A journey for courageous leaders’ brought together 17 people from all four countries of the UK, all innovating in service of people and communities. Spanning different generations, public and private sectors and many walks of life, the group explored their visions for flourishing futures and the transformation they want to contribute and commit to. From the bright spring frosts of Kent to the first breaths of winter in the Peak District, the Bold Dreams crew followed the New Constellationsjourney in four stages throughout 2022, tracking and taking inspiration from the seasons of the year.   With thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for making this possible.   Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. https://newconstellations.co/listen/ Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Every year, Yale’s International Leadership Center brings together the World Fellows, a group of extraordinary leaders from every continent to explore how to address the most acute and complex challenges facing the world today. In October 2022, New Constellations partnered with creative innovator, cultural entrepreneur and filmmaker Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir to design a bespoke journey for the 2022 World Fellows. During a residential retreat surrounded by the magical autumn colours of Sheffield Massachusetts, we explored how to connect with our InnSæi, what it means to be a transformational leader in times of radical uncertainty, and what stars or principles we can navigate by to build systems of human and planetary flourishing. We are grateful to Emma Sky and the team at Yale, and the amazing group of 2022 World Fellows who joined us for this journey:  Andrei Kureichik (Belarus), Babatunde Omilola (Nigeria), Belva Devara (Indonesia), Fakhar Durrani (Pakistan), Huong Dang (Vietnam), Jad Maalouf (Lebanon), Kirsten Rulf (Germany), Kyriacos Koupparis (Cyprus), Manasi Subramaniam (India), Martin Inthamoussú (Uruguay), Minami Tsubouchi (Japan), Rufaro Mudimu (South Africa), Sahar Albazar (Egypt), Solangel Fernández (Peru), Vera D. Kwakofi (UK), Zhao Zhong (China). Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Casper is a creator of spiritual infrastructure for the future, something he builds to contain love, belonging, beauty, solidarity, joy … and lots of singing. He sees our disconnection from our spirituality as one of the great challenges of the 21st Century. And has found over and over again that the people who he wants to be like are often people of deep faith, people willing to bet the whole board on a set of values that do not centre status, money, power and fame. He has recently co-founded The Nearness to help people connect more deeply with themselves, the world around them and people who they love.  Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Transcript

Surrounded by Samhain’s autumn leaves, Gemma recorded some reflections on the unseasonable warmth of this autumn, her recent conversations with leading thinkers, makers and doers across different sectors and what we can do to restore our lost connections. Made by Jo Barratt and Gemma Mortensen, with Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

What would a new economy that serves the future be, look and feel like? Who must be part of this new economy, and of making it happen? In September 2022, the funder collaborative Partners For A New Economy brought together 90 thinkers, funders and change-makers working in myriad ways across different places and systems to transform our economies. In this encounter you’ll hear dreams and reflections from some of those participants, painting a collective picture from an expanding field of a new economy that allows all people and nature to flourish, and how we might start building it. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud, Hadeel Elshak and Sophie McKechnie and featuring the voices of, amongst others, Alexander Barkawi, Fran Boait, Kelly Clark, Leslie Harroun, Indy Johar, Immy Kaur, Till Kellerhoff, Lynda Mannson, Melissa Mean, Johannes Nuutinen, Alastair Parvin, James Vaccaro.   Episode transcript Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells Find out more about Partners for a New Economy at www.p4ne.org

Gabriella sees the city as a travelling surface for new ideas, projects and public debates; alive on the surface with many worlds hidden in its folds. She says that we create our cities and then our cities in turn create us. As Chief Creative Officer for Mexico City, she led a team as varied as the city – bringing together urban geographers, data experts, political scientists, lawyers, artists, historians, philosophers, writers, architects, futurists, and everything in between. Together, her team engages people in urban imagination, travelling back to first principles to ask: how do we want to live together? How will we move together? How will we be healthy together? How will we play together? So that, working together, people can come up with better answers for our times and for our futures. Made by Jo Barratt with Gemma Mortensen, Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Transcription Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells

Rachel is a technology strategist, specialising in the social impact of new and emerging technologies. She has been working on the web since the nineties, when you had to make up your own job because it had never existed before. Today she runs Careful Industries; helping people understand the impact of the technologies they are creating and to deploy them in ways that can nurture us all.  Made by Jo Barratt and Gemma Mortensen with Iris Andrews, Lily Piachaud and Hadeel Elshak. Music made for New Constellations by Art School Girlfriend. Transcription Discover more at newconstellations.co, and join us on Instagram and Twitter @newconstells