Episode Six: What if imagination were a universal right?

Allow me to present one of my very favourite episodes of ‘From What If to What Next’ thus far. The question we explore is ‘What if imagination were a universal right?’ It emerges from the argument in ‘From What Is to What If’ that imagination is, to a degree, a function of privilege, and that we need to create the conditions for everyone to be able to live a life rich in imagination. But how do questions of colonisation, systemic racism and social exclusion impact this? What is the state of health of our collective imagination today, and how does the fact that we have failed to see imagination as a universal right manifest in the world around us today? My guests to explore this are Ariane Conrad, writer, activist and ‘book doula’ (editorial consultant and collaborative author) who tends to collaborate with authors who defend the rights of people and planet, and Dr. Masum Momaya who has worked at the intersection of arts, culture, social justice and human rights for more than 20 years as an educator, museum curator, writer and activist. You’re going to love this episode, and I would love to hear your thoughts and what it brings up for you. My thanks as always to Ben Addicott for theme music and production.