Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire, UK

Embassy of the Future
Annual Council

Time Travelling Back from 2070
28 June - 2 July, 2025
APPLY NOW
Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire, UK

Embassy of the Future Annual Council

Time Travelling Back from 2070
28 June - 2 July, 2025
APPLY NOW

“Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom — poets, visionaries — realists of a larger reality”

Ursula K. Le Guin
Science Fiction Writer
An invitation-only 5 days/4 nights time-travel to and from 2070. Enjoy good food, conversation, contemplation and dialogue with leading visionaries to tell stories of our future at a stunning English estate.
We are inviting diplomats from the future who are dedicated to one of our 8 missions for the future. Please recommend or apply for your suitability.

"Keep your mind as wide as the sky, but use it like the pin of a needle"

Zen Proverb

"Keep your mind as wide as the sky, but use it like the pin of a needle"

Zen Proverb
What will the world look like in 2070? How will we be living? How will we organise ourselves?
Will the nation state even exist or more decentralised governance?
How will we conduct business?
Will central banks and money exist? Or will we have created an enlightened monetary system based on Bitcoin and decentralised finance?
What kind of technology will be prevalent? Will superintelligent AI already be ubiquitous?
What will the post AGI world look like? Will it catalyse a rise in human intelligence and creativity?
Will we travel at hypersonic speed and already have a Mars base?
How will we entertain ourselves? Will it be a merger of the ancient with new technologies like the metaverse?
How will we dress ourselves? With new textiles and colours?
How long will we live and how will we die?
Will our planet be recognizable? Green and rewilded? Will our cities now be National Parks? Roads might have diminished or been beautified?
Will our Post Civilisation be in a cultural renaissance? With uplifting stories of our planetary or even Gaian regeneration?
What stories will we be telling?
What will the world look like in 2070? How will we be living? How will we organise ourselves?
Will the nation state even exist or more decentralised governance?
How will we conduct business?
Will central banks and money exist? Or will we have created an enlightened monetary system based on Bitcoin and decentralised finance?
What kind of technology will be prevalent? Will superintelligent AI already be ubiquitous?
What will the post AGI world look like? Will it catalyse a rise in human intelligence and creativity?
Will we travel at hypersonic speed and already have a Mars base?
How will we entertain ourselves? Will it be a merger of the ancient with new technologies like the metaverse?
How will we dress ourselves? With new textiles and colours?
How long will we live and how will we die?
Will our planet be recognizable? Green and rewilded? Will our cities now be National Parks? Roads might have diminished or been beautified?
Will our Post Civilisation be in a cultural renaissance? With uplifting stories of our planetary or even Gaian regeneration?
What stories will we be telling?

An Embassy from and for the Future

The Embassy of the Future is a voice of the future, accelerating the emergence of a new step in the evolution of human consciousness and the construction of a resilient and enlightened Earth. It practises inter-temporal diplomacy, representing future generations and the future Earth, which our hearts know is possible.
The Embassy seeks to inspire the human imagination and evoke the evolutionaries of a cultural renaissance; gathering leaders, statesmen, futurists, designers, difference-makers, wizards, evolutionaries and action-drivers in building an advanced ecological civilization.

Summary of the Experience

By standing in the future, leaders bridge time to create visions and pathways for their lives and organisations so they can flourish in the uncertainty of these transition years. Whilst we harness the imagination to time travel, this program is entirely pragmatic in its lessons for today.

Over the course of 5 days we will collectively source input and inspiration in many of our 8 core areas. We will use foresight and imagineering techniques to explore possibilities for the future. Visionary thought leaders operating at the forefront of their respective domains will hold space for our journey and guide us towards our individual and collective visions of the future. Each day there will be time allocated to training the mind and expanding the imagination and consciousness, analysis, dialogue, and simulations/speculative thinking.
We expect new knowledge about the future will be acquired, insights gleaned and lasting friendships and collaborations will be forged. Most importantly participants will come away with a vision, and a powerful story, for both the collective future and their own.
Daily Routine
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
Experiencing numerous evocative Expresso Shots of the Imagination (in person and virtual): Gain first-hand insights: input from global sector experts in finance, economics, climate & ecology, geopolitics, tech, architecture and more. To deepen our understanding of various issues we might explore some of the scenarios below.
Time Travelling from 2070: Explore the deep issues of our time and imagine the future civilization. Our starting point will be the future….
Story Telling: we will learn about the powerful art of story telling; sharing stories to tap into timeless wisdom, fuel the imagination, and shape our future realities.
Immersive discussions alongside like-minded innovators: Deep dive into conversation with fellow visionaries, using dialogue techniques. This will be followed by contemplation, visualisation and silence times for integration and evolution.
Daily inspiration and training in the mind: Expand your creativity, imagination and intuition through meditation and other techniques: insights from both the ancient wisdom practices and cutting edge research on consciousness. Experiment with the consciousness technologies at Wyrd Experience based on the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) at Princeton University.
Time to relax at a world class resort on mystical lands at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales: Whilst you imagine and vision your future, relax at the Broughton Sanctuary, ranked in the National Geographic’s Top 30 places to visit globally in 2024. Broughton Sanctuary is increasingly attracting world class thought leaders to run events.
Daily Routine
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
Experiencing numerous evocative Expresso Shots of the Imagination (in person and virtual): Gain first-hand insights: input from global sector experts in finance, economics, climate & ecology, geopolitics, tech, architecture and more. To deepen our understanding of various issues we might explore some of the scenarios below.
Time Travelling from 2070: Explore the deep issues of our time and imagine the future civilization. Our starting point will be the future….
Story Telling: we will learn about the powerful art of story telling; sharing stories to tap into timeless wisdom, fuel the imagination, and shape our future realities.
Immersive discussions alongside like-minded innovators: Deep dive into conversation with fellow visionaries, using dialogue techniques. This will be followed by contemplation, visualisation and silence times for integration and evolution.
Daily inspiration and training in the mind: Expand your creativity, imagination and intuition through meditation and other techniques: insights from both the ancient wisdom practices and cutting edge research on consciousness. Experiment with the consciousness technologies at Wyrd Experience based on the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) at Princeton University.
Time to relax at a world class resort on mystical lands at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales: Whilst you imagine and vision your future, relax at the Broughton Sanctuary, ranked in the National Geographic’s Top 30 places to visit globally in 2024. Broughton Sanctuary is increasingly attracting world class thought leaders to run events.

Take Aways

  • Gain new knowledge and insights about the future, expanding your understanding of what’s possible.
  • Discover new visions and stories for the future of civilization, as well as your personal direction and purpose.
  • Learn techniques to expand your imagination and consciousness, unlocking new ways of thinking and creating.
  • Build meaningful connections with new friends and potential partners.
  • Content: We will be creating a short film, accompanied by a podcaster. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to be part of this project.
  • Additionally, you will co create with us the Embassy of the Future Manifesto—a vision for the future of civilization.
  • Join the Embassy of the Future as a diplomat of time, and continue the journey with us through the launch of the Council—a space to collaborate, innovate, and shape the future together.

The Hearth at the Heart of Civilization

Tribes were forged in the fires of humanity's imagination, connection and wisdom. At the heart of the tribe, since time immemorial, was the sacred fire around which stories were shared, songs were joyously sung, we danced in the spirit of the Gods and we sat in solemn dialogue seeking collective wisdom before making decisions. It was an alchemical mix which created civilization itself.
More than anything, perhaps stories were the most sacred and powerful. Kurt Ranke, the German folklorist, described us as homo narrans or “story telling humans”. Yuval Noah Harari once wrote “stories are the greatest human invention. People need stories in order to cooperate."
Stories contained the creation myths which bonded the tribe. They were also time capsules of the past, holding the ancestral knowledge which more often than not was timeless and relevant to today as ever. Homer was an oral story teller; his tales of voyaging across unknown seas and fighting monsters on the journey home in the Odyssey contains revelations for us all. He speaks to us across the millennia.
Stories from the future - some might say dreams - can equally capture the imagination and impassion the heart. Consider the impact of the speech by Martin Luther King Jr when he said “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood”. Stories create reality. In fact, the ancient aramaic word “abracadabra” can translate as “I create as I speak”.
Whilst tribes have shared stories since antiquity, they are important in our modern civilization for everyone from policy makers to educators to business people. Entrepreneurs from Steve Jobs to Elon Musk understood the power and primacy of storytelling to creation.
At our first Council of the Embassy of the Future, we will create an alchemical container to forge new pathways into the future today. Imagination and storytelling will be at the heart of our odyssey together.

“Listen and you will realize that we are made not from cells or atoms. We are made from stories.”

Mia Couto, Mozambican Writer

“The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”

Steve Jobs, Founder, Apple

Expresso Shots of the Imagination

Your peers will be leaders in their fields, and have agreed to giving insights as “Expresso Shots for the Imagination”:
Jeff Booth: Author, “Price of Tomorrow”, “The Bitcoin Centred World”
Ani Chahal Honan: Yunity, Imagine Fund, X Prize Foundation “The AI Singularity”
Joe Honan: Yunity, Imagine Fund “Technology Futures”
Yuri Van Geest: Author of “Exponential Organizations”, Co Founder of Naluna AI company, “The Post Singularity World: A conversation about Cutting edge Technologies and a fireside conversation about the world after AGI”
Ken Wilber: Philosopher, World Renowned Author, “Integrating Theory with our Emerging Reality”
Louisiana Mees Fongang: Award Winning Filmmaker - Audiovisual storyteller, “Storytelling as a poetic and transformative force”
Sara Kolata: Architect, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disrupt MAG, Curator of Conversations on Spiritual Ascension. “Future of the City”
Jim Garrison: Founder of Ubiquty University, Founder of Humanity Rising, Global Exopert on UAPs, “Post Contact World”
Deniz Erkus CFA: Founder and CEO of Sidemi, Explorer, International Consultant to UNDP, “Conscious leader for Regenerative Living”
Sheri Herndon: Gaian Futurist, Evolutionary Social Architect, Founder of Indymedia (which launched citizen journalism into the world) "Co creating a thriving civilization: living into the legacy of Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard."
Roger Tempest: 32nd Custodian of Broughton Hall
David Wilcock: Artist and Mystery Guest
Youssef Nassef, Director, Adaptation: and Founder of United Nations Resilience Frontiers; UNFCCC: "Pathways to the Future: A Unique UN Insider's Perspective"
Nicolas Michelon, Founder, Asia Intelligence Advisory: "Europe in 2070: from the Atlantic to the Urals. De Gaulle’s vision finally turning to reality?"
De Kai: Author of Raising Ai, Professor and pioneer of AI with Google Translate. One of eight inaugural members of Google's AI ethics council. "Raising AI: An Essential Guide to Parenting Our Future"
Plus a number of surprise guests: musicians, artists and prominent thought leaders

Facilitators

Benjamin Butler

Benjamin J Butler

Benjamin is a futurist, storyteller, and former investor, dedicated to guiding the world toward a technologically advanced, ecological civilization. With a focus on imagining and forecasting future scenarios, he is a passionate advocate for the global transition to sustainability. A seasoned speaker at international conferences on global challenges and long-term futures, Benjamin’s unique perspective has been shaped by over 25 years of travel, during which he has lived and worked across the globe. Having spent two decades in Asia, he is fluent in Japanese and a long-time practitioner of Zen.

Benjamin advises the leadership of various prestigious organizations, including the Zurich-based Horasis, the American Renewable Energy Institute, Ubiquity University, and the UN’s Resilience Frontiers initiative, which uses collective intelligence to shape desirable futures for 2030-2050. He also collaborates with the World Economic Forum on quantum technology, having served on its Global Future Council for three years. Through his diverse experience and deep understanding of global trends, Benjamin offers invaluable insights to leaders about the path ahead.

Sujith Ravindran

Sujith Ravindran

Sujith, mystic, space-holder and spiritual guide, is a contemporary mystic who helps leaders, institutions and movements in the social, political and business domains access unforeseen realms of awareness and fulfil their true reason for existence. He has been a guide to institutions like the EU and UNDP. He is the co-founder of the Embassy of the Future.

A Consciousness & Human Ontology specialist, he is a serial author, and is considered one of the pioneers of the contemporary men’s movement. His documentary on men’s healing & growth is going on Netflix in December 2024. In 2012, he was awarded the honour of Ambassador of Peace by the Assisi Council. He loves hot peppers.

Lousiana Mees Fongang

Louisiana Mees Fongang

Co-founder of the Ground, an innovative artistic production house and platform that fuses film, somatic practices, storytelling, and ecology to cultivate deeper intellectual, emotional, and bodily awareness. As an award-winning Belgian film director, she is renowned for her raw yet intimate portrayals of youth, delving into themes of uprootedness, disconnection, and uncertainty. With storytelling as a poetic and transformative force, she won the prestigious VAF Wildcard for Best Fiction with Waithood, premiered How Do You Spell Home? at IDFA, the world’s leading documentary festival, and showcased Fikri at the 40th Interfilm Berlin Festival. Her latest project, Curious Youth!, is a pioneering docu-reality series exploring the science of consciousness for and with young people. Louisiana continuously uses cinema as a catalyst for transformation, connection, and collective regeneration.
Sara Kolata

Sara Kolata

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disrupt MAG and Organiser of Disrupt Symposium, is an architect and seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to driving innovation, responsibility, and profitability in the industry.

As host of Arch Talk: Tank show, she facilitates discussions on business strategies and leadership. Sara empowers leaders to unlock their full potential, fostering resilience and igniting profound impact. Sara leads a dynamic lifestyle, embracing kitesurfing, skydiving, and global travel.

Peter Merry

Peter Merry

Co-founding Chief Innovation Officer and Managing Director at Ubiquity University. He is also co-founder of Wyrd Experience and Wyrd Technologies, developing leading-edge consciousness technology and research. He is one of the world’s top experts on transformative leadership, working in and across different sectors, training government ministers, CEOs and civil society leaders.

He is a recognised expert in the field of futureproof learning, science and consciousness, and integral leadership. He had his first book published in English and Dutch (Evolutionary Leadership, 2005) a second one in 2019 called Why Work? on designing work for people and planet, a third one in November 2020 called Leading from the Field and a fourth called Volution in 2023. He has an MSc in Human Ecology from Edinburgh University and a PhD from Ubiquity’s Wisdom School on volution theory. For more information, see petermerry.org

Benjamin Butler

Benjamin J Butler

Benjamin is a futurist, storyteller, and former investor, dedicated to guiding the world toward a technologically advanced, ecological civilization. With a focus on imagining and forecasting future scenarios, he is a passionate advocate for the global transition to sustainability. A seasoned speaker at international conferences on global challenges and long-term futures, Benjamin’s unique perspective has been shaped by over 25 years of travel, during which he has lived and worked across the globe. Having spent two decades in Asia, he is fluent in Japanese and a long-time practitioner of Zen.

Benjamin advises the leadership of various prestigious organizations, including the Zurich-based Horasis, the American Renewable Energy Institute, Ubiquity University, and the UN’s Resilience Frontiers initiative, which uses collective intelligence to shape desirable futures for 2030-2050. He also collaborates with the World Economic Forum on quantum technology, having served on its Global Future Council for three years. Through his diverse experience and deep understanding of global trends, Benjamin offers invaluable insights to leaders about the path ahead.

Sujith Ravindran

Sujith Ravindran

Sujith, mystic, space-holder and spiritual guide, is a contemporary mystic who helps leaders, institutions and movements in the social, political and business domains access unforeseen realms of awareness and fulfil their true reason for existence. He has been a guide to institutions like the EU and UNDP. He is the co-founder of the Embassy of the Future. A Consciousness & Human Ontology specialist, he is a serial author, and is considered one of the pioneers of the contemporary men’s movement. His documentary on men’s healing & growth is going on Netflix in December 2024. In 2012, he was awarded the honour of Ambassador of Peace by the Assisi Council. He loves hot peppers.
Lousiana Mees Fongang

Louisiana Mees Fongang

Co-founder of the Ground, an innovative artistic production house and platform that fuses film, somatic practices, storytelling, and ecology to cultivate deeper intellectual, emotional, and bodily awareness. As an award-winning Belgian film director, she is renowned for her raw yet intimate portrayals of youth, delving into themes of uprootedness, disconnection, and uncertainty. With storytelling as a poetic and transformative force, she won the prestigious VAF Wildcard for Best Fiction with Waithood, premiered How Do You Spell Home? at IDFA, the world’s leading documentary festival, and showcased Fikri at the 40th Interfilm Berlin Festival. Her latest project, Curious Youth!, is a pioneering docu-reality series exploring the science of consciousness for and with young people. Louisiana continuously uses cinema as a catalyst for transformation, connection, and collective regeneration.
Sara Kolata

Sara Kolata

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disrupt MAG and Organiser of Disrupt Symposium, is an architect and seasoned entrepreneur dedicated to driving innovation, responsibility, and profitability in the industry. As host of Arch Talk: Tank show, she facilitates discussions on business strategies and leadership. Sara empowers leaders to unlock their full potential, fostering resilience and igniting profound impact. Sara leads a dynamic lifestyle, embracing kitesurfing, skydiving, and global travel.

Peter Merry

Peter Merry

Co-founding Chief Innovation Officer and Managing Director at Ubiquity University. He is also co-founder of Wyrd Experience and Wyrd Technologies, developing leading-edge consciousness technology and research. He is one of the world’s top experts on transformative leadership, working in and across different sectors, training government ministers, CEOs and civil society leaders.

Peter is a recognised expert in the field of futureproof learning, science and consciousness, and integral leadership. He had his first book published in English and Dutch (Evolutionary Leadership, 2005) a second one in 2019 called Why Work? on designing work for people and planet, a third one in November 2020 called Leading from the Field and a fourth called Volution in 2023. He has an MSc in Human Ecology from Edinburgh University and a PhD from Ubiquity’s Wisdom School on volution theory. For more information, see petermerry.org

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Avalon Wellbeing Centre
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Welcome to Broughton Sanctuary

The retreat will be held here at the 3000-acre Broughton Sanctuary, just outside Skipton, at the foothills of The Yorkshire Dales, one of the most picturesque parts of the country. Established in 1097, Broughton Hall is a house of transformation, home to the Tempest family for over 900 years, and enjoys a rich history stretching back over the millennium.

The Sanctuary is also home to one of Britain’s most exciting nature recovery projects, a heartfelt commitment to address one of our deepest contemporary crises, based upon an extensive tree-planting and rewilding programme. This year in 2025, we welcome beavers to the Sanctuary alongside our native cattle and Iron Age pigs. Subscribe to our Rewilding Broughton Youtube channel to learn more.

Avalon, our state-of-the-art wellbeing retreat centre is the beating heart of the Sanctuary. With extensive indoor and outdoor resources the building exists to serve the inner voyage of mind, body, spirit. During your stay you may unwind in the state-of-the-art biophilic designed Pool Suite; including a clear 20-metre pool, steam room and sauna, plus hydromassage pool. Beyond the building itself, the Sanctuary grounds offer a chance to return to source, from meditation labyrinths, wild swimming reservoirs, a cosmic garden and much more.

We have a large variety of rooms available, whether in Broughton Hall itself, or throughout our eclectic collection of 20 stunning Retreat Houses, including converted barns, former coachhouses and gatehouses.

Broughton Sanctuary is easily accessible by plane, car and public transport. View location.

  • 3 miles from Skipton Railway Station
  • 24 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport
  • 55 miles from Manchester Airport
Rooming

Tickets range from £1600 in a Retreat House, to £3200 in our historic home, Broughton Hall.

Please note: the images below are examples of the type of room you will be booking, all rooms are subject to availability.

Rooms in Broughton Hall
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Broughton Hall, our Historic Home

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Example Broughton Hall Premium, Ensuite
Couple/Double Occupancy

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Example Broughton Hall Standard, Shared Bathroom
Couple/Double Occupancy

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Example Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite
Single Occupancy

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Example Broughton Hall Premium, Ensuite
Single Occupancy

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Example Broughton Hall Standard, Double Shared Bathroom
Single Occupancy

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Example Broughton Hall Standard, Single Room
Single Occupancy

Rooms in Retreat Houses
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Example Retreat House

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Example Retreat House Deluxe, Ensuite
Couble/Double Occupancy

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Example Retreat House Deluxe, Ensuite
Single Occupancy

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Example Retreat House Deluxe, Shared Bathroom
Single Occupancy

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Example Retreat House

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Example Retreat House Superior, Private Shower/Bathroom
Single Occupancy

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Example Retreat House

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Example Retreat House Superior, Shared Bathroom
Single Occupancy

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Example Retreat House, Single Bedroom
Single Occupancy

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Example Retreat House

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Example Retreat House Standard, Shared Bathroom
Single Occupancy

Applications

We are curating a diverse and eclectic mix of visionaries for this journey together. If our ethos and one of the 8 visions of the future resonate with you, please apply on this very simple form. If you have been extended an invitation it would also be useful if you can fill it out.

For any questions, please email benjamin@benjaminjamesbutler.com

APPLY NOW

Further Information - Scenarios

Scenarios we might explore to deepen our understanding of various topics might include:
  1. Economics: The USA is the last advanced nation to abandon GDP as its primary measure of wellbeing and growth in 2029. Politicians no longer just parrot ‘growth’ but look at an array of measures. What influence does it have on your business model? What would the world look like if we introduced Bitcoin as the de facto currency and prices begin to consistently fall and buying power rise.

  2. Ecology: Norway becomes the first country in the world to ban trash. Nuclear fusion and other abundant energy sources mean low cost, no pollution, globally-accessible energy for everyone everywhere.

  3. Decentralised governance systems, including local energy, currency and food supply, gain traction as people lose trust in centralised governance and nation states lose their grip on their populations.What does an ecological civilization really look like?

  4. Technology: The first country in the world is run by AI. What does the post Singularity world look like? How is AI and quantum computing used? How do we prepare for that future?

  5. International affairs. Geopolitics: In 2034, President RJK Junior announces the closure of all its remaining overseas military bases. What might happen in the run up to that? What would a genuinely multi-polar world look like? Is this the dawn of Eurasia and how will the USA fit into this?

  6. Architecture & Urban Development: The cities of the future require imagination to truly thrive. As technology advances and global challenges evolve, architects and urban planners will be tasked with reimagining the ways in which our urban environments are structured. By merging diverse sciences, including environmental sustainability, digital technology, and social equity, we can create cities that not only function efficiently but also serve as hubs for innovation, culture, and human connection. What will cities look like when they are built to adapt to the complexities of climate change, demographic shifts, and technological progress? How can we design urban spaces that are truly in tune with the needs of people and the planet?

  7. First contact (and consciousness): The Pope, the Presidents of the United States and China, and the United Nations Secretary General hold a summit to discuss strategy for engaging with a potential civilisational crisis. If we have contact with another civilization surely we will explore consciousness further. We might explore the future of civilization using maps of consciousness and worldviews, harnessing the work of macro historians and sense makers.
Join the Broughton Community
Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about upcoming retreats at Broughton Sanctuary.

Join the Broughton Community
Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about upcoming retreats at Broughton Sanctuary.

National Location
Road and Rail