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The 17s Project is an exploration of the future predicted by teenagers and of the role imagination plays in people's lives.
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Caroline Parsons director, producer, photographer
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Caroline's pictures have been published in BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Mail on Sunday.
She has published two books: People the Japanese Know (Japan Times 1989), VOICE in their own words Teenagers Predict the Future (Kawade Shobo Shinsha 2002).
She directed the video documentary Voices From The Future. Caroline is based in Japan.
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Photograph by Keitaro Murakami © The 17s Project
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CINEMA_______________________________________________
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Synopsis: Voices From The Future is a documentary which explores the idea that we can 'see' the future by looking at the images in our minds. Read more.
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documentary
directed by caroline parsons
produced by lisa morgan and caroline parsons
length: 30 minutes
year: 2001
language: English ( with japanese)
status project: looking for distribution and completion funds for a revisit segment
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The 17s Project is an exploration of the future predicted by teenagers and of the role imagination plays in people's lives.
Between 1998 and 2001, futures strategist and creative thinking teacher Lisa Morgan and photographer Caroline Parsons collaborated to gather the visionary predictions of 16-18 year olds around the world. 132 young people of 13 nationalities and of different socio-economic backgrounds took part.
Lisa ran workshops in which participants went on imaginary journeys to the future . They drew and described what they saw in their mind's eye. They also developed their ideas of an ideal world - for themselves and for humanity as a whole. Caroline documented the sessions on video.
Through these young people's inner thoughts about the future, we get a preview of the issues emerging in society . Some of the results of the project have been published as a book: VOICE in their own words Teenagers Predict the Future, in Japan and Taiwan. A video documentary was also produced called Voices From The Future.
In one of the workshop exercises, the young people pictured their ideal future coming true, a process which Lisa believes strengthens their ability to achieve their goals. Lisa and Caroline are planning to revisit these young people in the next 4 years to record how their lives have developed and which of their dreams have come true.
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Voices From The Future is a documentary which explores the idea that we can 'see' the future by looking at the images in our minds.
Our imagination creates our experiences’. This is a basic principle of the self-help movement. Though it might make intuitive sense, it is not a view that is supported by most scientists. I wanted to find out if it could be demonstrated.
In 1998, I joined forces with photographer and videographer, Caroline Parsons, and we ran ‘The 17s Project’ for the next three years. We worked with over 130 teenagers of 14 nationalities, exploring their expectations of the future. I ran workshops in Shanghai, Sydney, Bangkok, Tokyo, London, in schools in Wales, woods in Japan and even in paddy fields in Bali.
My approach was to use creative visualization. I showed teenagers how to uncover their unconscious expectations, by going on imaginary journeys to the future and observing the images that appeared in their minds’ eye. Caroline recorded their descriptions and drawings of these experiences on video.
The 135 hours of material we collected covered the gamut – from personal lives to the future of the world. We heard predictions of floods in Thailand, urban warfare in Australia and, pre 9/11, saw drawings of New York, ‘annihilated.’ Other visions were more positive and domestic. We were told of marriage, births and successful careers.
From this material, a bilingual book, ‘Voice: in their own words, teenagers predict the future’ was published in Japan and Taiwan. We also produced Voices From The Future, a video documentary about the work.
The 17s Project is still a work in progress. The accuracy of the predictions can only be demonstrated by returning to the former teenagers and discovering what has happened to them since they first described their future.
Caroline Parsons and I are seeking a collaborating sponsor to support this return. The video material we have is unique and tantalizing. We would relish the opportunity to make history with it.
Lisa Morgan
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Culture Wrap is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit media organization focused
on films and projects that promote cross-cultural understanding and endorse intercultural partnerships.
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Culture Wrap
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Ste. 264, Studio City, CA 91604, USA
phone: +1 818 760 4406 - e-mail: info@culturewrap.org
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© CULTURE WRAP 2006 - All rights reserved
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