Create The Future You Choose

Think Act Vote - Create The Future You Choose

“The future belongs to those that are inspired, who take risks, who push down the barriers of conformity and ignore the pessimists. To those that not only see change but make the change. To those who Think, Act, Vote.” Chris Arnold, Founder of Creative Orchestra

What is Think Act Vote?

Think Act Vote (?!X) is radical think-and-do-tank that brings together citizenship, sustainability, digital, creativity and culture. A space online and offline where how you dream the world and how you see it come together. A place where all of us can share inspiration and be inspired.

“Think Act Vote is great for injecting a little diversity into political engagement by reaching out to a younger ‘cool’ conscious audience. Its not just about voting once a year, its about how politics and choice impact our daily living.” Marcia Chandra, Photographer

Why do we need it?

We live in a world where we sometimes expect the decisions about our future to be made for us. We are constantly fed so much information by the media and our politicians that we forget that we can create our future. Politics is meant to be the way in which our country serves us by acting in our best interest. However many of us feel disillusioned with our politicians, political parties and our democratic systems. Governments can leave us feeling neglected, powerless and helpless to create the change that we need ourselves. Yet politics isn’t just something that happens in the houses of parliament and voting doesn’t just happen every four years. We express the future that we choose through how we spend our money, time and energy. Every day we make choices that shape our world. The word is changing in a way that makes many of us feel anxious about the future with issues like climate change, global economics and cuts to our services. Think Act Vote is built to inspire us to think positively about our future and the votes we cast, today, tomorrow and forever. We chose the word vote because we think it is time that we no longer view our vote as something that we give to politicians at elections, but instead as our power and our voice that we hold every day. We believe that by bringing you all together to share the future that you choose, we can remind ourselves that we can go someway to creating it and inspire each other to take action.

“Think. Act. Vote. is able to do what so many of the mainstream parties struggle to do, and that’s to engage the public in what politics is truly about.” Solitaire Townsend, Co-Founder of Futerra Sustainability Communications

We ask you four simple questions…..

“Think, Act, Vote is the perfect antidote to the mixture of chaos, violence and authoritarianism that is causing so much despair in our global village. ?!X is a creative, exciting and inspiring call to action, and whatever age you are, you have something to bring to the party.” Lord John Alderdice

What’s The Future You Choose?

A simple question. It’s not a question you get asked very often but one that we all have an answer to when we stop to think about it. If it was up to you to create the world that you want to live in, what would it be? We think it’s important to sometimes stop and dream, imagine the possible, and take a moment to inspire others and ourselves. Only from understanding what it is we want, can we begin to create it. We are asking people across the world to share their vision of the future, and we would love for you to take part.

“After years of developing different platforms for engaging people in key issues at Anti-Apathy, it’s great to see how fresh initiatives like Think Act Vote are encouraging new audiences to get involved, be creative and take a proactive stance towards making positive change happen.” Cyndi Rhoades, Founder of Anti-Apathy and Worn Again

What’s a THINK to create this Future?

THINK = something that has informed and inspired the future that you choose.

It can be a film, a book, an article, a conversation, a poem, a piece of art, or anything you choose.

“Think Act Vote is social entrepreneurial idea from Amisha Ghadiali to encourage us to connect to our world, connect to our universe, think of the moments in time that really impacted us and the acts that we know can help make a better world. I am really excited to be part in parcel of the programme and I hope that you will get involved too.” Kriss Akabusi, Motivational Speaker and Former Champion Athlete

What’s an ACT to create this Future?

ACT = something that we can all do to help create the future that you choose.

A simple action that we can do in our daily lives as individuals.

“A great campaign and a great reminder that we don’t just vote at ballot boxes. We vote when we buy eco fashion. We vote when we buy hybrid cars. We vote when we use less energy in the home. We vote when we buy organic, fair trade and local food. We vote several times a day, so let’s think before we vote!” Atul Srivastava, Ecology Expert and Presenter

What’s a VOTE to create this Future?

VOTE = A pledge of allegiance to something that we believe is creating the future we choose.

This could be, for example, a charity that we could donate to, a campaign that we can support or a society that we could join.

“Think Act Vote is a brilliant innovative project, inspiring people to become activists in a fun and different way” Tara Starlet, Fashion Designer

How do we inspire change?

* The Futures Interview

* Think Act Vote Refashioned

* Think Act Vote presents ‘FUTURES’ Events

*The Future I Choose Anthology

* Our Open Source Online Platform

* Think Act Vote Photobooth

*T-Shirt Design Competition

“Think Act Vote: Making Politics

Fashionable” Marie Claire

“I was immediately struck by Amisha’s passion and drive when I met her during the Yes to AV campaign. People in the West seem to have a jaded attitude towards politics and politicians but people like her and the Think Vote Act project are a reminder of what can be achieved in our democracy.” Dan Snow, Historian and TV Presenter

Vision

* To inspire us to connect with our personal agency and live in a way that works towards creating a better world. * To change our relationship with the political, reclaim “vote” as something that we take part in on a daily basis that is an expression of what we want, not something for politicians to take from us. * To draw the links between the different industries and parts of our life where our ideas of citizenship, individuality and community are formed. * To be an accessible first step for us to express our thoughts and feelings when it comes to our affect on the world, and act as a stepping stone into issue based or political activism. * To remind us that activism can be fun and to speak in a language that is simple, clear and understandable to all. * To explore if people no matter who we are, when we take away cultural, social, economic and physical boundaries have a shared positive vision of the world we would like to live in. * To give us a space to think through our values and share the ideas that we as individuals think can make a real difference. * To create an online space that is filled with user selected ‘best’ content from around the web.

?!X exists to create a community around our relationship with our global citizenship and the choices we make for our future, in this changing world.

“I love this idea – I think it’s great, it encourages people to really think about things and write it down, which just adds a degree of import to it, by committing it to ‘paper’. I think sometimes people are afraid of standing out from the crowd by doing something different. This space allows people to do just that almost anonymously, but at the same time it makes them realise that there are a lot of people who feel the same which will hopefully encourage them to do more.” September Rose

What have we done?

“Think Act Vote is an open invitation and encouraging platform for absolutely anyone who cares about their future. Unlike other campaigns, it doesn’t have a hidden agenda or fixed gaze on a particular social group. I feel connected to something much greater and more positive as a result of this.” Tuba Gursoy

How we got started ?!X was started in the run up to the 2010 British General Election. Founder Amisha Ghadiali, whose background is in ethical fashion and jewellery design, was frustrated by how negative political campaigning gets, and tired at the idea of having to endure five months of it, time we wouldn’t be thinking about what really matters – our dreams for the future. So through conversations with friends whose backgrounds were in sustainability, politics, drama and design, the idea of ?!X was born. What brought us together was a shared disappointment about the depressing view of politics and personal agency held by so many people in the UK today and an ambition to do something about it – creating a community around our relationship with the political, social, economic and environmental choices we make for our future. So we launched a t-shirt competition and literally built a special ballot box, and went round asking people to vote with their visions of the Future that They Choose. We have been powered solely by volunteers, people putting their time, energy and creativity into this project because they know it’s important.

?!X Ballot Box made by Tuba Gursoy

Photography by Simon Adrians

“Anything to connect meaningful issues with voting in people’s minds. And there are few things as democratic as the t-shirt.” Peter Hames, Founder of Sleepio and ?!X t-shirt competition judge

T-Shirt Design Competiton

In partnership with ethical fashion label Komodo, we searched for the perfect design for our carbon neutral ?!X t-shirt from up and coming designers, artists and illustrators. The only proviso was that the design had to include the words Think Act Vote. The t-shirt serves as a reminder that we can think, act and vote every day to create the future that we choose.

The winner was decided by the ?!X judging panel, made up of some of the best-known faces in ethical fashion and design, including ethical hero Katharine Hamnett, celebrated illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve and the original ‘anti-preneur’, Cyndi Rhoades. The winning design is available to purchase online and in selected shops across the UK. The winning design was by Jesson Yip and the artwork became our logo.

Photography by Ben Gold

“All industries need to be more forward-thinking and fashion is one of the few industries attempting to build a sustainable future. Think Act Vote brings politics and fashion together.” Chloe Mardsen

Think Act Vote Refashioned

We gave a t-shirt to some of the leading ethical fashion brands in London to customize the simple t-shirt into a unique piece. Eight designers took part; Junky Styling, Ada Zanditon, Beautiful Soul, Traid Remade, Nancy Dee, Ciel, Tara Starlet, and Miksani each giving a different twist to the ?!X tee. The brief was to use just a t-shirt and off cuts from previous collections (that might have otherwise been thrown away) to create the pieces, we gave them just a week to do it, and couldn’t believe how stunning what we got back was. Some designers opted to create more of a show piece in signature style, and others have created something that you can create at home, giving you instructions of how to do it. The pieces received international press coverage and were featured on the catwalk at a number of events.

Ada Zanditon

Tara Starlet

TRAID Remade

Beautiful Soul Photography by Dominic Clarke

Styled by Io Takemura

“I think its a really great cause and I love how it is different to any other I’ve come across before. I’m really interested in the fashion aspects and can’t wait to get involved” Louisa Doyle

Think Act Vote Photobooth

We took our photobooth to a number of events and festivals. Spreading the message of ?!X and giving everyone we come a cross a chance to get involved.

“Its an infinitely powerful thing: a concentration of passionate, positive voices from all corners of the globe, who embrace the diversity of each others views while uniting for local and global change. A forum like this amplifies that voice of the collective, and makes it impossible to ignore.” Meredith Hines

A selection of Futures:

“The Future I Choose is one where we stand together for justice and what is right, where everyone is given the freedom and opportunity to dream and make those dreams a reality.” Dominic Campbell “The Future I choose is one that we live happily with the environmental and social constraints of our planet.” Simon Goldsmith “I choose a future where everything is fairer – the distribution of power, of resources, of respect. I’d also like an environmentally-sound hoverboard please.” Rick Edwards “The Future I choose is fitter , healthier , happier , less greedy , more liveable , more equal and beautifully designed !” Wayne Hemmingway “The Future I Choose is is green. Not just a colour. Not just a political party. Not just a term for naivety! It’s a philosophy and a creative, experimental, cutting edge, super-sexy approach to life and lifestyle that is what the 21st century will be all about. Where we live, how we work together, how we get around, what we eat, where it grows, what fuels our fires, warms our hearts and inspires our minds – all are up for grabs…we’re beginning to realise consuming ever vaster quantities of ‘stuff’ ain’t making us happier (and we certainly can’t eat money), and that unequal societies make us sick – physically and mentally. The Future I choose is in tune with the earth beneath our feet, recognises us as people not just consumers and celebrates our collective potential to do the right thing. And I think we might even get there!” Ed Gillespie “I would like to see a world in which every person can fulfill their potential without being bounded by race, class, gender or geography. That means removing more than physical constraints – it involves removing psychological ones too. You can have all the skill and luck and resources in the world, but if you don’t have faith you’ll get to your destination, you’ll never even set off. I want everyone to choose their own future, and to believe they can get there.” Rowenna Davis “A future where businesses will act together, as a community, towards the separability of sustainable practices.” Livia Firth “The Future I Choose is a world with less shoes and more views on things that matter and have beauty” Louie Louie Herbert “The Future I Choose is creative, connected, cultured, with less consumption and waste” David Hawksworth “The future I would choose for tomorrow is one where today we all dare to dream bigger, undertake greater adventures, tell richer stories and strive to be more curious there by collectively solving the issues that we know the future will hold.” David de Rothschild

“Caring about what you believe shouldn’t be seen as uncool, the Think Act Vote campaign prevents this, and personally it’s a relief to see I’m not the only young person excited about politics” Ellen

What are we doing now?

“I think ?!X is an incredible initiative that deserves a lot more attention. I’ve spent time reading through the site, it’s certainly inspiring to see how people from different backgrounds are coming together to share ideas and manage their expectations of the future in a way that allows no one to question the sincerity of their commitment.” Jag Singh, Web & Political Strategist

The Futures Interview

Our Feature ‘The Futures Interview’ asks the four most important questions we can answer to change the world (and two fun ones!)

- What’s the Future You Choose?

- What’s a THINK to create this future?

- What’s an ACT to create this future?

-  What’s a VOTE to create this future?

- Future Soundtrack: What song would you take with you?

- Can you share up to 5 weblinks you find interesting and inspiring?

Launched in July, we currently post these online at least once a week (if not more) we approach people from a diverse range of backgrounds to share their values and ideas for a better world. We have a team of volunteer writers from all over the globe contributing to this feature.

+ We are looking for a media partner to share these interviews far and wide

”I support ?!X because it allows the government to hear our real voice and it is more powerful than a petition. It goes that extra mile!” Natalie Vescia, FATLDN - Fashion-Art-Travel

The Anthology

Since we have got started we have collected futures, a collection of photographs from our photobooth, futures, poetry, the ?!X refashioned stories, and illustrations themed on The Future I Choose.

We wish to put this together into an anthology, to release at our November event, that will then go on sale.

A cunning part of the anthology plan is to deliver copies to leading political figures as a reminder of the people of Britain's values, and ideas for a better future.

To make this happen, we need:

+ Sponsorship to publish the anthology

+ Design support to layout the anthology

+ PR support for the book launch

“Great to be involved with a group who not only encourage thought, but also the crucial ACTION to make stuff happen!” Alistair Humphries, Adventurer and Author

?!X presents ‘Futures’ The Events

The Format: *A monthly night (launching in October 2011) started in London with the potential to be replicated around the world. *It will have a monthly weeknight spot (possibly 6/7pm til 11pm) Bringing three diverse speakers talking for 10-15 mins on The Future that they choose (ranging from well known public figures to those well respected in their industries to those who may not be known to the audience) *Speaker 1 – Think: They will talk about the Future that they Choose and a specific idea or series of moments that made them think this. *Speaker 2 – Act: They will talk about the Future that they Choose and an action that we can all take part in to create this future. *Speaker 3 – Vote: They will talk about the Future that they Choose and a way to vote (pledge allegiance to an organization or campaign) to create this future. *Creative Content – We are partnering with Arts Production Company who will commission content from emerging and established artists on the theme. This could be poetry, performance art, comedy or live music. * In addition we partnering with a visual arts collective to produce digital visual content. *Networking & drinks – allowing the opportunity for the audience to get to know each other. *Tickets will be priced at £20/£25 with a limited number of free tickets for people to apply for. *The talks and performances will be live streamed and available to watch online after the event. The Audience: We aim to promote to a diverse audience of pioneers, politicians, creatives, entrepreneurs, social innovators, activists, dreamers, students, as well virgins to the social change space. The event capacity will be limited to 80-100 attendees, but many more will be able to engage online.

An evening of entertainment and inspiration bringing together

citizenship, sustainability, creativity and culture to create

the future that we choose.

“Politics is running the risk of disappearing from contemporary culture and dearly needs a new lease of life! Think Act Vote is a great opportunity to affect a change.” Victoria McQuillan

Open Source Online Platform

We want to create an open source online platform and an App where people can come and share their futures, thinks, acts and votes - a user generated version of the Futures Interviews. Features: - User generated content - Crowd sourcing - Engaging Front Page - Keyword search - Map that shows where users are to create local communities and global ones (Geo-location) - Option to like others ideas and pledge to do the idea

“Think Act Vote brings to light an important matter concerning us all” Daisy De Villeneuve, Illustrator & Think Act Vote T-Shirt Design Competition Judge

Footprint

Think Act Vote launched with a bang. There were over 20,000 unique hits on the website in the first year as well as a growing community on Facebook and Twitter.

Think Act Vote has been written about over 50 times including features in Dazed & Confused, Marie Claire, Treehugger, The Big Issue and Harper’s Baazar.

The movement of the campaign is natural. It has and will continue to motivate individuals to consult their own feelings, start a dialogue and thereby start the sequence of events by which they take the steps to shape their world.

Forum for the Future named Think Act Vote as exemplary in their 2010 report - Can the Sustainable Industries lead us to a creative future?

“Discovering the Think Act Vote Campaign has made me realise that I am not alone in wanting to make a positive change. I think its brilliant!” Beth Jennings

You are Invited.

Get Involved.

Twitter @thinkactvote

Facebook.com/thinkactvote

Info@thinkactvote.org