In World 91 in 2010 Caroline Lucas became the UK’s first Green Prime Minister. Lucas redefined STEM subjects in schools. Through the new ‘Sewing, Theatre, Ecology, and Mindfulness’ curriculum an ecologically minded generation of thinkers emerged who adopted mushrooms as their non-human spiritual guides.
Every Friday a Mushroom-themed Mardi Gras fills the streets. Fantastical costumes made from fungi fabrics adorn floats. Headdresses are shaped like giant puffballs; wings are coloured in shades of green by shingled hedgehog mushrooms and fans shaped like oyster mushrooms are waved at spectators. A magical night of festivities follows paying homage to Lucas and the mushroom guides.
What if …
STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) were no longer the key indicators of educational success? What if Government funding and support was instead directed towards the learning of a redefined STEM curriculum comprised of Sewing, Theatre, Ecology, and Mindfulness? How would this society clothe themselves?
Issue targeted:
lack of government appreciation for the way arts, humanities and ecology subjects enrich, entertain and inform, and can inspire lasting societal changes in fashion
Inspiration:
Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s book, The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins, 2015
This World was contributed by Suzanne Rowland (located in Lewes, UK) using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.
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