Imagined Futures: Sowing the Seeds of Empathy
The session introduced Imagined Futures as the co-hosts for the ChangeFest25 national gathering. Leigh Sinclair, Executive Director, shared reflections on the power of working across diverse stakeholders and contexts, highlighting how empathy acts as a bridge between difference. She offered an overview of Imagined Futures, describing the partnership’s resilience and adaptability through the lens of rhizome theory and the strength of weak ties; illustrating how deep listening and relational trust can spark innovation in unexpected places.
Leigh also acknowledged the ongoing challenge of securing sustainable funding, underscoring the need to invest in creating conditions where community-led change can flourish. At the heart of the presentation was a call to centre empathy in all aspects of community-led work; recognising it not just as a value, but as a practice that enables genuine connection across organisations, systems, and lived experiences. Together, we explored how understanding and connecting with others – especially those navigating different rules, constraints, and agendas – can lead to more inclusive, effective, and enduring outcomes. Empathy, in this context, becomes a quiet force for transformation.
The discussion highlighted a successful program for young people that Imagined Futures facilitated for over a decade, focusing on keeping kids engaged in school and making meaningful progress.
It was great to have Michael Piu with us for the session. Michael has been the Chair of Imagined Futures since its inception in 2013. Michael shared his experiences and highlighted the value of being brave, maintaining trust with partners, and using data to guide priorities.
ChangeFest25 in Walyalup/Fremantle extended the ChangeFest songlines west for the first time and together we explored the opportunities from this including to hear and learn from the stories of Western Australia and for Imagined Futures to learn with the movement about how to deepen understanding and ties with First Nations communities.
There were a few resources mentioned through the presentation that are linked below:
- Where is the door? Youth Video
- Keeping Kids Engaged program
- Rhizome Theory: Can the rhizome teach us how to find a new social paradigm? – The Fulcrum
- The Strength of Weak Ties: Why our “weak-tie” connections are actually super-strong – Big Think
- Collective Story Harvesting and Listening arcs
We always ask participants to share their appreciation of the session – some of the comments for this session include:
“Feeling grateful and inspired by meeting some wonderful, kind, brave folk working this space.”
“I’m happily learning that time and patience can bring forth such worthwhile collaborations, based in a care for others!”
“Importance of being embedded in community when doing community work – a level of valuing lived experience”
“Our superpower is empathy, kindness and compassion. We must not forget this.”
About the Presenters
Leigh Sinclair – Executive Director, Imagined Futures
Leigh is the Executive Director of Imagined Futures. Imagined Futures brings together over 70 not-for-profit and government agencies, as well as business, philanthropists, and community members to tackle complex social challenges. Over her career, she has performed consultations, strategic planning, governance, research, and policy development roles as well as designing and delivering front line services. She has undertaken this work in government, non-government, and private sectors. Leigh jumped at the opportunity to put this breadth of experience into practice to facilitate cross-sector collaborative efforts to deliver the best results for the community.