Exploring green skills and innovation at the Thames Tunnel
On July 10th 2024, we hosted a soft launch event at the iconic Thames Tunnel, part of the Brunel Museum. We shared our work with people drawn from industry, education, local government, and community organisations.
Thames Tunnel tour
Tim, the Thames Tunnel’s tour guide, told us the epic story of the world’s first underwater tunnel. Its making holds lessons for today’s transformational challenges: innovation, imagination as well as failure and resilience. We learned about the necessity of upgrading London’s 12th-century infrastructure, the financial pressures faced, and the innovative reuse of the tunnel. Today, the shaft’s rooftop is a botanical garden and cocktail venue.
Illustrator Victor Hagger from Information Illustration beautifully documented the tour, setting the stage for our skills workshop.
Skills Exchange
First Hand’s Project Director, Dee Halligan led a 45-min workshop based on the Thames Tunnel’s story. Participants explored the skills that help us navigate change, imagine new futures, change together, and stick with it! We looked for the transformative green skills that were involved in building and using the tunnel and explored themes of complexity and problem framing, imagination and risk, negotiation and relationships.
Key insights
Kris de Meyer from UCL’s Climate Action Unit shared insights from behavioural and neuroscience. He emphasised the power of self-persuasion and the importance of actions in shaping beliefs. Kris also discussed how storytelling fosters engagement with climate issues and the importance of discovering how to act rather than be told what to do.
Dee Halligan returned to share her thoughts on the confusion which surrounds sustainability and climate education. She referenced sustainability competences frameworks like GreenComp and the UK’s new definition of green skills. She explained that the First Hand model is built on collaboration through place-based learning approaches, knowledge exchange and direct connection with the places and people making change. You can access Dee’s talk and resources here.
Thank you
This event was made possible through a collaborative effort even before the planning began.
Visit this LinkedIn post for full credits to the partners, supporters, and team involved!
Catch up with key moments in this short film and follow us on YouTube.
