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OPEN CALL · 2026FOUNDING COMMUNITY

2026 THEME · SHP FOUNDING COMMUNITY

QUESTIONS FOR THEFUTURE

Tracing the histories that made our present.

For young researchers, creators, artists, and thinkers.

2026 THEME: Questions for the Future

Tracing the histories that made our present.

The future does not begin tomorrow. The technologies, systems, ideas and ways of living we take for granted today all have histories.

In 2026, SHP invites young people to begin with the present, trace how it came to be, and ask what might be understood, challenged or imagined differently for the future.

We are not looking for predictions. We are looking for better questions.

AREAS OF INQUIRY

01

Body, Medicine & Life Science

Bodies, care and life

How medical knowledge, bodily standards and life technologies reshape care, identity and lived experience.

02

History of Infrastructure

Systems behind daily life

How energy, interfaces, cities and everyday technologies become the invisible conditions of modern life.

03

History of Knowledge

Memory, evidence and authority

Who produces knowledge, how it is recorded, and which people and experiences disappear from the story.

04

History of Automobiles & Mobility

Movement, cities and energy

How cars, roads, speed and energy systems reshape urban space and modern life.

05

Mobility, Transport Technology & Safety

Transport systems, technology and public safety

How vehicles, intelligent transport systems, infrastructure and safety practices shape movement, access and public life.

06

History of X

Objects, standards and hidden systems

Begin with an object, concept or system and trace how it was made, changed and absorbed into social life.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Interest matters more than a single discipline.

We welcome:

We welcome people who are genuinely curious about how knowledge and technology shape human life—and willing to develop that curiosity through research, making, writing or dialogue.

01SCIENCE / HUMANITY / PHILOSOPHY

Young Researchers

Turn a question into sustained inquiry.

  • Science & Knowledge
  • Technology & Ethics
  • Society & Culture
  • Human Futures
02ART / TECHNOLOGY / MEDIA

Creators & Artists

Use form, image and technology to investigate ideas.

  • Art + Technology
  • Digital Media
  • Speculative Design
  • Visual Storytelling
03CURIOSITY / HUMAN LIFE / FUTURES

Explorers

Begin with curiosity; a discipline can come later.

  • AI
  • Environment
  • Society
  • Human Futures

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Choose one clear starting point.

Begin with:

  1. 01Start with a question
  2. 02Bring an emerging project
  3. 03Propose a piece of writing

FOUNDING COMMUNITY ROADMAP

Joining means entering a development path.
  1. PHASE 12026 · COMMUNITY

    Founding Community Launch

    • Founding contributor introductions
    • Online discussions
    • Reading groups & workshops
  2. PHASE 22026 · DEVELOPMENT

    Research & Creation

    • Independent and collaborative projects
    • Research feedback
    • Mentorship as the network develops
  3. PHASE 32026–2027 · PUBLIC

    Publication & Exhibition

    • SHP Youth Review
    • Project case publication
    • Public presentations & exhibitions

APPLY

Scan or email to speak with us directly.

2026 OPEN CALL

Start with a question.

Tell us what you are curious about, what you hope to explore, or what you are already making.

SHP Assistant Michelle WeChat QR code
WECHATSHP Assistant: Michelle
EMAIL · SHP EDITORIAL OFFICEhello@shp-lab.orgQuestions, projects and publishing

FUTURE MENTORS & PARTNERS

A collaboration network to be developed.

SHPX

We welcome collaboration across disciplines and sectors. SHP is building connections with mentors, research resources, public institutions and technology communities.

MentorsResearch ResourcesPublic InstitutionsTechnology Communities