Refiguring possible futures: anthropology and creative practice for an uncertain world

In this themed issue we demonstrate and argue for a visual anthropology approach which engages creative practice as part of the process and outcome of fieldwork designed to generate new encounters with and knowledge in possible and uncertain futures. The contributors collectively investigate: How can visual anthropology participate and advance its practice by engaging in a futures research agenda?; What approaches, concepts and theoretical commitments support this endeavour?; how can visual anthropology practice be engaged to decenter dominant future visions?; what responsibilities and subjectivities does this reveal; and what is the significance of this for thinking about global futures anthropologically? Articles focus on questions relating to human, elemental, environmental and technological futures, often bringing these into dialogue with each other, across substantive themes including disability, energy futures, climate futures, the future of life and death and will explore how futures can be imagined, invoked, simulated or speculated both intergenerationally and across the life course.