(Re)Imagining Future Worlds through Humour and Play (X6000E)

15 credits, Level 4

Spring teaching

This module embraces play and humour as key components of change when engaging with current and uncertain futures.

You’ll critically explore play and humour in addressing real-world issues and apply your ideas locally. Sessions use creative approaches to challenge thinking around:

• ecological issues
• digital cultures
• collective resilience.

You’ll explore how humour and play can act as critical, regenerative tools of hope.

Workshops include:

• textual analysis of political and academic satire
• ethnographic studies of online meme cultures
• critical readings from humour/play studies
• case studies such as playful protest, climate memes and humour as collective resistance.

There is no requirement to be a creative or a ‘funny’ person but there is an expectation that you’ll be open to embrace a playful disposition with your tutors and peers.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.