Counters for a board game: a collection of coloured triangles. On each triangle a different job is written: Doctor; Special Educational Needs Assistant; Pension Administrator etc.

World of Work

Name: Heart of Glass
Price range: $

1st Jan 2019 — 31st Mar 2026

World of Work invites players to work together to navigate the local and global shifts, fundamental inequalities, tech innovations and societal changes that help or reduce job creation.

Project Details

Categories

Place

Creative Team

Artist: Michelle Browne
Collaborators: St Helens College students, Torus Housing, St Helens Carers Centre and individuals working in the industries of St Helens.
Producers: Rhyannon Parry, Suzanne Dempsey-Sawin, Kate Houlton

In 2019, we invited Michelle to join us for a research residency exploring the future world of work in St Helens, and towns like it.

The result of her research and collaborations is World of Work.

A collaborative board game, players work together to deal with external forces, tech innovations and societal changes that assist or reduce job creation in a town like St Helens.

The aim of the game is to gather a number of social benefits such as housing, sustainable environment and basic income, that will improve the lives of those who live in the town.

Will they be able to keep enough people in employment? Can they ensure social benefits such as housing, public transport and a Universal Basic Income are available to everyone who needs them? How might these reflections help us think about the future of work in our region?

The game has been played in towns and locations across the UK and Ireland including St Helens and Dublin.

The board game is photographed from a birds eye view, it is being played and all of the different cards are laid out around the outside of the board. — Photo by Frank Abruzzese

A hand hold a small white card with lines on it. In black and orange text the card reads 'The government decides to change the laws about who can do care work - lower employment for Orange Care Worker'. — Photo by Frank Abruzzese

A board game is set up on a wooden table. Colourful triangular counters are set up on the board, black counters on the table around it and black and white cards. — Photo by Frank Abruzzese

World of Work looks at the fundamental inequalities and global impacts that have contributed to St Helens having such large-scale unemployment and worklessness. World of Work will offer the space to think strategically about the future of the town.

World of Work builds on Michelle's Pilkingtons project Now Thus Now Thus.