Surviving the Future:
The Deeper Dive
January 5th – March 14th 2026
For those seeking insights and allies to help themselves and their localities through profound change.
The annual Deeper Dive offers a long moment — a 10-week opportunity — to slow down, pull back, and explore responses as part of a small global community, among and alongside some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers.
“So let us not talk falsely now,
The hour is getting late.”
— Bob Dylan
A place for those conversations you really need to have, with people who understand the times we’re in.
Maybe you’ve taken our course A Path Through Tumultuous Times, or independently encountered the tantalizing vision held out in the late David Fleming’s book Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy.
Maybe you’re now among those eager to go further: applying, questioning and reforging his principles in the context of the varied realities we are facing today in our diverse home communities.
If so, then The Deeper Dive is for you. Whether you’re already hard at work on responses to our times or seeking your calling, this is an annually curated space for reorienting, recharging and plotting together. From your own home, as part of an international community.
All the participants will have already read or listened to Surviving the Future (in case you haven’t, advance enrollees gain immediate access in both text/audio format) or be familiar with the Dictionary for the Future from which it was drawn, so we’ll have a shared baseline of understanding from which to explore how we might individually or collectively change direction before we end up where we’re headed.
Let’s be clear: none of us have neat answers to the impossible conundrums of the day. Likely there are none.
And that raises some pretty important questions for those of us alive in these times.
So, guided by Shaun Chamberlin, we’ll gather with some of the most compelling thinkers and doers on Earth — see below for 2025’s guests — to discuss with them why they’ve chosen to walk the paths they do.
As Fleming wrote, “Do nothing that matters without consulting a conversation”. So now we want to go deeper, together. And each year’s Deeper Dive is limited to fifty participants, to keep those conversations accessible and meaningful.
For all our lack of neat answers, we believe we have uncovered some questions worth sharing, worth chewing over together. And some paths worth walking.
You are invited to join us.
Last Year’s Guests
Each year we are delighted to welcome a number of distinguished and compelling guests who join us live to take part in our deepening conversations.
All have long experience of both the joys and sorrows of engaging with the issues of our times, and for 2025’s Deeper Dive were:
(2026 guests will be added here once confirmed)
Nate Hagens
Rachel Donald
Mark Boyle
Isabelle Frémeaux
Brett Scott
Vandana Shiva
Vanessa & Giovanna Andreotti
David Abram
Exploration
While it is important that our conversations have space to go wherever they need to — our live courses deliberately evolve and adapt in response to the developing interests of the participants — we currently hear particular eagerness for deeper explorations on two overarching themes:
❖ The deeper theoretical (even spiritual) questions raised by this historical moment
❖ Getting practical about individual and collective responses
Course Schedule
So there will be plenty of time for both of these intertwined enquiries, with the course designed flexibly to fit with group availability, while broadly structured on the following themes:
Week 1 Jan 5th-Jan 11th — Getting to know each other and the space
Weeks 2-3 Jan 12th-Jan 25th — Growth, Energy and Technology
Week 4 Jan 26th-Feb 1st — Reflection week
Weeks 5-6 Feb 2nd-Feb 15th — Nature and Humanity
Week 7 Feb 16th-Feb 22nd — Reflection week
Weeks 8-9 Feb 23rd-Mar 8th — Culture and Story
Week 10 Mar 9th-Mar 15th — Closing, including online carnival
The first week of each of the three core sections will focus primarily on exploring the deepest questions raised by that theme, informed by supplied resources including readings from David Fleming’s Lean Logic and elsewhere, as well as the experiences of our group and guests.
The second week of each will focus on applying those conversations in practice — how might we respond? And what do we need to support that? Here we test our ideas and intentions against the real world, from amidst a warm and committed group who have our back.
After ten weeks, you should emerge with a much-sharpened sense of both the challenges of our times and the stories you might wish to tell with your life in that context. Not to mention new supportive companions on that path, and long-term access to an active and richly fortifying global network of people navigating these times of profound change, together.
Format
Convened and facilitated by Shaun Chamberlin, this online Deeper Dive includes:
- Live webinars for thoughtful discussion with our exceptional guests
- Weekly readings/audio in our course platform, responsively selected to draw out deeper nuance
- Video segments — from film clips to songs! — created or curated to cast further light on the subjects at hand
- Experiential exercises designed to take us out of the online ‘no-place’
- Live small-group reflection webinars with Shaun
- Live social sessions for smaller-scale breakout conversation within the group
- Facilitated written discussion forums, which tend to be very active!
- Guided — and open — access to LeanLogic.online
- Our renowned closing carnival
We are used to some of our participants being new to online learning, and our team will be on hand to deal with any technical difficulties.
What is the time commitment?
That is largely up to you. Our Surviving the Future courses are designed to offer a balance of flexibility and interactive opportunities for participants. We completely understand that different folk will have differing levels of time and availability, and may be more interested in the live sessions, or written discussions, or the reading/video resources.
That said, The Deeper Dive lives up to its name, and offers a lot of content. As a general indicator, we would say that 5-6 hrs/week might be a reasonable minimum, though you will get far more out of the experience by engaging more fully with the group than that would allow. In essence, the more you put in the more you are likely to get out of it, with no shortage of options for those who wish to make the programme their focus for these ten weeks.
How many live sessions are there, and must I attend all of them?
As a minimum, three 90 minute live sessions will be offered each week. Further live sessions will be created in response to the needs/interests of the group. There is no requirement to attend all of them.
Indeed, some participants – especially those from time zones for which our timings are tricky – choose to get heavily involved without joining those sessions live at all. Instead they complement viewing the recordings with the supplied readings and other materials, and interact with the facilitator and other participants at times that suit them via the active course forums, as well as our 24/7 Zoom room.
Note also that the materials and forums will remain available to you after the course closes, allowing further flexibility.
When will the live webinars be scheduled?
In an effort to accommodate participants from as many time zones as possible and to work within reason for the facilitator (Shaun/Western Europe) live webinars are usually organized for a range of times between 10am-5pm U.S. Eastern Time (UTC -5), which is afternoon/evening time in Africa/Europe. There may be some exceptions to these timings, but all webinars will be recorded and available to course participants within two working days of taking place.
We also split the reflection webinars into two smaller groups (i.e. Shaun hosts two per week, with each participant choosing one to join), both to allow for more active participation, and to offer further flexibility in offering times to suit as many participants as possible.
Participants with a diversity of lifestyles have joined us from every continent, so if you have particular concerns about your availability or time zone, please drop us a line and we may be able to advise, or put you in touch with someone who participated under similar circumstances and is happy to discuss their experience.
Community
As with all our Surviving the Future offerings (and indeed life in general!) conversation and community are at the heart of what makes it worthwhile.
Happily, our previous live courses have given us a strong grounding in holding such spaces and stimulating meaningful connection both with the subjects at hand and with each other.
Participant numbers are capped for The Deeper Dive due to our experience in building effective relationships and warmth in this online format (early enrollments help us enormously in managing this), and we wholeheartedly encourage brave, open, supportive sharing and listening as we engage with some deeply challenging and controversial topics.
As ever with community, what you get out will have a lot to do with what you put in!
Conversations will be held across a number of different media — and there is no need to participate in all of them! — including prompted and unprompted written discussions in the dedicated course forums, live conversational webinars, our 24/7 videochat room, group social sessions and small breakout conversations.
And as our StF alumni know — repeat Deeper Divers always warmly welcomed! — our global community does not end when the course does. Our forums and 24/7 videochat room remain open for ongoing conversations and support as we go about our lives, and you will also be invited to our popular monthly online gatherings. If past experience is anything to go by, some of you may even invent and suggest other new possibilities for us all to enjoy!
Testimonials
“When I found the course, or the course found me, I just knew I needed to sign up for it. My gut feeling did not betray me.
It was the right course at the right time helping me to understand and come to terms with the various crises and human predicaments. My fellow learning companions helped me to learn, grow and find ways in which I will work towards transitioning and the sequel here in Berlin. I just loved the whole experience.”
“The space and respect you gave to all participants was fundamental. I cannot emphasise this enough, the way in which you listened and allowed us to be, really brought this course to another level.“
“The course has definitely sparked some much-needed fire and motivation in me for thoughtful action.
I started this course with grief, sadness, even rage at the way things are going, at the total destruction our human-made systems are wreaking with terrifying efficiency on the natural world, and a sense that those around me weren’t really concerned about it much at all.
At the end of this course, I feel more understood. And a desire to channel the energy throbbing in these emotions into greater courage, to step into life more, with greater conviction, and do my best to question whether each step/decision is bringing me into a more relationally rich, nourished way of living.
I already feel different.”
“Just brilliant. I was able to meet people from across the globe I ordinarily wouldn’t have had the chance to talk with.”
“I LOVED the Deeper Dive and thought the design and implementation of the class was brilliant — the lectures, on-line forum questions, the weekly bundle of rich resources, and the social gatherings. I’ve never seen such a multi-layered design that touches all our modalities.”
“An important reminder of how lovely humans can be.”
“It’s difficult to find the words that would fully capture what I’m taking away from our 8 weeks together. I came into this longing for new options for how to change the way I’m living and I think I found it.
I feel like my daily experience with life has become much deeper and more peaceful over these eight weeks as a result of the connections I’ve made, the course material that I’ve encountered on my own, and the sage advice I’ve integrated from our guest teachers.
I have been seen and heard in a way that is so rare, especially when discussing the things we’ve discussed here. This has been a profoundly meaningful experience, thank you!!!“
“Until recently I had no idea the course’s guests existed. Collectively, they form an alternate constellation to the machine world, something worth pulling for.
I spent over a quarter of my adult life in university because I liked the environment. But Surviving the Future is by far the most profound learning I’ve known, involving the heart along with the head.
There are so many of us! We’re the kind of people I dream of meeting in real life. I think there are more of us than I ever imagined, and so there must be some nearby. Going through this process has given me the courage and desire to seek us out.”
“The range of content — from the artful poems, fiction and songs to the intellectual readings and graphs — provides a rich offering. Unlike anything else I’ve encountered.
This course is in a category of its own. Exceptional.”
“It’s difficult to describe what, exactly, the Deeper Dive is, but it will move you deeply.
From my first plunge I felt an increasing pressure, relieved by helpful alumni returning for their second, third and fourth Deeper Dives. Can I offer a better recommendation than that? People come back and keep coming back.
I laughed, cried, grieved and made friendships around the world. I was transformed.
The secret to the Deeper Dive is it’s a full spectrum educational experience, not just for your mind but your heart and your gut as well, all of which pressurize together as the dive goes deeper.”
“Participating in the Deeper Dive had a profound impact on me. The course of my life has changed because of it.”
“As soon as I saw there was a ‘song of the week’ I thought, ‘yep, I’m in the right place!’”
“It was terrific to be able to engage with other people from all over, live in conversation. The intimacy with which we were able to connect with the guest teachers was invaluable.
Shaun was also available far beyond what I could have imagined. I really appreciated the timeliness of each of his beginning of the week welcomes.”
“Participants exhibited curiosity, humility and expertise in almost equal measures — I have not found this to be commonplace. This course restored my battered faith in many ways.”
“Thank you so much for putting together this brilliant course!”
“OMG, so incredibly grateful to all of you and especially to Shaun. This program was such a gift.”
“Your course should be a model for online learning!”
“What an amazing journey you took us all on! Immense gratitude to each of you.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I look forward to continuing to engage and grow with the StF community long into the future!”
“I feel so blessed, so enriched, so humbled and so eager for others to have the chance I had here.”
“This is much more than just a course; it brings together a community of people who want to explore how we got where we are on a global level and how to respond to it with courage, positivity, wisdom and humour in an ongoing and unforgettable conversation.”
“Trusted people told me that I MUST take it. They were so right!”
“Some of the conversations with our guests magically veered off into what felt like unrehearsed, profound, intimate territory, which surprised me.”
“Such a swell of emotion and inspiration to be in a space where I don’t have to explain myself at all, we each already get it in our ways…
I wouldn’t be able to speak enough to how much this is precisely where I need to be right now.”
“Shaun did a beautiful, artful job convening a community and shepherding us along, and the guest teachers each brought a facet of the complex question of finding purpose and meaning in a culture that is so off track.”
“I have heard the quote ‘Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul’ in a new way throughout this course. The birds sing it to me in the morning, I hear it on the breath of my sleeping child.
I have always felt despair over how wrong it feels to be re-arranging the proverbial deck chairs on the titanic and trying to fix the problem within the system that created it.
Action is coming … it is as real as the seedlings I am putting in the ground. And I am so grateful for the courage this course and community has given me to make this happen.”
“I feel more alive with this group and with this course than I have ever before — thank you so so so much.”
“Since taking the Deeper Dive I have come to count on this community for information, inspiration, comfort.
I believe that coming together in a group to learn about and address these issues is the way forward for human communities.
We need each other, and courage, as we learn to face the future, to acknowledge what is true and to navigate the stormy seas ahead. Grateful!”
“The Deeper Dive went a long way in my realization that I still personally have thoughts to share on these topics that are unique and aren’t coming from anyone that looks like me — a black man.
I have been been thinking, discussing and occasionally writing my thoughts on these topics for nearly my whole life. This space inspired me to share my perspective more actively and widely. I am extremely grateful for that and the connections I made.”
“The more people talk about the issues the more real it seems, and it pushes me to make the changes I need to help ensure I can survive in the future, and that I can help others to see the truth of our situation. My community is growing, swelling with positive influences.“
“The collective ‘weight’ of these — now three years — of Deeper Dives have truly been the single most potent enabling force for the deep change in my outlook, and the work I do.
Because of the StF community, I feel ‘backed-up’ and held by the collective force of many collaborators.”
“This course brought out of the complexity of these times a clarity of focus and intent that has been personally transformational.
What I have learned is directly and immediately relevant in acting more consciously. As a result, I feel the efforts with which I am engaged are a better offering to my local community.”
“Of all the education i’ve ever participated in, this was the first that genuinely gave me everything I was looking for — engagement, education and being surrounded by incredible, inspiring people. And extremely well organised. My expectations were beyond exceeded.”
“I came to this course at a personal crossroad and seeking a path forward and I feel that this course has helped me confidently decide on that path. Thank you!!!”
“This course has meant a great deal to me and I’ve so appreciated being welcomed into this completely singular and remarkably open community. It’s quite dramatically altered the way I think about the work I do in such a short period of time!
The world needs more of the medicine you all are creating!“
“I think the biggest impression I am taking with me is how the space was held in a way that allows differences of perspective to be honored with grace and ruptures to be held with compassion for all sides.
I will remember the generosity of the space, and hope to internalize some of it. Maybe there is something about accepting that doom is inevitable that allows us to judge each other less harshly.”
“What a course and community to be a part of! So rich with meaning, diverse perspectives, and challenging yet needed conversations.
It has deeply impacted my worldview and the way I engage in my life’s work. I will certainly always reflect back on this course as being pivotal to me aligning my work with my values.”
“A great course. Actually it’s more than a course. It’s like a catalyst and a pivot.”
“I am emerging from this learning journey transformed.
Still me, but with a clearer look on reality and with new energy, tools and connections to ‘bend the curve’ and help myself and my community here to transform and transition.”
“The careful conception of the course with curated reading, listening, watching materials; Shaun Chamberlin’s warm and wise guidance; meeting guest teachers as discussion partners; social and reflection sessions; the forum which reminded me of a permaculture food for thought and action garden…
I appreciated the kinship of the others through grief, inspiration and co-creation. And of course our closing carnival which was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had (online).”
“Thank you so much. Being able to participate from a distance, and not having pressure to attend everything was really helpful.
Due to our different time zones, and trying to juggle multiple commitments in this space meant that listening back and engaging in my individual way was ideal.
I absolutely loved the material we covered, and have felt very confirmed in all that we are creating here in NZ.”
“This course has been so stimulating and hopeful, something desperately needed and sustaining for me, that I cannot suppress its content and hope within myself.
I began trying to substantively share about this course last week. It was truly eye-opening and it made me feel so much more hopeful and empowered, despite many unresolved disagreements.
That is what this course is all about. That – such a short and tiny taste but so rich and enduring – is a hint of the magic that creates and sustains community and culture. That was conversation.”
“My greatest regret is that I did not take this course 10 or 20 years ago and that I wasn’t able to take leave and do nothing other than immerse myself in this course and the amazing, profound work of all of the guest speakers during the eight weeks.
I have taken many courses with great thinkers, scientists, and minds; Shaun and the guest speakers are among the most transformative minds I have had the privilege to learn from, but what was so profound was the way the material was presented and other participants built this interactive community. I learned more from and about myself and how to intuit and perceive than I thought possible.
This course is a gift that I will continue to come back to and learn from and lean on for the rest of my life.”
“The Deeper Dive far exceeded my expectations of any type of course but particularly an online course.
The quality of the speakers and of the resources provided, along with the depth and quality of the conversations among the group were beyond comparison to anything I have experienced before in an educational context.
And I have an undergraduate degree, masters degree and two diplomas.”
“I understand why people take the course more than once. I will carry the impact of the course in my cells as I move through the world and it will support my efforts to connect with others facing collapse. I’m eternally grateful for how my mind and soul have resituated the experience of adapting to earth polycrisis due to the Deeper Dive.”
“A feeling that makes me want to show up. Not as jolting as a quickening, a nerve shock, like when the Universe says, “Yes, that’s it, yer on the right track.”
You know, when the subtle voice reveals itself not so subtle… it has caught my heart by surprise, and I am so grateful, so grateful.”
“Shaun brought humility coupled with incredible depth.
I love the opportunity to build upon all the great thoughts Shaun, the guests and the participants brought into the course. It is invaluable.”
“My day to day life already feels different. My conversations are just a little bit deeper and richer, each moment and each encounter a little more pregnant with meaning.
“I cannot thank you enough for the wisdom, care, and brilliance you have given to make the Deeper Dive so magically transformative, life-affirming, and beautiful.
I am gob smacked and awed with how powerful and intricately interwoven the speakers, supplemental recordings and resources, and conversations have been.
It has felt both like an education in intuition, community building, therapy, and life-training like I didn’t think was possible.”
“Our conversations have helped me question, reconsider, and ultimately re-affirm my biggest life choices.
Now I feel more clear in my larger goals of community-building and providing joyful subsistence for myself and others as far into this collapse process as may be possible. I know that I am making clear & boundaried choices that align with my values, and not just succumbing to the spell of capitalism at last.”
“Shaun’s presence, playfulness, and engagement really stood out.
Especially being able to draw threads through different conversations and bring materials to the next week to build on those already engaged conversations.”
“I’ve never found a more lovingly and thoughtfully curated space geared toward bringing people together and enriching the lives of everyone involved.”
“What I’ve gotten from the course goes beyond the mind-expanding exposure to activists and thinkers who are ahead of me on this journey.
It’s the profound sense of being on the same journey.“
“I joined, and left, this course knowing there are most certainly dark times ahead, but I have never felt so equipped to deal with them.”
“I would imagine every single person comes away feeling like something special has taken place here.”
— Deeper Dive participant
Inclusive pricing — your choice!
The Deeper Dive would lose much of its beauty and meaning without the diverse participation that it attracts.
As such, since financial resources are far from evenly or fairly distributed within societies or across the world, enrollees are invited to consider and choose their price based on their own intimate knowledge of their circumstances.
This relies on honesty and trust. We do not ask for proof or explanation of any sort for your choice of price. We do, however, ask that your choice is based on thoughtfulness and integrity as you consider your actual financial position. For payment by installments or any queries, please contact us.
Under “Payment options” below, you can pay at the price that feels right for you. Here is some sense of our costs and context, to inform your choice:
Higher tier: USD $599 / €510 / £445
This pricing level reflects the actual cost to setup, run and sustain the course. We ask you to pay at this level if you have above-average financial resources and will not be disadvantaged or face any type of insecurity in meeting your basic needs. Your full price payment helps support those who would otherwise have a hard time accessing the course.
Because our Surviving the Future courses attract participants from every continent, when considering whether you fall into the “above average” category please think more broadly than your local context and milieu. And we are grateful to those who have even given more than the higher-tier price, in solidarity and support of inclusive pricing for others!
Middle tier: USD $445 / €380 / £330
This pricing level reflects a reduced price for the course. When choosing your price below, we invite you to pay at this pricing level if you have enough financial resources to contribute to the course cost, but not at the full level, and are able to comfortably meet your basic needs.
Lower tier: USD $299 / €255.00 / £221.00 (or less)
This is a supported price for the course. When naming your price below, we invite you to pay at this level if your currency conversions are distinctly unfavorable, or you are unemployed or experiencing other hardships that affect your ability to meet your needs.
If this lower tier pricing represents a barrier to your participation, we invite you to instead apply for a Surviving the Future scholarship.
Scholarships
If, after considering the above options, finances remain a meaningful barrier to your participation, please complete our simple trust-based application for a scholarship. Again, no proof of need is required.
Our scholarship fund is limited and awards are made on a rolling basis, after review of applications.
Payment options
Select currency
Pay by Bank Transfer
(no processing fees, additional currencies arrangeable on next page)
Name Your Price
Pay by Credit/Debit Card
(charges us a 3% processing fee)
Name Your Price
Meet Shaun Chamberlin.
Shaun was involved with the Transition Towns network from its inception, co-founding Transition Town Kingston and authoring the movement’s second book, The Transition Timeline, in 2009.
In exploring the cultural narratives charting society’s course, he has since been one of Extinction Rebellion’s first arrestees, chair of the Ecological Land Co-operative, a director of the campaigning organisation Global Justice Now and (for his sins) an advisor to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change.
He has written and edited diverse publications, including conceiving and creating the book Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival, and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy from the work of his late mentor David Fleming, and spoken at venues from Occupy camps to Parliaments.
He was also executive producer of 2020 film The Sequel: What Will Follow Our Troubled Civilisation? , and puts the theory into practice as part of the community around legendary free inn ‘The Happy Pig‘.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Stay connected with Surviving the Future and our work.
"(Required)" indicates required fields