Research Institute for Humanity and Nature - Sustaining Environmental Culture Through Arts, Science, and Active Community Engagement

The arts play a crucial role in bridging the gap between knowledge and action in response to climate change. My research explores how the arts can promote accessible climate communication and encourage behaviours that reduce the health risks posed by climate change. This work aligns with the UKRI priority ‘Building a Green Future’ and the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP26-28) call to better understand the role of the arts in addressing environmental emergencies. The proposed fellowship is a collaboration with the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) through their Global Environmental Culture Program. Within this program, the SceNE project brings together artists, scientists, and Indigenous people to co-create arts-based environmental events, such as theater performances, that sustain environmental culture in coastal communities affected by climate change. For example, natural scientists study changes in coral reefs, while social scientists work closely with Indigenous people to preserve traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable practices. Artists are involved as co-researchers throughout the study and bring research to life through the arts. Therefore, this project aligns greatly with my research background. Travel to Japan is essential to engage with artists, scientists, and Indigenous communities, and access the RIHN facilities/laboratories. I will contribute to this project by: advising on and implementing best practices to assess the impact of SceNE; co-designing and co-producing arts-based knowledge exchange events; collecting and analysing data; co-authoring and publishing the study findings. Fellowship partners: Professor Watanabe Tsuyoshi (SceNE Project Lead) and Professor Matsuda Motoji (Global Environmental Culture Program Lead).