Please note that this is an on-going project.
Project Description
This is a practice-led research collaboration between CARI researchers and Vulcana Women’s Circus, a physical theatre community arts organisation. In association with Drs Samid Suliman and Kaya Barry (HLSS/GCSCR) Climate Scape unites performance researchers with social scientist/scholars and professional circus artists to explore how physical theatre and circus methods can communicate conversations about climate change impacts and mobility and migration challenges occurring on the South East Asian flyways, Australia. Further the methodologies applied will explore the human impact on non-human species specifically in the Moreton Bay region, Qld. Based in scientific discourse and drawing on previous theoretical investigation (Climate Scape Project CARI Hassall 2021, Hassall 2020, 2021a, 2021b), the project aims to utilise circus and performance methods, in response to escalating disruptions associated with species migration.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
Dr Linda Hassall, Dr Tanya Beer, Dr Natalie Lazaroo (Trapeze), Dr Samid Suliman, Dr Kaya BArry with Vulcana Women’s Circus including Celia White (AD), Sophie Whitecross ( floor and ariel), Chloe Callistemon (Sling)
The project benefits researchers involved as it situates them as leaders in developing field exploring the relationship between scientific discourse/scholarship and e communication through creative methods.
It provides Vulcana with significant documentation on how the organisation can engage in climate/migration conversations and extend their footprint in the area of circus and climate change performance..
Outcomes to Date
A short Video Documentary on the creative development process.
A poetic performance text was developed (Hassall 2022) from 2 x scholarly articles authored by Suliman and Barry – Bordering Migratory Shorebirds through Contested Mobility Developments (2022) and A tour around the Mudflats (2021)
Achieved an extra $6300 Funding through CAB to further develop the project.
Project Significance
Sustainability themes, processes and practices support the heart of this research in its thematic evocation. This project firmly advocates environmental awareness and responsibility among the research team and provides researchers and creative practitioners the opportunities to learn more about sustainable processes and practices relevant to addressing climate change challenges from personal, social and community perspectives. Further sustainable principles and practices will be incorporated through:
• Compilation and dissemination of electronic documents including literature and scripting related to the development of the project.
• Waste Reduction and Management. Only recycled materials will be utilised in the realisation of this project. Vulcana as an arts organisation already has a sustainable waste reduction policy in place that aligns with Griffith Sustainability principles.
• Strategic planning sessions and meetings will be conducted on-line.
• LED lighting will be utilised in the creative development process to reduce energy wastage and to manage adverse impacts associated with theatre lighting activities.
• Sharing the sustainability questions, interests, ideas, and initiatives that are generated by the research with CARI members and other colleagues and in the learning and teaching undergraduate environments to support sustainability knowledge in Griffith graduate emerging artists.
• Contributing to the university’s profile of excellence in world-class research relevant to environmental sustainability by building a team of experts in creative Climate Change investigation. Excellence and expertise will include developing new methodologies for cultural, community and organisational performance, sustainability education, and production practice.