UWE Bristol have been successful in receiving funding from the UKRI ESRC to support an international research project that will examine options for climate mitigation and adaptation among communities who face water insecurity (e.g. shortage, inundation, poor water quality).
The project will see UWE Bristol work with University of Saskatchewan (USask), University of New Hampshire, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Technical University of Dresden and University of Alberta over the next 4 years.
The innovative project received $1.5million through the New Frontiers In Research Fund International program intended to support interdisciplinary, “high-risk high-reward” research projects with international collaborators.
The project titled “Climate Collaboratorium: Co-creation of Applied Theatre Decision Labs for Exploring Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation,” aims to expand current engagement to engage with water-insecure communities. Through this unique applied theatre-based approach, the project will develop strategies to effectively communicate solutions for water and climate-related challenges at the often-overlooked community level.
The project will begin with mixed media workshops in less heard, water-insecure communities bringing different knowledge together to generate ideas on adapting to climate change. In the UK case-study, researchers will be working across generations with urban communities alongside cultural and water security partners in the River Severn catchment.
The College of Arts, Technology & Environment building fund have brought an interdisciplinary team together for this silo-breaking research to promote Sustainable Development Goal 13 for climate change action.
The project will see the Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience, work in collaboration with the acta Community Theatre Company.
Sarah Berridge, Senior Lecturer in Drama at UWE Bristol, commented on the funding:
“This is an opportunity to share authentic stories and insights of universal significance and relevance, both locally and internationally, developing research and innovative practice and essentially – ‘theatre’, that will have impact beyond our respective institutions.”
Carla Orosz, head of USask’s Department of Drama, will be part of the design and script development team that will help turn data from the workshops into shows.
Orosz said this kind of project was an excellent example of combining environmental science, social science, and theatre in an effective way by integrating theatre directly with the project.
“Art is more accessible than a research paper … it’s a thing we interact with almost daily,” she said. “I think when we’re bringing arts and science together this way, we’re helping our general public get that important information out wider.”