Research Projects

Social-ecological systems (SES) research, as a relatively new research field, has a number of methodological gaps relating to transdisciplinary research processes, such as knowledge co-production and synthesis. Experts in the SES research field have identified arts-based and other creative approaches, such as art-science collaborations, as one way of addressing this gap by providing methodologies that support knowledge co-production and synthesis processes. While art-science collaborations in SES research are increasing in prevalence, the emerging practice of art-science collaboration is still lacking in understanding. Therefore, the ultimate aim of my research is to contribute to the understanding of art-science collaboration as a facilitator of knowledge co-production and synthesis processes in SES research.

The research study will use of art-science collaboration in the co-imagining of social-ecological futures. In the last decade, art-science collaboration has been gaining traction as an arts-based method that allows scientists and non-academic co-researchers to co-develop imaginative and participatory scenarios of social-ecological futures. Through this study, I aim to better understand art-science collaborative approaches as both a practice that facilitates knowledge co-production and synthesis in SES research and a way to move beyond purely verbal visions of futures to more visual and/or visceral visions that deeply engage the audience on an emotional, intuitive, and cognitive level. Ultimately, I hope to describe the role that art-science collaboration plays in facilitating the co-imagining of social-ecological futures.