Enabling and Situating Arts–Science Collaboration and Collective Learning

A Springer published book chapter called Creative Partnerships and Cultural Organisations: 'Enabling' and 'Situating' Arts–Science Collaboration and Collective Learning, writtren in collaboration with Dr. Tania Leimbach (Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Australia).

Currently in print in the Dena Fam, Linda Neuhauser and Paul Gibbs edited book, 'The Art of Collaborative Research and Collective Learning: Transdisciplinary Theory, Practice and Education', Springer, Berlin. ISBN 978-3-319-93743-4..

Descrbed by Springer as "an integrated, state-of-the art book where practice and theory merge in useful ways. Offers insights for practitioners and academics from a range of disciplinary homes and geographical locations. Has some of the world’s best known contributors on transdisciplinarity. Can be used as a comprehensive resource on trandisciplinarity"

Abstract
Arts–science activities are proliferating globally, whilst demonstrating significant capacity to shift public thinking (and potentially action) in new ways that confront many of the pertinent challenges of our times, such as sustainability. Transdisciplinary arts–science practices offer enhanced possibilities to increase this agency. However, this can only be assured through the development of supportive institutional material and social infrastructures. In this chapter, we explore how to best enable and situate such projects, drawing upon the work and practices of transdisciplinary media artist Keith Armstrong. By comparing two Australian cultural organisations he has worked with (a university gallery and a public arts organisation), we analyse how institutional frameworks can better support such projects and programs, mitigated by the site and location of the work. We then ask, what is the future of this mode of activated practice and how might we best foster it?

Keywords: Transdisciplinary practice; public engagement; arts–science; organisational frameworks; creative collaboration.

Download chapter here.