Abstract

Community cultural development, environmental and public art, and place-based festivals have the potential to re-engage community with nature, and reconcile indigenous and settler cultures, breaking down dualisms with creativity. This is not about audience development, but community embeddedness and cohesiveness - an art now, not an art later approach. Objects become more sacred and nature is part of us, not a separate resource. Community creativity builds human-animal-nature coalitions that change environmental interactions and build across cultures. There are so many examples around the world that they have become the feast of a new movement, rather than a quirky seasoning to dominant themes. This presentation draws on the regional example of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, but also visits South Korea, France, and Victoria.