Abstract
The rapidly unfolding climate emergency has thus far proved to be too grand a challenge for existing powers to effectively respond to. As we learn more about the enigmatic tasks of mitigating and adapting to the worst effects of climate change, the inextricable link with culture becomes increasingly clear. In recognition of culture’s key role in climate action, scholars are increasingly contributing to the emerging field of sustainability and the arts (SATA) and encountering myriad ways the arts can aid in fostering badly needed sustainable transformations. However, this body of scholarship lacks focus on the specific role of arts organizations and their potentialities for impact. Using a mixed methods approach over two phases of study this thesis employs semi-structured interviews and the Delphi method to explore the role and impact potential of arts organizations in responding to climate change, through the case of CreativePEI. This research showcases a robust engagement with climate change by an organization not explicitly mandated to do climate work, showing how existing arts activities and capabilities can be viewed through a climate lens. This research also shows the utility of the Delphi method for eliciting consensus-based indicators, with this Delphi resulting in 46 consensus-based indicators in nine categories. The Delphi also reveals further areas of concern regarding climate impact, as well as perceived barriers to measuring certain types of impact. Finally, we present a preliminary impact framework informed by this research for use and adaptation by CreativePEI and the broader arts sector.
Presenters
Emma BuggStudent, Interdisciplinary PhD, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada Tarah Wright
Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Sustainability and the arts, Climate change, Delphi, Arts impact
