Case Study: Arts and Sustainability Thematic Group

ARISE – Art and Research in Sustainability and Environment

Academics and Institutional Affiliation:

Emer O Boyle (1), Caitriona Devery (2), Lorraine Hanlon (3), Shane McGuinness (4), Rosie O’Reilly (5) & Sheena Barrett (6)

1-Parity Studios, University College Dublin (UCD), 2-Earth Institute, UCD, 3-Centre for Space Research, UCD, 4- the Waterland’s Project, 5-College of Science, UCD, 6-Irish Museum of Modern Art

Background:

UCD is a national leader in interdisciplinary art-academic collaborations. At the centre of this is UCD Parity Studios, which since 2011has hosted 37 year-long (+) residencies, supporting creative relationships between artists and academics across the university. Professional artists are given studio space, access to lectures and courses, libraries, an artist’s stipend and peer support through monthly interdisciplinary group critiques. Sustainability has been a key feature of many of the works informed by these residencies. ARISE is an ongoing 18-month project funded by the UCD Sustainability Unit to consolidate learning from these residencies and through participatory workshops, surveys and interviews. ARISE offers new residencies focusing on Sustainability and is currently producing practical resources to make it easier for artists and academics to work together.

Impacts, Outcomes and Key Learnings:

While art and academic research are both driven by passionate curiosity, art’s exploratory processes are less bound by disciplinary formality and specialisation. This inherently interdisciplinary approach can sensitively integrate knowledge from many sources and connect diverse positions within the polycrisis. These interdisciplinary relationships need time and space to develop. They can take many forms, from open ended conversations to co-authoring work. Our universities are uniquely positioned to provide the conditions for these vital exchanges to happen. The artworks are often socially engaged and/or site specific and produced in partnership with other funding bodies.

Webpage:

https://www.ucdartistsinresidence.com/a-rise

SDGs impacted:

SDG 15