Phoebe Cowdery, Creative Producer, the CORRIDOR project.

Phoebe Cowdery convenes the Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub and for many years has delivered creative projects between artists and scientists in the Central West of NSW.

The intersect between science and the arts has fast become an innovative way to communicate public programs involving regional communities. The fusion between science knowledge and creative delivery effectively connects audiences in unexpected ways whilst extending immersive learning outcomes and broadening effective science communication.

A result of the widespread Covid lockdowns, there has recently been a rise in communities yearning to connect to their natural environment. In our region, we responded to the challenges by seeking out new experiences related to ecology, traditional ecological knowledge and the collections held by museums and scientific research institutes.

Experimenting with delivering artistic drawing and film classes online, our Science Hub created numerous programs driven by a desire to bring the arts and sciences together for authentic translation. Co-authored and designed by scientists, First Nations experts and artists, our new program model has been successful in delivering creative learning experiences for young people and community members, both in online and live settings.

During Covid, our approach to how we would innovate in program delivery had to change as we were no longer able to deliver activities in situ. A benefit for us was that our workshops and public talks began reaching audiences from across NSW, engaging participants in multidisciplinary collaborative exchange whilst enabling social cohesion in unexpected ways.

This year, our program has continued with a mix of hybrid offerings across three streams investigating mycology, ornithology, ecology, paleontology and traditional ecological knowledge through art practice. Project sessions are ideated and presented by scientists, First Nations and creative industry experts and include talks, walks and hands on activities creating artworks inspired by the subject matter.

In National Science Week we delivered a program over four days, engaging community, ornithology and science led creative communication in the Central West NSW. The mix of arts and science activities first introduced communities to local woodland birds and then provided workshops in ornithological illustration, collage and stop motion animation.

The animation brought awareness to ‘conservation biology’ and triggered thoughts on how communities can care for inland rivers, migratory corridors and endemic planting, whilst creating healthy habitats for woodland birds and animal species.

Saving Our Species – #Wyangala H20 is our youth holiday program and brings together science and arts professionals to facilitate artistic workshops and lead walks, talks and hands on experiences. Through cultural, scientific and creative exchange over July and October, we have explored threatened species issues and examined local endangered and vulnerable bird species in the Central West of NSW and what we need to do to protect their habitats.

Led by ornithologists, cultural experts, plant pathology curators and artists, the program’s learning outcomes are supported by science talks and active learning sessions, including demonstrations in cultural burning, weaving, soundscape, illustration, stop motion animation, and collage.

“I really enjoyed working collaboratively to create group artworks and sculptures in all the workshops. I had a lots of fun and would heavily recommend other workshops run by The Corridor Project to anyone who wants to learn something new.” Laura – 13yrs

Over eighty participants have been involved in this program so far, with over 3000 people engaged through viewing the works created on digital platforms.

Participants in our programs tell us they develop a much better understanding of endangered species issues and really enjoy the art making. Another benefit of bringing people together is the social aspect and the connections that are made as we deliver cultural experiences for our region.

“I wanted to tell you how fantastic the recent workshops with Todd Fuller and Angus Fisher were, and what a deep impact it has had on me. Not only did I learn much about endangered birds of the region, their habitats and the various reasons for their decline, but I was able to kick start long dormant skills and learn new ones too.”

“I will be using several of the exercises we did, incorporating them into lessons with my school students at school. As a regional artist, it can be difficult to meet other creatives in real life, to connect, share ideas, processes and knowledge.”

“Connecting with other local creatives has led to conversations between us on how to further keep in contact and develop/facilitate creative and cultural life in Cowra. From a mental health standpoint, it was also truly lovely to turn off and tune in, to carve out time for doing something meaningful and with purpose. I feel a tremendous sense of contentment at how we all as a group encouraged, inspired and supported each others progress. So the benefits have been many, in the present as well as in the future. I hope this is just one of many of these initiatives you are able to fund and keep formulating, programming, developing – Thanks for it all!” Dawn, a participant.

It is clear that this model of bringing scientists together with artists to deliver unique community programs works well in communicating ecology issues. I would encourage anyone seeking to engage broad community audiences with ecology to develop a partnership with an artist. The benefits for all are immeasurable.

Guest post by Phoebe Cowdery, Creative Producer at the CORRIDOR project and convenor of the Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub based near Cowra. the CORRIDOR project  is a multidisciplinary arts organisation providing a platform for education and cultural pursuits to explore the science, technology and Indigenous knowledge of the Central West. The lead partner in the Orange Cowra Cabonne Science Hub, the CORRIDOR project presents a diverse program of art/science engagement experiences for the community.