Benefitting Society category

Griffith University’s Performance and Ecology Research Lab (P+ERL) is advancing climate care in the performing arts by addressing a critical knowledge gap in how the Australian sector responds to ecological crisis. Through research, collaboration and eco-creative practice, P+ERL supports artists, organisations, educators and cultural institutions to rethink how performance is made, programmed, taught and shared.

Working across national and international partnerships, P+ERL combines bottom-up industry collaboration with top-down policy influence. Its work includes the ARC Linkage project Culture for Climate, eco-literacy and eco-creativity workshops, curriculum development, community-engaged performance projects, and a formal contribution to the National Cultural Policy supported by major industry organisations.

By positioning the performing arts as a powerful vehicle for climate literacy, public reflection and cultural change, P+ERL is helping the sector move beyond resource-intensive production models toward sustainable practice, ecological stewardship and creative climate leadership.

Griffith University – PERL Case Study – ARTRAGE; The Banquet

Impacts & Benefits

  • Built sustainability capability across the performing arts, supporting organisations to embed greener practices in programming, production, procurement and operations.
  • Secured significant research and sector investment, including $330,572 in ARC Linkage funding and $426,360 in in-kind support from industry partners.
  • Embedded eco-literacy in arts education, including a $54,000 consultancy with NIDA to develop sustainability curriculum and resource packs.
  • Strengthened climate care through creative practice, using theatre, drama and community-engaged projects to support reflection, resilience and public dialogue.
  • Influenced policy and sector systems, contributing evidence and industry support to advance ecological sustainability within national cultural policy.

Leadership & Engagement

  • Established a nationally significant arts-led climate action platform, connecting researchers, students, artists, educators, cultural organisations and communities.
  • Developed an eco-creativity framework, reframing sustainability as part of creative practice rather than an additional compliance task.
  • Combined practice, research and policy influence, linking community and organisational projects with sector-wide sustainability frameworks.
  • Built strong national and international networks, including collaborations with performing arts organisations, PAC Australia, One Stone Advisors, NIDA and global research partners.
  • Created applied learning and career pathways, involving students, PhD candidates, visiting scholars and emerging researchers in sustainability-focused creative practice.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Made climate action culturally meaningful, using performance, storytelling and creative engagement to connect climate issues with emotion, place and lived experience.
  • Expanded participation in climate conversations, creating pathways for artists, children, regional communities, cultural workers and more-than-human perspectives.
  • Supported community reflection and healing, particularly in climate-affected contexts where arts-based approaches can help process uncertainty, loss and change.
  • Reimagined the role of culture in sustainable futures, showing that creative practice can shape public values, build climate literacy and inspire change.
  • Created a transferable model beyond the arts, with relevance for education, community wellbeing, sustainable production, climate adaptation and multi-species justice.
logo

Top 3 learnings

  • Supporting sustainability transition in the national performing arts sector requires shared language and industry collaboration.
  • Developing frameworks to support ecological sustainability in national cultural policy is a socio-ecological necessity.
  • Embedding eco-literacy in higher education ensures ecological stewardship in future arts and creative leaders.

Watch the case study video

Supported by

logo

Category finalists

Learn more

logo
Benefitting Society category

Griffith University’s Performance and Ecology Research Lab (P+ERL) is advancing climate care in the performing arts by addressing a critical knowledge gap in how the Australian sector responds to ecological crisis. Through research, collaboration and eco-creative practice, P+ERL supports artists, organisations, educators and cultural institutions to rethink how performance is made, programmed, taught and shared.

Working across national and international partnerships, P+ERL combines bottom-up industry collaboration with top-down policy influence. Its work includes the ARC Linkage project Culture for Climate, eco-literacy and eco-creativity workshops, curriculum development, community-engaged performance projects, and a formal contribution to the National Cultural Policy supported by major industry organisations.

By positioning the performing arts as a powerful vehicle for climate literacy, public reflection and cultural change, P+ERL is helping the sector move beyond resource-intensive production models toward sustainable practice, ecological stewardship and creative climate leadership.

Top 3 learnings

  • Supporting sustainability transition in the national performing arts sector requires shared language and industry collaboration.
  • Developing frameworks to support ecological sustainability in national cultural policy is a socio-ecological necessity.
  • Embedding eco-literacy in higher education ensures ecological stewardship in future arts and creative leaders.

Impacts & Benefits

  • Built sustainability capability across the performing arts, supporting organisations to embed greener practices in programming, production, procurement and operations.
  • Secured significant research and sector investment, including $330,572 in ARC Linkage funding and $426,360 in in-kind support from industry partners.
  • Embedded eco-literacy in arts education, including a $54,000 consultancy with NIDA to develop sustainability curriculum and resource packs.
  • Strengthened climate care through creative practice, using theatre, drama and community-engaged projects to support reflection, resilience and public dialogue.
  • Influenced policy and sector systems, contributing evidence and industry support to advance ecological sustainability within national cultural policy.

Leadership & Engagement

  • Established a nationally significant arts-led climate action platform, connecting researchers, students, artists, educators, cultural organisations and communities.
  • Developed an eco-creativity framework, reframing sustainability as part of creative practice rather than an additional compliance task.
  • Combined practice, research and policy influence, linking community and organisational projects with sector-wide sustainability frameworks.
  • Built strong national and international networks, including collaborations with performing arts organisations, PAC Australia, One Stone Advisors, NIDA and global research partners.
  • Created applied learning and career pathways, involving students, PhD candidates, visiting scholars and emerging researchers in sustainability-focused creative practice.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Made climate action culturally meaningful, using performance, storytelling and creative engagement to connect climate issues with emotion, place and lived experience.
  • Expanded participation in climate conversations, creating pathways for artists, children, regional communities, cultural workers and more-than-human perspectives.
  • Supported community reflection and healing, particularly in climate-affected contexts where arts-based approaches can help process uncertainty, loss and change.
  • Reimagined the role of culture in sustainable futures, showing that creative practice can shape public values, build climate literacy and inspire change.
  • Created a transferable model beyond the arts, with relevance for education, community wellbeing, sustainable production, climate adaptation and multi-species justice.
For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Privacy policy.

Supported by

logo

Category finalists