The conference brought together a wide variety of people with different backgrounds and concerns including artists, scientists, community development workers, funding representatives, academics, teachers and planters. There were many people wearing multiple hats – such as Stephen Routledge, a photographer who runs his local Landcare group as well as harvesting his own chestnut tree crop.

To give you an idea of some of the personalities seated around the rather formal conference table there was Marco the Director of an international contemporary art space in the small dusty town of Kellerberrin, W.A, Peter Pollard a scientists who managed to enthuse everyone with his passion for micro-organisms, David Curtis who had recently completed a PHD on how art influences attitudes and values.

Day One was a deluge of information and text. There were seven programmed papers:

1. Lyndal Jones, the Avoca project
2. Paul Brown, using the mediums of theatre and creative writing to explore and highlight environmental disasters
3. Pat Hoffie, SECAP (Sustainable Environment and Culture Asia Pacific)
4. Marco Marcon, residencies at the International Art Space, Kellerberrin and IASKA program (science and art collaborations)
5. David Curtis, presented PHD research on role of visual and performing arts in shaping environmental behaviour
6. Cheryle Yin Lo, presented community development projects which the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute are involved in.
7. Peter Charuk, presented his work from an ANAT Synapse Residency at the CSIRO

The programmed sessions were followed by an open mike session where other participants had the chance to present their projects/practise and table issues for debate. This day for me was interesting and rather over whelming. Many different aspects of art and ecology were raised, with presenters highlighting their own specific concerns without always connecting them to a bigger picture. Ideas which resonated with me included:

- Environmental diversity goes hand in hand with cultural diversity,
- Art is a very effective tool for changing both the artists and the audiences attitudes and values. Unknown as to whether this actually translates in to behavioural change.
- When artists create they simultaneously destroy. By using materials and energy we can not help but to transform them.
- The role of art in Aboriginal culture as traditionally being inseparable from ecology through the content, materials, marks, messages, kinship and spirituality.
- The role of designers in transforming peoples behaviour on an individual and social level.

The debate sometimes ran away at a rapid pace chasing what I perceived to be a few red hearings. The question of whether artists and scientist can successfully collaborate and the superiority of high or fine art to other art forms such as design, advertising, community projects and political art.

After so many different ideas being raised I was left wondering where we go from here. How can we possibly pool these disparate points in to some useful understanding and plan for future direction. It was early in the morning on the second day, after heading down for a vocalisation workshop on the side of the river and singing to the trees on the far bank (no mean feat for some one who has always had a fear about singing), I sat down feeling freshly empowered and drew a diagram which attempted to summarise the discussion so far. It looked something like this but with drawn arrows and bold green font:

Observation, Research, Science, Meditation, Intuition, Spirituality

(arrow down)

Artistic Inspiration

(arrow down)

Ecological Content

1. Observation and exploration
of the environment which leads to artistic expression may or may not lead the audience to new understandngs, insights re. environment.

2. Art with a deliberate message that has deliberate intention of changing attitudes, values and behavious. eg Community art, advertising,
political art and propaganda

3. Ecological Design – the design
of a functional useable object leads
directly to a change in behaviour

Ecological Process

1. Materials and energy used to create the work. The environmental
the ‘footprint’ of the artist

2. The relationship of the artist/s to the community. Does the creation of the work build and strengthen human relationships?
.

The second day was a day of action much to my relief. The conference group was divided up into smaller groups and set the task of identifying five key strategies for the future development of art and ecology. I presented the diagram above to my group and to my total astonishment rather than it being picked to pieces there were general nods of agreement. Likewise I took this to the larger group as well for which there seemed to be general approval as well. The five key points that my group derived were:

- Need for a definition or understanding of ‘art and ecology’ so that we are able to explain our selves to other groups, funding bodies and policy makers. We recognise that this definition would need to be very broad, inclusive and flexible.
- An acknowledgement that there are a variety of art practises and approaches to art and ecology. Whilst these practises may be very different they are all legitimate.
- Need to identify the target audience of the message
- Need for artistic practitioners to be aware of the environmental impact of their practise and to try to reduce their environmental footprint.

I will post the key points from all the groups of the conference when I receive the conference notes.

We than divided in to four new group areas; funding and policy, innovation and art, where to after the conference, and possible partnerships. Our goal was to come up with three practical actions and one dream that relates to our topic. I will post the summarised proposals when the conference notes are published.

I jumped on our bus back to Brisbane very much inspired and enthused. Dreaming of initiating a similar discussion in Darwin. I am curious to discover what projects are currently happening in Darwin and how artists, art orgs, scientists and environmentalist may link together to develop new initiatives.

And as for Fist Full of Films the project I am currently working on. I am thinking that perhaps a new prize for the best environmental story as well as research in to running the projector of solar power might be a good start.

Thanks to Bong, Australia Council and Arts N.T for making it possible for me to attend.