Introducing ‘Surelines and D-rift: Creative Writing Against Coastal Waste’

Welcome to the official research blog for the knowledge exchange project ‘Surelines and D-rift: Creative Writing Against Coastal Waste’, a collaboration between the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities (SIAH) and Artfulscribe, in the context of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council initiatives relating to the coastal environment. In this, our inaugural blog post, we introduce the project, its main aims, and the exciting outputs we have planned over the coming months, many of which will be shared and discussed on this blog.

How might creative writing activities contribute to local waste-reduction policies?

The project addresses this question in the context of BCP Council initiatives to reduce waste on local beaches. The project will approach this question by enabling local writers to design community activities informed by research within four key areas:

definitions of environmental and ocean literacy;

waste management, including work on behavioural change;

the natural and cultural heritage of the local sea and coastline;

the regional history of cultural initiatives addressing environmental issues.

Aims

The inspiration and context for this project are the cultural, environmental and policy initiatives that bear upon the BCP coastline.
ArtfulScribe is seeking to expand its work to enable writers to design and deliver creative writing projects for environmental change and sustainable living.

The Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities is seeking to build a portfolio of pilot projects to test and innovate the relationship between cultural, arts and heritage practices and local council policy, particularly along the South Coast region of the UK and in the context of the University’s Civic and Environmental Strategies.

Overarching research questions:

How can creative writing play a transformative role in connecting communities with international environmental concerns in the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2020-30); in the context of UNESCO definitions of Ocean Literacy; and in the context of global and local research on creative practice for addressing waste?

What evaluative frameworks are and are not effective for measuring the outcomes of cultural projects for meeting policy aims? In particularly, what evaluative frameworks are and are not effective for measuring the success of creative writing (in its broadest sense) for meeting local policy aims related to waste mitigation?

Key steps

Creation of the research-informed resources for a series of workshops for creative writers from the BCP region (Spring/Summer 2022)

Workshops for creative writers to become (or hone their skills as) facilitators, leading to the design and delivery of community creative writing activities (Summer2022)

Evaluation of outcomes and potential impact (Autumn 2022)

Key outputs

A report on methods, outcomes, and potential impact.

An online, freely available resource pack for creative writing initiatives to contribute to coastal waste-reduction policy initiatives at a local level.

An anthology and exhibition of creative writing (as determined through the co-creation process with local writers).

Project Partners

This project brings together University researchers; knowledge exchange specialists within the University and the BCP region; experts on the coastal environment of the region; and local creative writers and creative writing educators. It is supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund