Image: ‘House of Weaving Songs’ by Dhaqan Collective – Playable City Bristol 2023. Image Credit: Luke O’Donovan

Funded by NERC-UKRI, Engaging Environments was a National five-year public engagement with environmental research initiative responding to the climate emergency and the intersectional challenges of environmental and social justice. Engaging Environments sought to build the capacity of environmental scientists and diverse communities to work towards equitable partnerships that help reduce the impact of the climate and biodiversity crisis on the most affected people and places.

Engaging Environments reflected on inclusive research practices to address inherent power dynamics, the creation of safe and inclusive spaces, accountability processes, and a collective reimagining of what public engagement environmental science can look like when justice, care, equity and cultural relevance are placed at the centre.

As part of the Storytelling and Worldmaking strand of Engaging Environments, UWE Bristol partnered with Watershed to lead a co-inquiry into Alternative Technologies: A Just Transition to centre marginalised perspectives within the Pervasive Media Studios through a series of guided facilitation to support community-led conversations on the intersection of creative technology and climate justice.

Erinma Ochu was Interim Director of Engaging Environments and lead the Storytelling and Worldmaking strand.