Through our unique framework of reciprocity, we strive to generate high-quality innovative research that benefits people, planet and all living entities within the biosphere.
Envisioning Southeast Queensland’s three UNESCO biosphere reserves as living laboratories, we disrupt traditional research paradigms through ecological reciprocity, innovation and Indigenous-led methodologies.
Discover how our award-winning creative practitioners are reshaping research through emerging technologies, immersive fieldwork and creative health that explores global challenges with local ecosystems and communities, generating knowledge through creative practice that contributes to the wellbeing of people and planet.
Reciprocity and respectful collaboration
A key tenet of our research philosophy is reciprocity—research conducted by or with the cluster is mutually beneficial to all parties involved. This approach manifests even in the language we use, deliberately moving away from colonial terminologies such as 'interventions', 'data gathering' and 'extraction', embracing instead a more inclusive vocabulary that recognises all entities as collaborators and co-researchers, deserving care and respect – whether place, human, or non-human.
We develop new approaches to creative practice research that address complex societal challenges while adopting sustainable, culturally sensitive methodologies that respect Indigenous protocols, guided by a First Nations Advisory Group. CERC facilitates partnerships with industry and community with a research agenda that is underpinned by reciprocity, innovation, connection to place, inclusive design and planetary health and wellbeing.
Cluster leads: Dr Leah Barclay, Dr Tricia King, Dr Toby Gifford and Dr Lee McGowan
Meet our team
A creative ecosystem in connected biospheres
Based in Queensland's first MIT FabLab at UniSC, and operating with a hub at the K'gari Research Station, CERC serves as an incubator for creative research, attracting visiting researchers from around the world and a cohort of postgraduate students who benefit from immersive fieldwork and inspiring collaborations in an incredible diversity of local ecosystems across Southeast Queensland.
The Sunshine Coast and surrounding regions offers the only location in the world with three connected coastal UNESCO biosphere reserves, creating a unique opportunity for place-based creative practice research. This setting enables CERC to address complex challenges facing our communities and environment through innovative, place-based, interdisciplinary approaches.
CERC is committed to ensuring all research activities and creative projects are ethical and carbon neutral where possible, embedding environmental consciousness into every aspect of our operations and partnerships. This aligns with UniSC's commitment to sustainability as a core value, prioritising actions that benefit both present and future generations.
Connection with place and people
We are committed to working in a more-than-human world, where creative technology serves not as an intervention but as a means of deepening connection to place and community. Through our research, participants of all ages and abilities become active collaborators in creating new understanding of local communities, demonstrating how creative practice research can improve connection and wellbeing.
The evolution of CERC supports research strengths in innovative creative production, arts health, conservation, acoustic ecology and regenerative design. The cluster has a particular focus on exploring the social dimensions of wellbeing within biosphere reserves, such as exploring new creative models of wellbeing through ecological engagement for youth and older community members living in social isolation.
Exploring new perspectives
Traditional research often fails to recognise the value of creative practice in bringing new perspectives, addressing complex societal challenges and providing innovative and inclusive ways to share research outcomes and impact.
CERC fills this gap by developing transformative creative methodologies that draw on emerging technologies and globally engaged creative practitioners to address challenges faced by our communities and partners, directly aligning with UniSC's research focus on "Healthy People, Healthy Planet."
Researcher development
CERC's commitment to building research capacity includes creating pathways for emerging researchers that embody our core values of reciprocity and ecological thinking. The cluster's research development program operates through collaborative labs and research forums hosted both in the UniSC Maker Space and across our biosphere reserves, creating a unique blend of knowledge sharing, technological engagement and place-based immersive learning through field trips and expeditions, including an annual research retreat at the K’gari Research Station.