A visionary new initiative led by Coventry University is aiming to educate and empower coastal communities in Malaysia to protect and preserve their environment and livelihoods.
The Frugal Artist-in-Residence Programme for Playful and Co-Creative Community Engagement in Environmental Awareness and Impact (FAiR) aims to connect communities with their coastal environments and inspire future generations to become environmental stewards, committed to preserving natural resources and promoting sustainability.
Led by the award-winning Professor Sylvester Arnab, an expert in Game Science from the university’s Research Centre for Postdigital Cultures, FAiR will support the coastal fishing communities around Salak-Santubong Bay.
These resilient communities, facing poverty and limited access to educational resources, live on the outskirts of the rapidly expanding city of Kuching, where high levels of coastal rubbish are posing severe threats to the environment and the livelihoods of residents and fishermen.
FAiR aims to empower marginalised coastal fishing communities to address pressing global challenges, such as coastal pollution and its impact on marine ecosystems and local livelihoods, offering holistic solutions that integrate art and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Beach festivals and interactive installations featuring playful artwork from plastic waste, functional water filtration systems and imaginative artificial reef designs using reusable materials, will be used to stimulate knowledge exchange and dialogue on environmental issues, fostering co-creativity within local communities.
Local and student artists and scientists will get involved to amplify the programme's creative and scientific impact while nurturing community ownership and collaboration. By integrating the arts with STEM education, these activities will encourage playful and frugal learning in marine biology, ecology and climate science.
The researchers will collaborate with the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Malaysian Society for Marine Sciences, Village Development and Security Committee, and Neighbourhood Community (KJM Salak) of the Kuching North City Council to provide access to research and promote sustainable practices within the community.
Evaluation of the programme's impact will be conducted to establish a sustainable engagement model that can be extended to other communities. The project aims to show how the arts play a significant role in education and community engagement by emphasising their social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits.
Professor Arnab said: "Cultivating a deeper connection between communities and their coastal environments is not just about preserving nature, it's about fostering a sense of stewardship and responsibility for our planet's future.
“Through the FAiR programme, we aim to inspire a new generation of environmental leaders who will champion sustainability and drive positive change in their communities and beyond."
Dr. Jacey-Lynn Minoi, co-investigator, Malaysia, said: “I’m thrilled that this project allows our local artists, marine science NGOs, coastal communities and researchers from Malaysia and the UK to collaborate, share knowledge and explore playful art-based solutions to our relationship with the environment and each other, highlighting Borneo's biodiversity and cultural diversity.”
FAiR builds on other successful, community-centred and art-based projects such as ACES, winner of the QS Sustainability Education Award, and CreativeCulture, an international programme designed to leverage arts and design to enhance creative thinking and development in education through game design.