Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef Symposium 2024
Reimagining Reef Futures: Stories of Creativity, Cooperation, and Courage
The Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef (SSCR) Symposium 2024 is proudly hosted by Griffith University and held at the Gold Coast Campus. This three-day event will be running from September 11th to 13th.
It’s been another devastating year for the Great Barrier Reef. The 2024 mass coral bleaching event cannot but weigh heavily on our social science community and all those who dedicate their lives to the Reef’s care and protection. At this moment, when life and livelihoods are threatened, the social sciences have never been more critical for leading people and communities through change. Our work is supporting and inspiring stories of repair, resilience, and courage. For this year’s symposium, we ask participants to think creatively, drawing on their wealth of expertise and experience to share their stories and ideas for reimagining Reef futures.
This symposium will bring together a community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. It will highlight diverse stories of the Reef and its peoples, unpick moral dilemmas around decision-making in an uncertain world, and showcase past successes and evolving challenges. It provides a platform for participants to share knowledge, research findings, cutting edge methodologies and engage in critical and creative thinking about the social dimensions of Reef conservation, management, and sustainable development on our changing planet.
Program at a glance
This year, the Symposium will be held over three days - you have the option to attend any or all of the days. This is a free event, led by The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (The Reef Authority), supported by our sponsors and enabled by a dedicated and diverse group of Reef social scientists.
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Pre-symposium opening event
2.00 pm - 8.00 pm
The symposium begins 'creatively' at SWELL Sculpture Festival. You will be treated to a curated walk with festival artists along the Currumbin beachfront where awesome public sculptures will inspire our community to share visions of Reef Futures. The welcome reception will be held at SWELL, a special Altered Tides event to kick off our symposium and spark Reef conversations.
Location: Wallace Nicoll Park, Currumbin (to make travel easy, we are providing a free bus service to SWELL from Broadbeach for attendees).
Thursday 12 September 2024
Presentation day
8.00 am - 5.30 pm
Location: Griffith University (Uni Bar Function Centre and Terrace), Gold Coast Campus, 1 Parklands Dr, Southport.
Friday 13 September 2024
Workshop day
9.00 am-4.30 pm
Location: Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus,1 Parklands Dr, Southport.
| Start | Finish | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 2.20pm | 3.00pm | Complimentary bus departs Pacific Fair Shopping Centre Visitors Lounge for SWELL Sculpture Festival |
| 3.00pm | Bus arrives at Currumbin SWELL Sculpture Festival meeting at SWELL Smalls Gallery | |
| 3.00pm | 5.00pm | SWELL Curated Walk - Meet at SWELL Smalls Gallery/ VIKA -Nippers Currumbin Beach (SLSC end, 766 Pacific Pde, Currumbin). Join us for a walk through SWELL Sculpture Festival, an annual public art extravaganza held on Currumbin beachfront. SWELL artists will guide us to sculptures inspired by reefs, oceans, and marine environments. This years' SSCR fieldtrip to SWELL is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the creative arts to inspire our own creativity and be inspired by others. Following the SWELL curated walk, SSCR attendees can purchase dinner and drinks at the SWELL Fringe Pavillion (Wallace Nicoll Park). |
| 6.00pm | 8.00pm | Welcome Reception and SWELL Altered Tides - Meet at Wallace Nicoll Park, Paperbark Pavillion, Currumbin Beach. Our official Welcome Reception will kickstart the SSCR Symposium. A special event, 'Altered Tides: Diving Hidden Worlds' will feature a keynote address from GBRMPA Assistant Social Science Director Dr Michelle Dyer, followed by a panel discussion and a series of short films. |
Altered Tides MC Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, Griffith University Keynote Presentation Michelle Dyer, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Panel Chair Sara Hicks, GECKO Campaign Coordinator and Griffith University Industry PhD Candidate Panellists Yolanda Waters, Divers for Climate Sarah Jantos, Green Heroes Glenn Barry, Traditional Custodian, SWELL Board member Matthew Curnock, Environmental/social scientist, CSIRO Filmmaker Mr Salvador Cantellano, Salvador Films and Griffith University Phd Candidate | ||
These events are a collaboration between SSCR, SWELL Sculpture Festival, Griffith University and the Gecko Environment Council. | ||
| Start | Item | |
|---|---|---|
| 8.00 am | REGISTRATION | |
| 8.30 am | Welcome from the Social Science Community for the Reef | |
| 8.35 am | Welcome to Country | |
| 8.45 am | Keynote 1 from Anthea Coggan (CSIRO) | |
| 9.15 am | Keynote 2 from Libby Evans Illidge (AIMS), Harry Van Issum (Woppaburra) and Meaghan Cummins (Woppaburra) | |
| 10.00 am | MORNING TEA | |
| 10.30 am | Session 1.1: Courageous provocations and other types daring | Session 1.2: The cooperation component |
| 12.30 pm | LUNCH | |
| 1.30 pm | Panel discussion: News and other Media with Graham Redfearn (The Guardian), Sean Kennedy (Climate Media Centre), Claire Konkes (UTas), and Max Newlands (Australian Academy of Science) | |
| 2.30 pm | AFTERNOON TEA | |
| 3.00 pm | Session 2.1: Ink to write the next chapter | Session 2.2: The gallery of frames |
| 5.00 pm | Closing session | |
| 5.30 pm | SYMPOSIUM CLOSE | |
| Start | Finish | Item | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.00 am | 10.30 am | Workshop 1.1: Media, messaging, and the public narrative. Sean Kennedy (Climate Media Centre) | Workshop 1.2: Where to from here? Reimagining social research methods for a changing world. Claudia Benham (University of Queensland) and Jacqui Lau (James Cook University) |
| 10.30 am | 11.00 am | MORNING TEA | |
| 11.00 am | 12.00 pm | Workshop 1.1 (cont.): Media, messaging, and the public narrative Sean Kennedy (Climate Media Centre) | Workshop 1.2 (cont.): Where to from here? Reimagining social research methods for a changing world. Claudia Benham (University of Queensland) and Jacqui Lau (James Cook University) |
| 12.00 pm | 1.30 pm | LUNCH | |
| 1.30 pm | 3.00 pm | Workshop 2.1: What if human centred approaches were a key pillar to protecting Reef Catchments for a Healthy Reef? Maria Rosier (OGBR&WH/DESI), Meg Bickle (OGBR&WH/DESI), and Edith Muruka (DCCEEW) | Workshop 2.2: Network mapping Reef governance: how is the Reef really managed? Mark Limb (Queensland University of Technology) |
| 3.00 pm | 3.30 pm | AFTERNOON TEA | |
| 3.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Workshop 2.1: What if human centred approaches were a key pillar to protecting Reef Catchments for a Healthy Reef? Maria Rosier (OGBR&WH/DESI), Meg Bickle (OGBR&WH/DESI), and Edith Muruka (DCCEEW) | |
The Social Science Community for the Great Barrier Reef is an initiative of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
in collaboration with: