Discussion
If we use these findings around the location, artistic form and social media as recommended practice for the basis of decision making for the eco-arts trail then we increase the ability to raise awareness and emotional affinity to challenges faced by the GBR. These areas are intertwined and, when considered together, there are social, educational and conservation benefits for the GBR and its communities.
The final location of each artwork, when carefully selected, could potentially increase tourism to their area by creating a place that is interesting to tourists and local community members alike. Consequently, this brings additional economic benefits to the regional communities. Each participatory eco-mural on the art trail will be unique to the location and the artist creating, which will then be shared through social media and increase publicity to both the artist and the GBR.
Small road signs could provide directions to aid tourists in finding the murals. The use of signage at each artwork to briefly describe the artwork and its purpose can also offer an action that viewers can take. A QR code for viewers to scan can take them to the GBRMPA or ReefHQ websites with additional information about the artwork, conservation message and the artist who created it. Providing an additional opportunity for viewers to then donate to the ReefHQ turtle hospital would be a small action the viewer can take while there.
The eco-mural artworks themselves could contain the place, conservation, art, tourism and reef hashtags for social media as part of the artwork, so people are more likely to tag them when posting. In addition to the previous hashtags discussed, the art trail can build on ReefHQ and GBRMPA’s use of #lovethereef hashtag to use #LoveTheReefArtTrail. Tourists who are following the route can then connect each artwork as part of an overall image of the reef, consequently increasing their emotional affinity and understanding of place.
In addition to the items discussed above, there are suggestions that artistic talent is also considerations for the success of the #LoveTheReefArtTrail. The involvement of local community artists in the design, creation and communication of environmental stewardship messages in the artworks will enhance the connections to the region. Many regional areas have hidden artistic talents and craftspeople that can provide unique perspectives and visions for an eco-trail project like this. Local decision-makers should be encouraged to engage First Nations Australian artists where possible as they have a strong affiliation with the lands and waters of the region. GBRMPA works with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander [ATSI] community to support their ongoing social, cultural, economic and spiritual connections as the traditional owners of the region, and they value the conservation knowledge for the biodiversity and resilience of the reef that they have handed down through generations (GBRMPA, 2020b). Our suggestion is for the GBRMPA’s Reef Guardian partners to prioritise selecting an artist from their community who has both a connection to the GBR and to their local community.
A range of approaches to engage local artists in the campaign should be considered. This includes approaching arts associations, visit local studios, researching local artists in the area, exploring social media posts in the region, contacting school art programs or Reef Guardian Schools, holding a competition, or Arts Connect Inc. Connecting with indigenous artists could occur through local elders, local indigenous art centres like Ghost Nets Australia, or use ATSI cultural events in the region like the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (Tourism Tropical North Queensland, 2020). Conversations with potential artists about artistic intent are vital to selecting an appropriate artist (Gilfillon & Morrow, 2014). These discussions may highlight shared ideals like environmentally-based arts and cultural practices, sustainable craftsmanship, use of materials retrieved from the reef or established social media presence. Our investigations identified artists like David Day, Tracey & Goldenberg, Alison McDonald, and Llani along with arts venues/groups like Whitsundays Arts Festival, Public Galleries of Queensland or Great Barrier Reef Festival. There is no shortage of local talent available to the Reef Guardian partners.
Funding for the project should also be considered. We have discovered there are options for funding of arts, environmental and scientific campaigns, particularly in Australia, and by taking an arts approach to this campaign makes this campaign eligible for more funding grants, as does the use of ATSI artists. Financial assistance for arts campaigns in Australia includes those from government organisations like Australia Council of the Arts (Gilfillan & Morrow, 2014). A table of potential funding contributors and grants, the focus of the grant and eligibility criteria to provide our partner is in Appendix 1. Gilfillan & Morrow (2014) suggest that it is important, for the artists’ sake, to consider the motivations behind different funding sources and what the intention of the financial offering is trying to achieve. This would also be a factor for our conservation partners, so we will ensure we consider the reputation and situation behind granting organisations. Having clarity around the artistic idea of the artworks is a crucial requirement of funding applications (Gilfillan & Morrow, 2014) and image characteristics and presence are critical to the social media sharing (Li & Xie, 2020). The proposed recommendations for the #LoveTheReefArtTrail narrowed down our discoveries into suggested criteria for success based on our findings (Table 1). Items around artist choice and funding are a guide and suggestion as they may alter based on local community decisions.
