water:
cultural and scientific perspectives
3 september 2003
carlton crest hotel
To celebrate the International Year of Freshwater Queensland
Academy of Arts and Sciences, in association with Riverfestival and
Riversymposium, invited members and guests to attend a short symposium
that explored the Cultural and Scientific Perspectives of Water.
This event brought together a distinguished group of artists and scientists
to explore and discuss the importance and fascination of water in their cultural,
professional and daily lives.
Professor Ken Wiltshire AO of UQ's School of Business, Australian Representative
on the Executive Board of UNESCO and Australian Representative of UNESCO
officially opened the event and credited the Academy for creating an event
where water could be presented and discussed in such an expert yet open manner.
The intimate group of approximately thirty-five people were able to pose
questions and the panel was expertly led by Professor Stuart Cunningham,
Director of QUT’s Creative Industries Research and a Fellow and Councillor.
Guests and speakers alike were soon drawn into a lively and diverse range
of topics that featured freshwater.
The Academy’s aim with all of its events is to encourage creation
and discussion across the arts and sciences and these wonderful speakers
and an enthusiastic audience created just such an atmosphere.
At least three new programs or events were generated from the mini symposium
and the casual Academy lunch that followed at Picasso’s at the Carlton
Crest.
The Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences would like to thank its key supporters:
Riversymposium and Riverfestival; Poolrite; Ionode; and the Queensland Government
through Education Queensland and Arts Queensland.
In addition the Academy would particularly like to thank the guests, participants
and speakers of Water: Cultural and Scientific Perspectives not only for
their time and enthusiasm but also for their ability to share ideas and experience
new ways of looking at the world.
presenters
Professor nevil Fletcher AM FAA FTSE
Professor Neville Fletcher an eminent physicist whose books include The Physics
of Rainclouds, The Chemical Physics of Ice, and four on acoustics and music.
He is Visiting Fellow at Australian National University. He plays the flute
and the bassoon.
Clare Dyson
Professor Fletcher was followed by Brisbane choreographer Clare Dyson who
has recently performed a season of her work Intimate Drowning at the Brisbane
Powerhouse. Using video and other imagery, Ms Dyson spoke about the importance
of water and ice to her choreography.
Gillian Rhys
Ms Gillian Rhys, an artist and researcher in mining by-products, detailed
her current visual arts project with the Southern Cross University. The
project creates new cultural uses for bauxite mine tailings;
Professor Stuart Bunn
Professor Stuart Bunn, Director of Griffith University’s Centre for
Riverine Landscapes, spoke about “Healthy River Ecosystems” -
how rivers function as ecosystems, how we define ecosystem health and how
we know when rivers are healthy (or not).
Jane Carpenter
Jane Carpenter from Kite Theatre presented aspects of Kite and Pullenvale
Environmental Education Centre’s Round the Bend: a unique and innovative
show that engages young students and encourages them to explore effects of
human activity on freshwater;
Dr Malcolm Cox
Dr Malcolm Cox a geologist and Senior Lecturer in QUT’s School of Natural
Resource Sciences, spoke about about fresh groundwater in the Moreton Bay
Area. His interests include both water quantity and quality and we all learned
much about the islands and their water potential.
Dr Ben Hankamer
Dr Ben Hankamer of the UQ’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience is a
Biochemist and Protein Chemist who’s key area of interest is water
to hydrogen fuel. Dr Hankamer explained how this process could develop a
clean, sustainable energy cycle coupled to pure water production.
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