Table Of Content“Water, Creativity and Meaning makes an insightful contribution to current under-
standings of human–environmental relationships. Centering on creative practices,
it explores the intimate and interconnected engagements with water that people
experienceandembodyatapersonalandlocallevel,showinghowthesegenerate
important memories and meanings; enable the composition of individual and
community identities; and encourage deep and affective relations with place.”
–FromtheForeword,VeronicaStrang,UniversityofDurham,UK
“Beyondtheempiricalrichnessofthecollectionthemoststrikingthemesformethat
emergefromtheessaysarearangeofconceptualexplorationsattheleadingedgeof
water research. I was very interested to see emerging interest in different forms of
“attunement”, attentiveness, and materiality, posing questions in terms of research
methodology as well as the interpretation of different kinds of developments that
spanhumanandother-than-humanrealms.”
–FromtheAfterword,MatthewGandy,ProfessorofCulturalandHistorical
Geography,UniversityofCambridge,UK
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Water, Creativity and Meaning
At a time of great turmoil and crisis, environmentally, socially and politically,
water has emerged as a topic of huge global concern. Moreover, many argue
that what is needed in order to change our relationship with the environment
is a cultural paradigm shift. To this end, this volume brings together diverse
approaches to exploring human relationships with the watery world and the
other living things that rely upon it.
Throughexploringmultiplecreativewaysofengagingwithwaterandpeople,
thevolumeaddstothecurrentzeitgeistofwritingaboutwaterbyexpandingthe
discussionaboutthisvitalsubstanceandhow,ashumans,werelatetoit.Chapters
focus on creative explorations and explorations of creativity in relation to
developing these understandings, including concepts such as hydrocitizenship
and responses to drought and flooding. Drawing on the in-depth research and
experienceofartspractitionersincludingparticipatoryartists,aswellasacademics
from a variety of fields including geography, anthropology, health studies and
environmental humanities, the book provides a rich and multidisciplinary
perspectiveonwater andcreativewaysof engaging andunderstanding human–
waterrelationships.
It represents a valuable source and inspiration for academics, arts practi-
tioners and those involved in environmental policy and governance.
Liz Roberts is a cultural geographer currently working at the University of
West of England, UK, on an RCUK project on digital storytelling and water
scarcity (www.dryproject.co.uk).
Katherine Phillips isa social researcher at the UniversityofWest of England,
UK, with interests in sustainable living, human–environment relations and the
mainstreaming of radical alternatives.
Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management
Water Management, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in
Developing Economies
Edited by M. Dinesh Kumar, M.V.K. Sivamohan and Nitin Bassi
Freshwater Ecosystems in Protected Areas
Conservation and Management
Edited by Max C. Finlayson, Jamie Pittock and Angela Arthington
Participation for Effective Environmental Governance
Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation
Edited by Elisa Kochskämper, Edward Challies, Nicolas W. Jager and Jens Newig
China’s International Transboundary Rivers
Politics, Security and Diplomacy of Shared Water Resources
Lei Xie and Jia Shaofeng
Urban Water Sustainability
Constructing Infrastructure for Cities and Nature
Sarah Bell
The Biopolitics of Water
Governance, Scarcity and Populations
Sofie Hellberg
Water, Technology and the Nation-State
Edited by Filippo Menga and Erik Swyngedouw
Revitalizing Urban Waterway Communities
Streams of Environmental Justice
Richard Smardon, Sharon Moran and April Baptiste
Water, Creativity and Meaning
Multidisciplinary Understandings of Human–Water Relationships
Edited by Liz Roberts and Katherine Phillips
Formoreinformation andtoview forthcomingtitlesinthisseries, pleasevisitthe
Routledge website: www.routledge.com/books/series/ECWRM/
Water, Creativity and
Meaning
Multidisciplinary Understandings of
–
Human Water Relationships
Edited by Liz Roberts and
Katherine Phillips
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OxonOX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711Third Avenue, NewYork, NY 10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
© 2019 selectionand editorial matter, Liz Robertsand Katherine
Phillips;individual chapters, the contributors
TherightofLizRobertsandKatherinePhillipstobeidentifiedas
theauthorsoftheeditorialmaterial,andoftheauthorsfortheir
individual chapters, hasbeen asserted in accordance with
sections77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designsand PatentsAct
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may bereprinted or
reproduced orutilised in any formor by any electronic,
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including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
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Trademarknotice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks orregistered trademarks, and are used only for
identificationand explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-PublicationData
A catalogue record for this book isavailablefrom the British
Library
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-PublicationData
Names: Roberts, Liz (Elisabeth), editor. | Phillips, Katherine,
1980- editor.
Title: Water, creativity and meaning : multidisciplinary
understandings of human-waterrelationships /edited by Liz
Roberts and KatherinePhillips.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY : Routledge,
2018. |
Series: Earthscan studiesin water resource management |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018005653| ISBN 9781138087668
(hardback) | ISBN 9781315110356 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Water–Social aspects. | Hydrologic cycle. |
Watersupply. | Watersecurity. | Nature–Effect of
human beingson.
Classification: LCC GB665 .W2872018 | DDC 304.2–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018005653
ISBN: 978-1-138-08766-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-11035-6 (ebk)
Typeset inBembo
by Swales& WillisLtd, Exeter, Devon, UK
Contents
Listofillustrations x
Editorbiographies xii
Contributorbiographies xiii
ForewordbyVeronicaStrang xviii
Preface xx
Acknowledgements xxii
Introduction:aneweraforhuman–waterrelationships 1
KATHERINEPHILLIPSANDLIZROBERTS
PARTI
Fluid processes: creative research with water 21
1 Waterpower:creativityandtheunlockingofcommunity
knowledge 23
LORAINELEESON
2 Thislongriver 36
LUCIGORELLBARNES
3 Sunlesswatersofforgetfulness(ageopoeticassemblage) 54
ANTONYLYONS
4 FromGalluratotheFens:communitiesperformingstories
ofwater 70
LYNDSEYBAKEWELL,ANTONIALIGUORIANDMICHAELWILSON
viii Contents
PARTII
Becoming water bodies 85
5 Mappingabluetrace:anintermittentswimminglife 87
RONANFOLEY
6 Creativecompulsions:performingsurfingasart 103
JONANDERSONANDLYNDSEYSTOODLEY
7 Wavesasemblemataforknowledge 124
JOHNHARTLEY
PARTIII
Water we know? 137
8 Re-envisioningthehydrocycle:thehydrosocialspiralas
aparticipatorytoolboxforwatereducationandmanagement 139
REBECCAL.FARNUM,RUTHMACDOUGALLANDCHARLIETHOMPSON
9 Fluid-sound 157
ROBSTJOHN
10 Andallatoncethecloudsdescend,shedtearsthatneverseem
toend:lookingfromtheearlymodernageatwaterinthe
Anthropocene 172
SIMONMEISCH
PARTIV
When water disrupts: water as agent and
co-constitutor of place and culture 187
11 ‘Watermafia’politicsandunrulyinformalityinDelhi’s
unauthorisedcolonies 189
MATTBIRKINSHAW
12 Encounteringwater:sensitivitiesandpracticesformoving
beyond‘BigWater’interventions 204
CLAIREHOOLOHANANDALISONL.BROWNE
Contents ix
13 Thinkinglikewatermoves:livingwithclimatechange
inTarawa,Kiribati 219
MARIALOUISEBØNNELYKKE
14 Narrativesthattravel:anxiety,affect,andwaterpoliticsin
theDeschuteswatershedofCentralOregon 230
KIRSTENRUDESTAM
15 Conclusion:thebeginningsofacreativewaterethics 245
LIZROBERTSANDKATHERINEPHILLIPS
Afterword:interviewwithMatthewGandy,Professor
ofCulturalandHistoricalGeography,UniversityofCambridge 258
Index 262
