Guidelines: Co-creation approaches for community, artists and scientists

This Co-Creation Guide has been developed within the framework of the TIDAL ArtS project to support collaborative processes between artists, scientists, and communities across Europe’s Mission Ocean & Waters Lighthouse areas. We believe that transformative environmental action requires new ways of working together, thus the guide provides a practical foundation for designing and implementing participatory artistic processes that are both socially inclusive and locally relevant. It emphasizes the importance of early and sustained engagement, supports the integration of diverse knowledge systems (including lived experience and scientific insight), and offers methods for involving communities not only in the making of artworks, but in shaping the process itself. The document is designed to be usable before, during, and after participatory activities, including workshops, artists’ residencies, and community-based interventions. It includes guidance on identifying relevant actors, building trust, and working across differences, whether it be cultural, disciplinary, or geographical. Drawing from best practices in participatory arts, citizen science, and environmental engagement, the guide also reflects TIDAL ArtS’ core ambition: to support new forms of collaboration that help communities reconnect with their aquatic environments in meaningful and creative ways. Likewise, the project contributes to the wider goals of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030,” including increasing ocean literacy, supporting local stewardship, and mobilising culture as a source of knowledge and driver of change.