The CreaTures Observatory explores examples of existing and emerging initiatives that aim to produce transformational action through creative practice. We conduct systematic mapping, connecting, and analysis of their purposes, how they operate, and with whom, how and where they work. Our aim with this research is to understand and evaluate the social and ecological impacts of a wide range of transformative creative initiatives, including the Experimental Productions (ExPs) developed within the CreaTures laboratory.

The observatory is also a public repository, which highlights notable examples of transformational cases which have been identified by creative practitioners as inspirational.

We are identifying transformative projects in the broad realm of creative practice using five different techniques:

1. Working with our partners in the laboratory
   The Observatory helps to produce an in-depth understanding of how our partners set up transformative conditions in the Experimental Productions that they are producing as part of the CreaTures project.
2. Transformative practices recognised by the CreaTures consortium
   In 2020 we interviewed our colleagues within the consortium, gathering together a set of cases and definitions of transformation. We have analysed these to determine important themes, features and approaches of transformative creative practice. We are currently adding these to the website.

• ATNC Network
  We’re currently building an interdisciplinary community on the Art Tech Nature Culture e-list, where we help to facilitate interdisciplinary exchange around transformative practices. These discussions will also feed into the Repository analysis.
• Fields ‘sampling’ approach
  As a group, we have identified a number of creative fields which are engaged in making transformations to sustainability. In 2021 we will invite representatives of these fields to a series of peer learning discussions, in order to share divergent languages and identify new cases for the Repository. This approach ensures that key fields are not overlooked.
• Desk research by tuned-in researchers
  Across the length of the project CreaTures researchers stay tuned to a range of communities in order to identify novel projects for addition into the Repository.A network map of consortium representatives and the projects they found transformative

We also invite you to suggest other transformational cases that you feel should be included in the observatory. These can be submitted anonymously by anyone on the web via our crowdsourced survey.