AcrossRCA 2025

Most of us are already more than human. We extend our identities into the digital realm, creating virtual counterparts of ourselves that exist apart from our physical selves. We increasingly interact with the world through artificial interfaces, and our physical experiences are enhanced or augmented, blurring the boundaries between real and virtual environments. Ray Kurzweil speculates that in the distant future, the human species might withdraw into an entirely virtual world, leaving robot a...

The Caring Society theme investigates the practical and philosophical dimensions of health and well-being, and how we can shape society to be more effective in the processes of care. We consider the contributions creative practices can make to interdisciplinary projects that support, develop or promote a more caring society.

Both the concepts of ‘care’ and ‘society’ are complex and invite questions such as what role care plays across different societies, and how societal change...

The Climate Crisis affects everything from geopolitics to economies, and from livelihoods to migration. It is the single greatest threat to our futures. Current worldwide rates of greenhouse gas emission will result in a 2-5° Celsius rise in global temperatures over the coming decades. This will have catastrophic effects on the ecosystems that sustain life. But the devastating impact of the climate crisis is already being felt acutely now. Eroding livelihoods and spurring infectious diseases...

Social justice is a prevalent topic of discussion in the media and across the globe, and a call to action, focused on the assurance of equity, fundamental rights and fairness across and within societies. The United Nations defines social justice as foundational, addressing it as “an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations.”

This theme invites consideration of the role creative ...