Dr David Rousell

David Rousell is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Education at RMIT. He co-directs the Creative Agency Research Lab and serves on the executive committees of the Digital Ethnography Research Centre (DERC) and Climate Change Research Network (CCR-Net). He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University and adjunct Research Fellow at Southern Cross University's Sustainability, Arts, and Environment in Education (SEAE) research centre.

For the past decade David's academic career has focused on creatively reshaping the education sector in response to the urgency of climate change. His collaborative research with children and young people has established an international evidence base for creative, transdisciplinary, and climate-responsive education across formal and informal learning contexts. This work has led to the development of new theoretical and methodological approaches at the nexus of environmental philosophy (ontology, ethics, aesthetics, politics), environmental education (pedagogy, curriculum, design), and the environmental arts (history, theory, practice). Through research and teaching approaches that value the knowledges and experiences of diverse educational communities, his work has has led to significant social impact through co-designed transformations in schools, universities, galleries and museums, urban and regional municipalities, businesses, and cultural organisations.

Projects

David's recent projects have focused on collective re-imaginings of educational spaces and practices in response to the onset of climate change, mass extinction, and ubiquitous technologies at planetary scale. His work has brought public attention to the diverse impacts of planetary changes in the lives of children and young people through exhibitions in universities, galleries, museums, libraries, and community art spaces in Australia and internationally. David has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and books across a diverse range of fields, including environmental education, art and design education, childhood and youth studies, creativity studies, (post) qualitative inquiry, cultural geography, and ecological philosophy. His recent books include Immersive Cartography and Post-Qualitative Inquiry (Routledge, 2021), Doing Rebellious Research (Brill, 2022, co-edited with Pamela Burnard, Elizabeth Mackinlay, & Tatjana Drogovic), and Posthuman Research Playspaces: Climate Child Imaginaries (Routledge, 2023, co-authored with Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles).

More information about David's creative research projects can be found at:

• Local Alternatives
• States and Territories
• Climate Change and Me
• Youth Carbon Cultures

• Co-director of the Creative Agency Research Lab for transdisciplinary studies of creativity
• Executive member of the Digital Ethnography Research Centre (DERC)
• Co-leader of the Climate Change Research Network (CCR-Net)
• Lead for the School of Education's 'Climate Change and Sustainable Futures' research theme 
• Course coordinator for Teaching the Arts (Bachelor of Education) and Contemporary Art, Technologies, and Learning Environments (Masters of Teaching Practice)

David currently supervises 8 PhD students within the Creative Agency Research Lab, including projects relating to:

• hydro-feminism, environmental arts practice, and multispecies pedagogies
• eco-somatic performance art with children and communities
• intersections of creativity and justice through the co-design of learning environments in underserved schools 
• creating platforms for student voice and agency through drama education 
• development of a digital system to facilitate teacher collaboration on STEAM education
• co-creating more-than-human learning environments for music education

• 2014- 2018 Doctor of Philosophy, Southern Cross University, School of Education
• 2012-2013 Graduate Diploma of Education (Visual Arts and Design), Southern Cross University, School of Education 
• 2002-2003 Bachelor of Visual Arts (3D specialisation), University of South Australia, Adelaide

Selected National and International Exhibitions: 

• Rousell, D., & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, A. (2023). Climate Child Imaginaries. Multi-channel video installation of children's climate art and writing, part of the 'Wild Hope'  exhibition at RMIT's Design Hub Gallery. 
• Hussey-Smith, K., & Rousell, D. (2022). Kids make change. Exhibition of children's art about climate change and social justice. Art in Public Gallery, RMIT. 
• Rousell, D., Trafi-Prats, L., Begum, R., de Freitas, E., (2019). Memories of the Future. Workshop, exhibition and screening of young people's urban film-making at Ausland Gallery, Berlin. 
• Rousell, D., de Freitas, E., Trafi-Prats, L., Hohti, R. (2019). Remixing Thick Time. Exhibition at Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester UK, in collaboration with the Young Contemporaries (age 16-25). 
• Rousell, D., Hohti, R., and Chalk, H. (2019). Inheriting the Anthropocene. Exhibition at Manchester Museum UK, in collaboration with the Young Adventurers (age 11-14). 
• Rousell, D., and de Freitas, E. (2018). Superpositions. Exhibition at Birley Art Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University, in collaboration with Z-artists (age 11-13). 
• Rousell, D. (2017). Lures for Feeling: Selected works from the States and Territories project (2014-2016). Solo exhibition at the Summer Institute for Qualitative Research, Manchester Metropolitan University. 
• Rousell, D., & St Clair, J. (2016). CubeWalk Soundtrail, Location-based audio walk and mobile application exploring stories of place from students and staff. Lismore campus, Southern Cross University.
• Rousell, D. (2015). CubeWalk. Permanent installation of climate-responsive artworks with accompanying map, walk, and conceptual framework. Lismore campus, Southern Cross University.
• Rousell, D., & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2015). Past Now Future. Curated traveling exhibition of children and young people's art, research and writing about climate change. 7 public libraries across NSW, Australia (10,000 + viewers).