Can agencies promote bushfire resilience using art-based community engagement?

Emergency management agencies are confronted with problems when communicating preparedness information to communities. Levels of community preparedness remain low despite the availability of education materials and bushfire safety programs. To address these challenges innovative approaches to engage communities are needed. This paper presents evidence from an arts-based community engagement initiative that promoted disaster resilience in a regional Victorian town. This approach allowed staff of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to initiate conversations with local community members about bushfire safety. Some challenges identified with this approach related to CFA staff skill levels, appropriate organisational support, and response capacities of the local volunteer brigade. The question this paper raises is whether agencies can engage communities effectively using innovative activities.