Thriving futures

This Special Issue of the journal Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education ( ADCHE ) revisits the purpose and potential of art and design from an Australian perspective. It draws on the November 2023 Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools (ACUADS) 43rd conference, co-convened by Thao Nguyen, School of Art, RMIT University and myself. This national forum sought to consider the following: (1) how can creative education and research embrace our unique Australian perspective and integrate First Nations knowledge to cultivate a ‘thriving future’? (2) What is the potential of creative research and pedagogy in responding to the climate crisis and other urgent societal concerns? (3) How has the global pandemic disrupted and catalysed innovation in creative art education, including the rapid uptake of digital media by traditionally haptic disciplines? What are the key technological agendas for art and design schools? Drawing on our unique perspective, with particular acknowledgement of First Nations knowledge and ways of being, our colonial history and Asia–Pacific context, this edition considers how creative education and research can contribute not only to economies but also to the array of pressing social, environmental and cultural issues necessary to enable thriving futures.