Creatively Reimagining Place and Community in a World of Extreme Weather

This chapter explores connections between place, community and narrative in the context of a world beset by extreme weather events. Drawing on insights and readings from three disciplines—theatre studies, screen studies and architecture—the chapter constructs a rich picture of the ways these fields contribute to definitions of place and can potentially enhance disaster preparedness and recovery activities. Edward S. Casey’s theories of place and community provide a connecting thread throughout the chapter, along with his ideas about selfhood, “implacement” and the environment as a source of danger. As both an example of a work that begins to address these themes and a catalyst for discussion, the chapter examines the television series Fires (Ayres et al., Fires [TV Series]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2021), which dramatises the 2019–2020 Black Summer fire season in Australia. Starting with a broad view of the context depicted in this series, the focus then shifts to individual experience and finally emotional responses. The chapter concludes by considering future research opportunities through which the disciplines of theatre studies, screen studies and architecture can leverage applications of advanced technology to contribute to disaster preparedness, responsiveness and recovery.