Tara DePorte

Projet de recherche

eARTh – Creating science-based cultural tipping points to address the climate crisis

Résumé du projet

This two-year research project, conducted within the framework of an invitation to Iméra, explores the role of storytelling, creative practices, and the translation of scientific knowledge in response to contemporary climate, health, and democratic crises, with a strong focus on the Mediterranean region.

At the intersection of the humanities and social sciences, environmental sciences, the arts, and public policy, the project aims to improve the circulation, accessibility, and uptake of knowledge on climate change and urban environmental health.

It offers a critical analysis of dominant climate narratives, mechanisms of disinformation, and their impacts on democratic participation, while simultaneously experimenting with arts–science approaches as levers for social transformation.

Building on existing research and local and international partnerships, the project develops hybrid formats—including research reports, action guides, and creative platforms—designed for both academic and non-academic audiences.

Ultimately, the project seeks to strengthen Marseille’s role as a Mediterranean hub for dialogue between science, culture, and society, and to lay the groundwork for durable European collaborations linking research, creative practice, and public action.

Biographie

Tara DePorte is a social entrepreneur, climate communications expert, social justice advocate, and visual and performing artist whose work operates at the intersection of climate, culture, and systemic transformation. She is the founder and director of the Human Impacts Institute (2010) and Human Impacts Institute Europe (2026), organizations established to advance creative, participatory approaches to building a just, inclusive, and effective global climate movement. With more than twenty-five years of experience, she brings deep expertise in community engagement, environmental communication, and climate justice leadership across global contexts.

Tara has led and developed interdisciplinary programs with multiple federal governments, including those of the United States, France, Germany, and Taiwan, and has worked closely with frontline communities worldwide to advance climate justice, democratic participation, and equitable environmental action. She has served as a lead United Nations delegate at multiple international conferences.

Her work has been recognized through numerous international honors and fellowships, including two research fellowships at Iméra – the Institute for Advanced Study of Aix Marseille Université.

Her writing and research have been supported for many years by the New York State Department of Environmental Justice, and she currently leads interdisciplinary research initiatives translating climate and social science into actionable cultural, civic, and policy frameworks.

Tara is an adjunct professor at Webster University in the Netherlands and has developed and taught courses at The New School, Syracuse University, Columbia University, and Aix Marseille Université.

As a visual artist, Tara has exhibited and performed her work in galleries and museums across six countries.