Environmental Turn of Dance (ETD) is an interdisciplinary research project that positions Malta at the forefront of artistic and ecological innovation. The project operates at the multifaceted intersections of therapeutic dance practices, AI-driven artistic creation, and community engagement through movement. Located at the crossroads of choreography, environmental philosophy, and dance studies, ETD explores how movement can function as a method of ecological inquiry and embodied awareness in response to the challenges of climate change. Focusing on the concepts of resilience and the infrastructures of life, ETD investigates the delicate relationships and interdependencies between humans, nature, and the environment across the Maltese islands. Through collaborations with local communities, artists, and environmental organisations, the project seeks to reimagine how dance can inspire ecological reflection and collective care. By integrating artistic research with environmental philosophy and emerging technologies such as AI-assisted choreography, ETD aims to cultivate new modes of coexistence, empathy, and ecological consciousness through embodied practice.

The project will evaluate and contextualise the role of dance as an ecological practice, alongside the spectrum of eco-critical viewpoints present within the domain of artistic creation. It will develop participatory workshops and performances with AI-assisted tools that merge somatic movement, choreographic scores, and ecological awareness in Malta. Through a series of case studies, this project will generate novel insights into how ecological dance practices can shape behavioural change in everyday life while also modelling or rendering perceptible the movements of other-than-human entities.