When the biggest flood in modern Australian history hit the Northern Rivers in 2022, a group of locals decided it was time for a new approach to disaster recovery – one that addressed the root causes of vulnerability instead of offering short-term fixes. They envisioned a place where everyone could contribute to finding solutions, drawing on local knowledge and diverse expertise rather than relying on traditional top-down approaches.

They called their new initiative Living Lab Northern Rivers, a collaborative hub where experts from all walks of life could work on projects to transform the region into a beacon of resilience. It was a bold reimagining of sustainability and adaptation, requiring buy-in from a truly diverse range of contributors, from politicians to farmers, tradespeople to engineers, Indigenous elders to local artists, school students to professors.

To help ensure their success, Living Lab asked Fireside to craft a powerful narrative strategy to clearly convey their mission, engage diverse audiences, and spark the collaboration needed to achieve their ambitious goals.