The global self: screening the history of human rights in the 20th century to the present. This project will research the history and theory of human rights as represented in film and new media. It will analyse the origins and development of human rights theory and document the changes in films about human rights in order to understand how we now conceptualise human rights in the twenty-first-century.
Consuming Celebrity: Female stardom and gay subcultural reception. This project explores the function of celebrity in modern culture through a detailed case study of gay subcultural receptions of female stardom. The female star or ?diva? has been an influential figure in gay subcultures since the nineteenth century where it has inspired significant and enduring productions of gay selfhood. The project explores the histories of gay ?diva worship? to analyse the role and uses of stardom in formati ....Consuming Celebrity: Female stardom and gay subcultural reception. This project explores the function of celebrity in modern culture through a detailed case study of gay subcultural receptions of female stardom. The female star or ?diva? has been an influential figure in gay subcultures since the nineteenth century where it has inspired significant and enduring productions of gay selfhood. The project explores the histories of gay ?diva worship? to analyse the role and uses of stardom in formations of cultural identity. Through scholarly publications, the study will make major contributions to our understanding of not only gay culture and history, but the significance of celebrity in modern cultural life.Read moreRead less
Locating LGBTIQ+ youth in the archive: Telling new stories for belonging. This project aims to produce the first study of LGBTIQ+ youth in Australia’s past and investigate what these histories mean to LGBTIQ+ youth today. We will generate new knowledge of Australian LGBTIQ+ history and links between historical knowledge and wellbeing in relation to LGBTIQ+ youth. Working with LGBTIQ+ youth we will also develop new archival storytelling techniques, theorising archives as ‘laboratories of belongin ....Locating LGBTIQ+ youth in the archive: Telling new stories for belonging. This project aims to produce the first study of LGBTIQ+ youth in Australia’s past and investigate what these histories mean to LGBTIQ+ youth today. We will generate new knowledge of Australian LGBTIQ+ history and links between historical knowledge and wellbeing in relation to LGBTIQ+ youth. Working with LGBTIQ+ youth we will also develop new archival storytelling techniques, theorising archives as ‘laboratories of belonging’. In doing so, the project forges links between cultural studies of storytelling, LGBTIQ+ youth studies and Australian history. Benefits include innovations in reparative historical methodologies, new resources for the GLAM, youth and education sectors and improvements in LGBTIQ+ youth wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Transforming Cultural Identity: Media flows between Australia and East Asia. By evaluating Australia's role in East Asian media circuits, this project aims to identify new industry and consumer trends. The rise of East Asian media industries, estimated to be worth US$120 billion and reaching at least 2 billion consumers, is changing Australian media culture. While East Asian media reach in to Australian audiences via new media, Australian media industries are reaching out to Asia via transnation ....Transforming Cultural Identity: Media flows between Australia and East Asia. By evaluating Australia's role in East Asian media circuits, this project aims to identify new industry and consumer trends. The rise of East Asian media industries, estimated to be worth US$120 billion and reaching at least 2 billion consumers, is changing Australian media culture. While East Asian media reach in to Australian audiences via new media, Australian media industries are reaching out to Asia via transnational co-productions. This project plans to examine these trends in media consumption and production to analyse impacts on the cultural identities of Australian audiences and media products. Through the innovative framework of minor transnationalism, it plans to produce a deeper understanding of the nation's relationship with its region.Read moreRead less
Representation of gender and sexual diversity in Australian film and television. This project aims to investigate the cultural, health and identity impact of gender/sexually-diverse characters, themes and narratives in Australian film and television from 1990 to present. The project expects to generate new knowledge by providing the first comprehensive account of Australian media production’s contribution to sexual minority representation, in the context of its importance for fostering healthy i ....Representation of gender and sexual diversity in Australian film and television. This project aims to investigate the cultural, health and identity impact of gender/sexually-diverse characters, themes and narratives in Australian film and television from 1990 to present. The project expects to generate new knowledge by providing the first comprehensive account of Australian media production’s contribution to sexual minority representation, in the context of its importance for fostering healthy identities, and acceptance of minorities to mainstream audiences in a digital media era. This knowledge will provide significant benefit to the mental health, wellbeing and social harmony for both minority and mainstream Australians and help showcase an important aspect of Australian media inclusivity and diversity in international scholarship.Read moreRead less
Art precincts and cultural participation in networked public space. This project aims to examine the changing relation between public culture and public space. Cultural activity in the contemporary city is increasingly networked and street-based, manifest in events that use the city as a stage for mass participation in art. This challenges the dominant model of cultural engagement that focuses on activities within cultural institutions located in designated arts precincts. This project will deve ....Art precincts and cultural participation in networked public space. This project aims to examine the changing relation between public culture and public space. Cultural activity in the contemporary city is increasingly networked and street-based, manifest in events that use the city as a stage for mass participation in art. This challenges the dominant model of cultural engagement that focuses on activities within cultural institutions located in designated arts precincts. This project will develop tools for data gathering to map this shift. The analysis is expected to contribute to the evaluation of cultural policy settings and design developments in Australian cities.Read moreRead less
UNESCO and the making of global cultural policy. This project aims to influence global cultural policy and governance and the way 'actors' like UNESCO shape local policy and practice. Focusing on the global South, it will reveal complex connections between levels of governance, documenting and providing guidance on innovative policy approaches for dealing with major social, economic and development challenges. Outcomes will be compelling insights for cultural policy development and implementatio ....UNESCO and the making of global cultural policy. This project aims to influence global cultural policy and governance and the way 'actors' like UNESCO shape local policy and practice. Focusing on the global South, it will reveal complex connections between levels of governance, documenting and providing guidance on innovative policy approaches for dealing with major social, economic and development challenges. Outcomes will be compelling insights for cultural policy development and implementation, and a critical reshaping of global-local cultural dynamics to support sustainable and equitable development in the global South.Read moreRead less
After the apocalypse: the mediasphere, global crisis and violent ecologies. This project examines the ways in which the media shapes our thinking and practices around crisis. The study focuses particularly on the evolution of a 'crisis consciousness' and the ways in which human desires are implicated in the cultural politics of violence. The study focuses specifically on Australia's participation in post-9/11 conflicts.
Elucidating the increasing demand for genital cosmetic surgery among girls and women in Australia. This project will identify the psychosocial context of and public communication about the dramatic rise in female genital cosmetic surgery in Australia. Results will contribute to programs for sexuality and body image education, public health campaigns about normal genital diversity, and professional development for doctors and beauty therapists.
Contemporary Indigenous film and television: new frames of understanding. Australian Indigenous film and television has exploded into the mainstream of the national media landscape over the last five years and is now a leading sector of the local industry. This research project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between an Indigenous and two non-indigenous scholars, aims to produce new frames for understanding this film and television in its local, national and international contexts. The resea ....Contemporary Indigenous film and television: new frames of understanding. Australian Indigenous film and television has exploded into the mainstream of the national media landscape over the last five years and is now a leading sector of the local industry. This research project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between an Indigenous and two non-indigenous scholars, aims to produce new frames for understanding this film and television in its local, national and international contexts. The research will result in a re-evaluation of the Australian audio-visual heritage that will result in greater recognition of and opportunities for Indigenous creative producers in the future.Read moreRead less