Melanesian Popular Music, Local Recording Industries and Copyright. Australia has recently begun to express heightened concern for the social and economic sustainability of its Melanesian regional neighbours. Along with providing aid and peace-keeping forces, we are now exploring the distinctive forms of local socio-economic practices. These practices resist easy incorporation into Australian or broader Western norms. The project aims for informed dialogue and debate to better understand local c ....Melanesian Popular Music, Local Recording Industries and Copyright. Australia has recently begun to express heightened concern for the social and economic sustainability of its Melanesian regional neighbours. Along with providing aid and peace-keeping forces, we are now exploring the distinctive forms of local socio-economic practices. These practices resist easy incorporation into Australian or broader Western norms. The project aims for informed dialogue and debate to better understand local cultural and industrial practices. It will be of significant benefit to Australia in its engagement with the cultures of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. Read moreRead less
Music and modernity in Osaka during the interwar years. Japan continues to be among our paramount trading partners, and is Australia's proven ally in many contexts. Both Australia and Japan have sought to carve out distinctive musical identities while striving for acceptance according to international standards. Osaka in the interwar period was host to multiple musical subcultures, a situation that is relevant for Australia in its ongoing quest to become a culturally diverse society. Australia s ....Music and modernity in Osaka during the interwar years. Japan continues to be among our paramount trading partners, and is Australia's proven ally in many contexts. Both Australia and Japan have sought to carve out distinctive musical identities while striving for acceptance according to international standards. Osaka in the interwar period was host to multiple musical subcultures, a situation that is relevant for Australia in its ongoing quest to become a culturally diverse society. Australia stands to benefit from a comparative perspective on the construction of national musical identity, the interplay between global and local musical cultures, the balance between modernity and tradition, and the emergence of hybrid cultural phenomena.Read moreRead less
Chanted tales from Highland New Guinea: a comparative study of oral performance traditions and their role in contemporary land politics. In parts of Highland PNG there are flourishing traditions of epic-like chanted tales. Often dealing with relationships between people and land, these are a highly valued cultural resource. From the perspective of comparative poetics they are one of the clearest known examples of measured verse that has developed independently of alphabetic or syllabic writing. ....Chanted tales from Highland New Guinea: a comparative study of oral performance traditions and their role in contemporary land politics. In parts of Highland PNG there are flourishing traditions of epic-like chanted tales. Often dealing with relationships between people and land, these are a highly valued cultural resource. From the perspective of comparative poetics they are one of the clearest known examples of measured verse that has developed independently of alphabetic or syllabic writing. This project brings together an interdisciplinary team of investigators to analyse the wide range of styles in which these narratives are performed, and further the understanding of their implications for cross-cultural study of verbal art and the politics of land ownership in present-day Papua New Guinea.Read moreRead less
Theatre in the Asia-Pacific: Regional Culture in a Modern Global Context. This project contributes to Australian understandings of other countries in its region and promotes an Asia-literate society. Its focus on theatre and performance cultures of the Asia-Pacific deepens our understanding of the issues, both social and aesthetic, that characterise regional-specific responses to a shared global context. With its focus on innovative theatre and performance, that both conserve the region's rich c ....Theatre in the Asia-Pacific: Regional Culture in a Modern Global Context. This project contributes to Australian understandings of other countries in its region and promotes an Asia-literate society. Its focus on theatre and performance cultures of the Asia-Pacific deepens our understanding of the issues, both social and aesthetic, that characterise regional-specific responses to a shared global context. With its focus on innovative theatre and performance, that both conserve the region's rich cultural heritage and express its creativity, the project analyses recent trends in performing arts in the region. The outcomes will inform the academic community and future cultural policies of national organisations including Asialink and the Australia Council. Read moreRead less
Where culture and politics intersect: Trends in German Theatre since reunification. This project aims to investigate the complex relationship between politics and culture through a study of developments in German theatre since 1989. The profound changes brought about by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of East and West Germany call for new investigations of theatre, history, aesthetics and representation in a culture in which the theatre, historically, has been central to nation ....Where culture and politics intersect: Trends in German Theatre since reunification. This project aims to investigate the complex relationship between politics and culture through a study of developments in German theatre since 1989. The profound changes brought about by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of East and West Germany call for new investigations of theatre, history, aesthetics and representation in a culture in which the theatre, historically, has been central to national cultural development. The project will focus on play texts, playwrights, repertoire and performance to make a groundbreaking contribution to theatre and cultural studies by offering new insights into this unique period in German theatre history.Read moreRead less
Dance, Movements and Visual Symbolism in East Timor. By understanding traditional dance and indigenous belief systems which are often marginalized in the modern hierarchical ordering that privileges western-style "capacity building" based on modern scientific and managerial values, we will have a nuanced understanding of East Timorese cosmologies and practices on care of the self, resilience, power and agency. Development aid which is often defined exclusively in terms of infrastructure and econ ....Dance, Movements and Visual Symbolism in East Timor. By understanding traditional dance and indigenous belief systems which are often marginalized in the modern hierarchical ordering that privileges western-style "capacity building" based on modern scientific and managerial values, we will have a nuanced understanding of East Timorese cosmologies and practices on care of the self, resilience, power and agency. Development aid which is often defined exclusively in terms of infrastructure and economic growth, may pay attention to culture and creating space for emotional, social and spiritual creativity. Dance practices may provide alternative models of generative processes and therapy that actively produce feelings of joy and peace in the bodies, hearts, minds and souls of East Timorese.Read moreRead less