Innovation in the performing and digital arts

Overview

Research into Innovation in the Performing and Digital Arts at QUT addresses the impact of new technologies and new creative strategies across the fields of music, media arts, exhibited works, entertainment and applied performance. It investigates new forms, new approaches to performance and production, and new modes of audience engagement.

With a range of international partners, our research in Studies in Creative Arts and Writing was ranked a 4 (above world standard) in the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise in 2012. We have attracted over $2 million in competitive funding since 2007 from the Australian Research Council, the Australia Council for the Arts and state-level funding sources.

Infrastructure

  • QUT Gasworks Music Studios
  • Performance Motion Capture Facility
  • The Cube

Performance

Evidence of research quality

ERA (Excellence in Research for Australia) 2012 score:

  • 4 (above world standing).

Formal ERA esteem measures:

  • Keith Armstrong – Australia Council ArtLab grant
  • Lawrence English – Australia Council Music Board Project Fellowship
  • Grant Stevens and Peter Alwast awarded – Australia Council international residencies

Other esteem measures:

  • Peter Alwast awarded The Premier Queensland New Media Art Award 2008

Developing new researchers

HDR students
162
Early career researchers
12

Publication output

2011 total
40

Research income

2012 total
$682,981
2008-2012
$3,557,695

Key grants

  • Remote music interactions through online networks
  • Building distributed leadership for effective supervision of creative practice higher research degrees
  • Long time no see
  • Specimen
  • A seasonal media artwork exploring animal migration patterns and extinction of human experience

Partnerships

International linkages

  • University of California, San Diego
  • ZKM Karlsruhe
  • University of the Arts, UK
  • STEIM, Holland
  • Malmo University, Sweden
  • National Art Museum China
  • Institute of Contemporary Art, UK
  • Elision Ensemble/University of Huddersfield, UK
  • Bath Spa University, UK

Significant corporate partnerships

  • Australia Council for the Arts
  • Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)
  • Brisbane City Council
  • Brisbane Festival
  • Department of Housing
  • Defence Materiel Organisation, Canberra
  • Expressions Dance Company
  • Hoodlum
  • Legs on the Wall
  • Musiclab
  • Queensland Health
  • Queensland Music Festival
  • Queensland Theatre Company
  • Queensland Performing Arts Centre
  • Q Music
  • State Library of Queensland
  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Cross-disciplinary engagement

  • Faculty of Health
  • QUT Business School
  • Australasian CRC for Interactive Design
  • iCi

Impact

Evidence of impact

  • Brad Haseman served on Australia Council for the Arts since early 2008, including Chair of Community Partnerships.
  • Andy Arthurs served as Music Board member of the Australia Council for the Arts (2004-2011).
  • Higher degree research (HDR) candidates in performance have been awarded the prestigious Philip Parsons Prize for performance as research 4 times in last 6 years.
  • Major commissions from arts festivals and institutions (Radvan, Stevens, Armstrong).
  • Alwast and Stevens selected for residencies at prestigious international arts institutions.
  • Creative works held in significant collections, including:
    • ZKM Germany
    • Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
    • ArtBank, Sydney
    • Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Brisbane.
  • Eight staff held senior posts on professional and scholarly associations, including General Secretary of World Dance Alliance Executive Board.
  • Deep Blue Orchestra (formed as part of an ARC Linkage grant) played at national and international venues.
  • Researchers and associated higher degree research students (HDRs) have won 40% of all Australia Council ArtLab grants since the program's inception.
  • Addressing the issue of declining audiences at cultural venues.
  • Development of a conceptual framework for remote musical interactions in collaborative web 2.0 music networks.
  • Using Applied Theatre strategies to energise through conflict, and create leadership capability (Queensland Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Defence Materiel Organisation).
  • Providing new and meaningful human/computer interface designs for music performance, media installation and public art projects.

Research degree enquiries

Creative Industries - postgraduate research enquiries

Partnership and commercial research enquiries

Professor Greg Hearn