New modes of engagement and creative practices

Overview

This research theme seeks to re-contexualise and hybridise traditional media and art-form practices for emerging technological, cultural and service contexts.

Researchers draw upon a substantial and sustained bank of creative practice in the faculty to undertake research which is grounded within 'embodied learning' and tacit knowledges. From this deeply engaged, lived perspective, researchers are experimenting with creative practice as a means for asking unconventional, difficult or previously intractable questions about our collective socio-cultural futures.

Such research goes beyond commenting on or reacting to what is emerging, preferring instead to create experiential, critical and non-discursive forms that engage with pressing issues such as sustainable futures and building creative communities. To achieve this researchers are working to create internationally significant projects that demonstrate how new hybrid cultural forms can best utilise interactive multimedia formats in exhibition and multi-platform publishing contexts.

Such a context creates a new research agenda for an arts industry that draws deeply upon its traditional and heritage art-form bases and yet acutely acknowledges the imperative for retaining relevance with an increasingly diversified and technologically literate market. Creative industries research focuses on the adaptive and re-directive strategies that includes up-skilling of professional performers, the application of practices from one genre or discipline to others and the continued discussion and negotiation of cultural and sexual difference with mainstream audiences. Frequently these researchers are exploring these themes using high level practice-led research.

Other researchers are exploring new modes of engagement in emerging technological contexts. This includes projects which use multi-media and exhibition formats, as well as multi-platform publishing, to investigate the role of curatorial research and creative innovation. Of particular significance is research into interactive use and edited forms as a key consumption activities. This illuminates the public interface of culture in contemporary society to broaden and democratises the concept of innovation and digital literacy generally.

These investigations recognise the rapidly dissolving distinctions between consumption, production, labour and citizenship which affords new opportunities for citizen empowerment. This has opened up research opportunities in such areas where broad-based consumer creativity (including user-led, 'pro-am' (professional-amateur) and open source practices) serve as a viable basis for low-cost, mass content generation.

The importance of user-led content creation and 'vernacular' creativity is vital for those researchers applying hybrid creative practices in non-traditional arts settings. The implications of user-led innovation is also being explored in journalism, leadership training and corporate education (digital story-telling , online games and copyright and intellectual property.

This research theme sees artists and creative practitioners as leading contributors to research productivity and excellence around practice-led innovation and the development of art and creative work for new contexts. Dissemination of these peer-reviewed research outcomes is through performances, gallery exhibited and online works, recordings, curated events, broadcasts, websites, software downloads, publications, conferences, workshops and interviews, all of which serve to communicate the technical, conceptual and creative knowledge residing in these new research outputs.

Research degree enquiries

Creative Industries - postgraduate research enquiries

Partnership and commercial research enquiries

Professor Greg Hearn