Postmodernism in contemporary Australian art-music: analysis and reappraisal. Art-music composition in Australia is vibrant and diverse but its relationship with current trends in other art practices has not been well understood, and music critics and educators have too often been dismissive of musical innovation of the postmodern kind. This project will be the first sustained analysis of the emergence and critical reception of postmodernism in Australian art-music, from the linked perspectives ....Postmodernism in contemporary Australian art-music: analysis and reappraisal. Art-music composition in Australia is vibrant and diverse but its relationship with current trends in other art practices has not been well understood, and music critics and educators have too often been dismissive of musical innovation of the postmodern kind. This project will be the first sustained analysis of the emergence and critical reception of postmodernism in Australian art-music, from the linked perspectives of musicology and cultural studies. It will produce the first thematic book on Australian art-music since Covell's 1968 'Australia's Music', providing a standard reference and valuable education resource for music critics, scholars and educators while locating Australia in current international debates about postmodern musicRead moreRead less
The Two Frank Thrings. A study of two lives in the context of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia. This dual biography of F.W.Thring (1882-1936), stage and cinema entrepreneur, and his actor son Frank (1926-94), will explore two remarkable lives in relation to their performance culture and society. It will provide the first scholarly biography of both men, and through them will illuminate the history of Australian cinema and musical theatre, investigate issues of distinctively n ....The Two Frank Thrings. A study of two lives in the context of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia. This dual biography of F.W.Thring (1882-1936), stage and cinema entrepreneur, and his actor son Frank (1926-94), will explore two remarkable lives in relation to their performance culture and society. It will provide the first scholarly biography of both men, and through them will illuminate the history of Australian cinema and musical theatre, investigate issues of distinctively national iconography and voice, and examine the complex interactions between industrial/economic forces and artistic vision. Its principal outcome will be a book that should add significantly to our knowledge of the performing arts in twentieth-century Australia, and to continuing debates in the arts.Read moreRead less
Circus Aerialists: Bodies, Gender and National Identity. This research will produce the first critical study of circus aerial performance 1860 to 1990. It asks what the impact of this performance is on social beliefs about bodies. How has gender and national identity been presented in aerial acts? The research promotes the legendary Australian performers who have been among our most famous cultural exports, and yet remain neglected in Australia. Were circus athletes predecessors of sports athlet ....Circus Aerialists: Bodies, Gender and National Identity. This research will produce the first critical study of circus aerial performance 1860 to 1990. It asks what the impact of this performance is on social beliefs about bodies. How has gender and national identity been presented in aerial acts? The research promotes the legendary Australian performers who have been among our most famous cultural exports, and yet remain neglected in Australia. Were circus athletes predecessors of sports athletes? Increasing numbers of professional aerialists work in circus' multimillion dollar arts industry, which makes this specialised study, archive and book overdue. It is new knowledge that expands Australia's research base.Read moreRead less