The Picturesque in Modernity: object image and architecture. The idea of the picturesque its emergence in the eighteenth century are relatively well known. However, the longer history of the picturesque, through to its use in the present, has not been studied. This Project proposes to describe the key concepts and techniques that constitute the latter history of the picturesque. Against claims that the eighteenth century picturesque was a generic and abstract art, this longer history will show t ....The Picturesque in Modernity: object image and architecture. The idea of the picturesque its emergence in the eighteenth century are relatively well known. However, the longer history of the picturesque, through to its use in the present, has not been studied. This Project proposes to describe the key concepts and techniques that constitute the latter history of the picturesque. Against claims that the eighteenth century picturesque was a generic and abstract art, this longer history will show that the picturesque is better understood as an intra-disciplinary relation of architecture and the visual arts. The Project will be of relevance to issues of the historical status of architecture as an art discipline. At a more general level, the Project will be of significance in present issues in the conceptualization of images and objects, including those that arise in virtual environments, issues which first arose in the picturesque.Read moreRead less
Developing techniques for evolutionary music. Traditional compositional conventions do not meet the needs of contemporary composers who are increasingly working in non-linear media, such as DVDs, the Internet, video games, and mobile phones. This research will create a new class of algorithmic music techniques inspired by evolutionary processes to meet these challenges. While exploring new musical techniques, this research will provide new insights into the applicability of theoretical principle ....Developing techniques for evolutionary music. Traditional compositional conventions do not meet the needs of contemporary composers who are increasingly working in non-linear media, such as DVDs, the Internet, video games, and mobile phones. This research will create a new class of algorithmic music techniques inspired by evolutionary processes to meet these challenges. While exploring new musical techniques, this research will provide new insights into the applicability of theoretical principles from biological evolution and artificial life to support human creativity.Read moreRead less
Smart Music: Combining music perception and algorithmic composition. Music is an important aspect of Australian culture and a key driver of the creative industries. A better understanding of music will provide the basis for enhanced computer music techniques that support creative musicians, result in more efficient music production, and lead to the creation of interesting new music. This project connects Australian and International researchers in a world-leading team to produce "smart" compute ....Smart Music: Combining music perception and algorithmic composition. Music is an important aspect of Australian culture and a key driver of the creative industries. A better understanding of music will provide the basis for enhanced computer music techniques that support creative musicians, result in more efficient music production, and lead to the creation of interesting new music. This project connects Australian and International researchers in a world-leading team to produce "smart" computer software that can make music using many of the same techniques as the human mind. Tools based on this research could be applied to assist with music education or be used by professional musicians to improve their music enterprises.Read moreRead less
Future stories: creating virtual worlds with young people in hospital. The project will address the ways in which participation in the arts impacts on the wellbeing of young people in hospital. It acknowledges the circumstances of the young people and the conditions of the location, and examines the potential of supporting young people during their stay in hospital through creativity and new technologies. It will explore the affordances of combining arts approaches with virtual reality (VR) tech ....Future stories: creating virtual worlds with young people in hospital. The project will address the ways in which participation in the arts impacts on the wellbeing of young people in hospital. It acknowledges the circumstances of the young people and the conditions of the location, and examines the potential of supporting young people during their stay in hospital through creativity and new technologies. It will explore the affordances of combining arts approaches with virtual reality (VR) technology to provide a positive experience for young people in hospital. The project aims to develop opportunities for creativity in hospital and pioneer the use of secure cloud-based peer-to-peer virtual reality interaction that facilitate communication and interaction across hospital and home environments.Read moreRead less
Understanding creative excellence: a case study in poetry. Creativity is the engine of a healthy and successful society. In order to learn how best to encourage and generate creativity, there needs to be a greater understanding of how successful creative professionals operate. This project focuses on poets as a case study that will inform the development of ways to enhance creativity in other professional groups.
The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in ....The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700-1900. Bel canto—beautiful singing—describes a forgotten tradition (1700–1900), epitomising clear communication of expression and meaning of text. This project aims to generate new research-based knowledge of bel canto sound vocabulary, music, and history through implementation of a multi-modal method—working with an international community of singers—to produce multi-faceted outputs that inform future scholarship and creativity in singing. Modern classical singing fails to communicate the meaning of the text in bel canto repertory. Expected outcomes are revitalisation of global practices to produce classical singers better equipped to convey the text, increasing audience engagement, and the sustainability of the classical music industry.Read moreRead less
Star actors and management in Australia 1880s-1920s. The project studies early twentieth-century star actors who worked for Australian commercial managements, in order to locate how the cultural impact of theatrical performers was mediated by their immediate industrial situations and their artistic profiles. It selects four significant male and female touring stars who performed in spectacular costume drama, in association with JC Williamson's Ltd and other entrepreneurial organisations. The in ....Star actors and management in Australia 1880s-1920s. The project studies early twentieth-century star actors who worked for Australian commercial managements, in order to locate how the cultural impact of theatrical performers was mediated by their immediate industrial situations and their artistic profiles. It selects four significant male and female touring stars who performed in spectacular costume drama, in association with JC Williamson's Ltd and other entrepreneurial organisations. The investigation relates the negotiations between both managerial and labour structures involving actors to their artistic opportunities and repertoire. It will produce a materially-informed account of the social presence and cultural meanings embodied by the glamourous theatrical star in Australia.Read moreRead less
The Local Spaces of Contemporary Brisbane Theatre: A Strategy for Analysing and Interpreting Theatre. This study of three Brisbane theatres benefits Brisbane's theatre community, as well as national and international communities: the project uses innovative theoretical approaches and virtual reality technology to analyse theatre productions. Its merging of different perspectives on how theatre is produced and how it may be better researched is relevant to theatre analysis everywhere. The project ....The Local Spaces of Contemporary Brisbane Theatre: A Strategy for Analysing and Interpreting Theatre. This study of three Brisbane theatres benefits Brisbane's theatre community, as well as national and international communities: the project uses innovative theoretical approaches and virtual reality technology to analyse theatre productions. Its merging of different perspectives on how theatre is produced and how it may be better researched is relevant to theatre analysis everywhere. The project also connects theatre with its broader cultural context by concentrating on Brisbane's notable staging of 'local' matters. While the local is often overshadowed by the 'national,' in Brisbane, the local provides the main link between aesthetics and the cultural contextualising of theatre. Read moreRead less
Art and Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: The Limits of Tolerance in the Twenty-First Century. The question of human rights is emerging as perhaps the most critical issue of the twenty-first century. This project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary methodology and a set of conceptual frameworks for analysing the interactions between contemporary art and global discourses on human rights in the Asia-Pacific. In the process we address the debate on universality versus cultural specificity in rel ....Art and Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: The Limits of Tolerance in the Twenty-First Century. The question of human rights is emerging as perhaps the most critical issue of the twenty-first century. This project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary methodology and a set of conceptual frameworks for analysing the interactions between contemporary art and global discourses on human rights in the Asia-Pacific. In the process we address the debate on universality versus cultural specificity in relation to human rights issues, and we seek to place current Australian responses to human rights in the context of the dynamically changing region in which we live.Read moreRead less
Social cohesion and resilience through intercultural music engagement. This project aims to identify, evaluate and develop theoretical and practical ways in which intercultural music engagement can facilitate social cohesion and enhance community resilience and intercultural empathy. There is growing evidence that music is a powerful stimulus for wellbeing and interpersonal connection and it is increasingly applied to promote intercultural understanding. This project will use detailed observatio ....Social cohesion and resilience through intercultural music engagement. This project aims to identify, evaluate and develop theoretical and practical ways in which intercultural music engagement can facilitate social cohesion and enhance community resilience and intercultural empathy. There is growing evidence that music is a powerful stimulus for wellbeing and interpersonal connection and it is increasingly applied to promote intercultural understanding. This project will use detailed observational, participatory and experimental strategies to elucidate the psychosocial processes underpinning intercultural music engagement, isolating variables that promote social cohesion. The project will develop best practice guidelines for organisations seeking to use cultural exposure and interaction to promote positive multicultural experiences.Read moreRead less