University Cultural and Creative Arts Network
UCCAN is a network of cultural and creative arts researchers based at the University of New England, Australia.
Informed by the multi-disciplinary strengths of our members, UCCAN strives to bring cultural and creative arts research into dialogue with each other in innovative and illuminating ways. Our research demonstrates the value of the creative arts and culture within both local and global contexts, from environmental arts practices through to digital innovations, and from engagements with the past through to present-day approaches to policy and pedagogy. We seek to forge connections with regional, national and international institutions of cultural significance in order to communicate our research to the wider public.
Our network has a strong priority of valuing, documenting, and disseminating Indigenous knowledges within the wider cultural landscape, guided by our Indigenous members and community stakeholders. UCCAN also advocates for both traditional and non-traditional research within UNE and across the academy, and our activities involve both professional and community arts organisations.
Overall, UCCAN researchers are concerned with how creative arts practice can facilitate cultural transformation, and how cultural research can shape and reveal creative work through pedagogical, political, and critical interventions.
We have a strong collaborative relationship with local arts and cultural bodies NSW Regional Conservatoria, New England Writers’ Centre, New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale Improvised Music Association and Australia-wide institutions including Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre (Penrith), Riverside Theatres (Parramatta), and Playlab Theatre (Brisbane).
Upcoming Events
Creative Conversations - Music
April 18 6:30pm, The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
In this concert and presentation, University of New England PhD researcher and composer Merri Bell will discuss Canadian author L.M. Montgomery, who is best known for the novel Anne of Green Gables. In addition to the seven books of the Anne series, Montgomery completed another thirteen books exploring the life and experience of young women in the early 19th century. Montgomery was also an extensive diarist revealing how much of the content of her books was adapted from her own life experiences. Merri’s research examines the construction of meaning in music and, through the creative practice of composition, demonstrates the ways in which music can relate to literary media. Montgomery’s novels and her personal journals are intertextually linked, and are a rich source of thematic material on which to base compositions, creating a new intertextual link. The result of the research is a folio of contemporary art music composed for acoustic instruments that represents the worlds created by Montgomery.
This event will feature the world premiere of Merri’s new composition for piano and strings, which responds to and paints a musical portrait of Prince Edward Island, the setting of the Anne series, as described by Montgomery in her many novels.
Network convenors
Environmental Arts Practice: Research Theme Leader: Dr Rosemary Williamson Digital Innovations: Research Theme Leaders: Associate Professor Donna Hewitt and Dr Richard Jordan Transforming the Past: Research Theme Leader: Associate Professor Jason Stoessel Cultural and Creative Arts Policy and Pedagogy: Research Theme Leader: Dr Alana Blackburn Embodied Cultural Knowledges: Research Theme Leader: Dr Paul Smith UCCAN has a large number of affiliated HDR students completing creative research in diverse areas. Please contact us if you would like to discuss, contact, or learn more about any of our HDR members' ongoing research. Current HDR projects: Naomi Alexander Fragments of Thought: A Creative Practice-led Inquiry into the Life, Spiritual Practices and Literature of Victorian Author Mabel Collins Merri Bell Musical Worlds: A Folio of Musical Compositions Representing the Worlds Created by Author L.M. Montgomery Francesca Brady How can the practice of writing a memoir about horse-human relationships in the Australian and New Zealand horseracing industries, enable me to contribute to ethical understandings of equine welfare and "invisible worker identity"? Damien Casser Adopting the mode of recent innovative fictional nostalgic television of the United States (hypernostalgiavision) for an Australian context Liz Chappell How can relational others as narrators recover the voices of women writers in imaginative biography, as exemplified by Catherine Spence? Rachel Collyer Australian Medieval Music Manuscripts: Collections, Collectors and Medievalism in Australia's Evolving Cultural Landscape Maria Cotter Carbon Cycles: Transdisciplinary Imaginings and the Poetics of Carbon. Philippa Dickson Writing the Wrongs of Sexual Abuse by Mother Self-mutability and multiplicity in on/off-line spaces: developing the character, vocality and narrative of musical alter-egos Jessica Lamb Communities at Play: Decentring theatre making in Australia through the gift of the game Emily Noske Auto-fictional writing in the Anthropocene Brooke Robinson Misinterpreting for the public good: The language interpreter as non-violent vigilante in crime fiction Amy Rodd An exploration of Wonder in Contemporary Art Photography Melita Rowston The Incorrigibles: staging the lost voices of NSW's Irish female convicts Neil Stewerd Playing With Time: Thinking Outside Hegemonic Temporalities in the Composition of Ambient and Meditative Music. Read about some of the activity of our researchers via these external announcements, profiles, reviews and publications. Review of Sophie Masson's YA speculative fiction thriller, 'The Ghost Squad' Review of Paul Smith's satirical opera 'Chop Chef' Richard Jordan's bold environmental drama wins in NYC Interview with student and playwright, Dylan Van Den Berg Alana Blackburn's defence of the recorder at The Conversation Donna Hewitt selected to collaborate with artists across the hearing spectrum Rose Williamson explore why magazines still matter at The Conversation Thursday May 25th 5:30pm, Level 1, 28 George St, Parramatta Join UNE Music for a series of after-work concerts in our offices of Parramatta’s CBD. This series explores how music can change spaces and a curated series of musical guests will transform the desks and screens of UNE with magical melodies and rhapsodic rhythms. Concerts begin at 5.30pm and run for approximately 45 minutes. In this first concert, UNE is joined by the Sirius Chamber Ensemble who will present a collection of exciting contemporary Australian music including works by by Eve Duncan, Nigel Butterly, Marjorie Smith and UNE’s own Paul Smith. This concert will also include the premiere of two new works by UNE PhD student, Merri Bell. Places are strictly limited. Tickets are $10. UNE staff and students attend free, please email uccan@une.edu.au from a valid UNE email address to receive the discount code. Thursday 22 June, 4-6pm While illustrating the rich variety of approaches of studying women and true crime, all of the papers are linked by a thematic focus on why women are fascinated with the genre of true crime in all forms – from traditional media to podcast and TikTok. They show how this fascination has transcended the genre to influence cultural perceptions of crimes perpetuated by and against women. Presenters join us from Australia, the UK, USA, Canada, and Finland. In partnership with The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, UCCAN specialists in music, theatre, poetry, creative writing, screen studies and history will engage with audiences in presentations that profile current projects, questions and investigations into the arts. In a relaxed after-work setting, our researchers will discuss their research and inspire, pique and challenge audiences while exploring the changing nature of arts and culture in Australia. Presentations will be 45 minutes followed by a Q&A session with the presenter where audiences can dig deeper and find out more about the themes and discoveries of the talk. Music Matters: The Value of Music Within Communities by Dr Alana Blackburn, Senior Lecturer in Music Why do people take part in creative community practices, and what are the benefits for a community and its region? Dr Alana Blackburn’s research looks at the value of music from a social, economic, cultural, and educational perspective in non-metropolitan communities. From well-being and deeply personal experiences of amateur musicians to the altruistic tendencies of professional artists, this engaging presentation takes a deep dive into the value and wealth music can bring to society. December Peace Studies Conference & UCCAN research symposium UCCAN was delighted to be part of the organising committee for UNE's 2022 Peace Studies Conference celebrating 40 years of peace studies. The conference ran Dec 1st-5th. UCCAN convened papers that connected creative arts with peace studies and hosted performance events. UCCAN staff and students in the areas of music, theatre, and writing will be featured in the upcoming Parramatta Lanes festival running from October 12-15. Live performances, play readings and writing installations will be offered in and around UNE Sydney. Please visit the Parramatta Lanes Festival website for more information. As part of the festival, HDR student Lana Kershaw will present a public workshop/reading of her play The Reclamation on October 15 at 4pm at the UNE Sydney building on George St. Tickets are now available, booking essential. Thursday 11th November Creative Futures Research Symposium Staff from across UNE presented research which imagined and examined developing and potential trends in the content, presentation and reception of creative arts and culture. Across two sessions, the program comprised panels, papers, interviews and creative presentations showcasing research from across UNE. Thursday 16th September, 1pm Non-traditional Research Information Session Please join members of UCCAN for this session focusing on NTROs. This session will discuss the UNE NTRO guidelines, categories of NTROS, research statements and evidence for outputs, and the RUNE process. Contact us via email for an invite. Open to all staff. Thursday 9th September, 11am UNE Theatre studies presents '“Pivoting Digital” in Contemporary Independent Theatre' “P.S. #MeToo”: A HASSE Symposium (2019) Judith Wright Lectures Gordon Athol Lectures (1989-2018)Name Discipline area Dr Alana Blackburn
Music and Education
Dr Lorina Barker Oral History Dr Marty Branagan Peace Studies Dr Julie Collins Theatre and Education Dr Lewis Fitz-Gerald Media and Communications Dr Valentina Gosetti French Dr Ivana Gulic
English, Media and Communications
Dr Jennifer Hamilton English Dr Stephen Harris
English
Dr Donna Hewitt
Music
Dr Fincina Hopgood Media and Communications Dr Richard Jordan Theatre Dr Christina Kenny Sociology Dr Alina Kozlovski Ancient History and Archaeology Dr Donna Moodie Contextual Studies Dr Wyatt Moss-Wellington Writing Dr Jim Page Writing Dr Lili Paquet Writing Dr Julie Shearer
Theatre
Dr Paul Smith Music Dr Jason Stoessel
Music
Dr Ariella van Luyn Writing Dr Rosemary Williamson
Writing Previous Events
2023
Desk Notes - UNE Sydney Concert Series
"True Crime and Women: Writers, Readers, and Representations" Symposium
We welcome you to join us for a symposium with papers by contributors to an upcoming collection that aims to advance knowledge of the significance of the popular genre of true crime for women. We will showcase ground-breaking new research from around the world on women as creators, represented characters, and readers of true crime. We will identify the many and complex ways in which true crime is consequential for women individually and collectively.Creative Conversations @ The Joan
2022
October 12-15
Parramatta Lanes
2021
2019
