Dr Richard Jones
Unit Co-ordinator, Researcher - Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education; School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Biography
A former ABC cinematographer and journalist, Richard is an independent filmmaker, academic and community development practitioner. He has a strong track record in creatively led research, including leadership of large, multi-partner Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkages grants as a Chief Investigator, Writer, Producer and/or Director. He has also led or co-led commissioned research and evaluation projects, including for VicHealth, the Commonwealth Office for Women and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US government foreign aid agency. Richard’s research-driven creative productions have won national and international awards and accolades. He has given many conference presentations, seminars and workshops, including six invited keynote addresses discussing his creative practice.
Richard has made 27 publicly funded film, video and interactive programs as a writer, producer and/or director, primarily in the fields of social justice and education. His productions have screened in the St Kilda, Adelaide, Melbourne, Chicago, Lisbon, Cork and Madrid film festivals, and at the London Institute of Contemporary Arts, the British, Hong Kong and American Film Institutes (Australia Festival), the New York Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art (Antipodean Currents) and le Palais des Festivals de Cannes (MILA).
As a contract Executive Producer for Film Victoria, Richard tendered out and supervised the production of large-scale educational multimedia programs. He then conceived, wrote and directed SomaZone, a youth health and well-being interactive. Richard was a finalist for four AIMIA international multimedia awards, including ‘Interactive Writer of the Year’, and two ATOM international awards, including ‘Most Creative and Innovative Multimedia’, for the production. He then won the prestigious Gold Camera for ‘Best Interactive Product’ in international competition at the 31st US Film & Video Festival for the program’s “outstanding creativity”.
Richard has taught in senior high schools (TVET), TAFEs, under- and postgraduate university courses, professional development programs and non-formal adult education in Australia and overseas. He has been a lecturer at five Australian universities and has held project-based appointments as a Director-in-Residence at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT, Creative Media), Artist-in-Residence at Griffith University (GU, School of Arts), Visiting Guest Artist at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA, Film & TV), Production Fellow and then Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT, Creative Industries & Education), Principal Research Fellow/Associate Professor at the University of New England (UNE, Education) and Professorial Fellow (VCA, Centre for Ideas & Community Cultural Development).
While teaching scriptwriting and film production in QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty as well as short courses for the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Richard led a design research team in producing a series of Online Visual Counselling Tools (OVCTs) funded by three ARC grants. This resulted in a world-first e-counselling program for Australia’s largest youth counselling organisation Kids Helpline (KHL). He also made Talk Out Loud (Creative Director), a national web, print and television campaign for KHL. These projects included short films by final year QUT film, communication design and creative writing students.
Described as “demonstrating dazzling and informative innovations”, the OVCTs project was selected by the Australian Academy of the Humanities as the sole work nationally exemplifying research excellence at ‘Humanities on the Hill’, a presentation to Commonwealth government ministers. It was one of three case studies nationally demonstrating the value of university partnerships with industry. Richard won a further ARC grant as 1st Chief Investigator, lead Writer, Producer and Creative Director with The Le@rning Federation, VCA and QUT. The Intelligent Learning Objects project produced 12 research-driven online learning activities re-engaging at risk senior high school students in their education.
Over the past 12 years, whenever possible, Richard has worked in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, making films and teaching media production skills with local not-for-profit organisations. In 2018-19, he volunteered for a year with IDEP Selaras Alam, a Bali-based foundation focused on disaster relief and developing sustainable agricultural practices with low-income farmers. Richard also worked with the Pelita Foundation in the 2018 North Lombok earthquake disaster zone, where he assisted with emergency relief programs and documented activities to raise funds from international donors.
Richard’s 2016 research PhD, Shooting the Breeze: Participatory Photo-storytelling with Young Adults in Timor-Leste, was awarded the UNE Chancellor’s Doctoral Research Medal for research “of exceptional merit and at the forefront of the field.” The study’s photo-stories were presented in five evaluated exhibitions to wide acclaim.Hadomi Rai: Portraits of Timor-Leste, a photo-storytelling book, also resulted from the research. The foreword was written by the president of Timor-Leste, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, His Excellency Dr José Ramos-Horta.
In 2021-22, as a Principal Research Fellow/Associate Professor in Education at UNE, Richard worked with an international team producing research and recommendations for establishing a postgraduate teachers’ college in Timor-Leste. The project secured a USD 41 million commitment from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and informed the 2022 implementation agreement between the US and Timor-Leste governments.
Richard has recently completed mentoring a Ezidi refugee as ‘Digital Connections Officer’ assisting his community in using online services. Richard is now working with UNE’s Oorala Aboriginal Centre on the Academy Pathways project, designing and delivering creative arts education in the New England region. He is also unit co-ordinator of French National Cinema at UNE and teaches scriptwriting with the New England Writers’ Centre.
Qualifications
PhD (UNE), Bachelor of Arts (ANU), Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media (NEIT), Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (AQF).
Selected grants
Timor-Leste Postgraduate Teachers’ College, 2021-22. Co-lead researcher, co-writer & lead editor. Funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Women’s Earthquake Recovery Stories, 2019-21. Grant writer & teacher. A media advocacy project with village women in Jono Oge, Sulawesi, Indonesia. For IDEP Selaras Alam. Funded by Planet Wheeler, the philanthropic arm of the Lonely Planet.
West Bali Stories, 2020. Director, camera, editor. Half-hour documentary & five linked web films for IDEP Selaras Alam. Funded by the Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship Program.
Husi Laran ba Laran (From Heart to Heart), 2010-17. Course developer & teacher. Five short courses for Timorese NGO staff in the remote township of Suai. Funding from the City of Port Phillip Council, Melbourne.
Visual Literacies Project, 2016. Course developer & teacher. Research program assisting adult school dropouts to achieve their high school diplomas. With Timor-Leste Ministry of Education. UNE Strategic Research Travel Grant.
Shooting the Breeze: Participatory Photo-storytelling with Young Adults in Timor-Leste, 2012-2016. Research PhD funded by an Australian Postgraduate Award, a UNE Strategic Top-up Scholarship & a Mackay International Travelling Scholarship.
Casa de Produção Audiovisual, 2012, Dili. Course developer & teacher. A two-week intensive scriptwriting course for Timorese video production staff. Funded by the German Catholic Bishops' Organisation for Development Cooperation (MISEREOR).
Knocked Around, 2009. Somebody’s Daughter Theatre program evaluation, lead researcher & writer. Upper Hume Community Health Services (UHCHS) theatre project in Albury/Wodonga. Funded by the Commonwealth Office for Women.
Highwater Theatre: Youth Crime Prevention Strategies, 2009. Lead researcher & grant writer. UHCHS creative education programme with SDT facilitating whole‑of‑community response to youth crime in the Albury area. Funded by the Attorney-General's Department National Community Crime Prevention Programme.
Community Arts Development Scheme Evaluation, 2005-08. Development & field research co-lead. With UM & the Brotherhood of St Laurence. A 3-year evaluation of Somebody’s Daughter Theatre, the Women’s Circus & the Torch community arts programs. Funded by VicHealth.
Everybody Has a Sacred Heart, 2007. Course developer & teacher. Photo-storytelling hosted by Sacred Heart Mission with recently released female prisoners. Exhibition at Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne. Funded by Somebody’s Daughter Theatre, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Trust.
Intelligent Learning Objects, 2004-07.1st chief investigator, lead Writer, Producer & Director. A large ARC Linkages grant (LP0454996) with UM, VCA, TLF & QUT.
Online Visual Counselling Tools, Stage 3, 2004-07. Chief Investigator, ARC Linkages grant (LPO348535). KHL &QUT.
Digital Storytelling, 2006. Course developer & teacher. VCA’s CCD program. Funded by the Department for Victorian Communities.
Maximum Exposure, 2005. Course developer & teacher. Research-focused photo-storytelling with men in maximum security at HMP Barwon. Funded by the Gordon & Kangan TAFEs, supported by the Department of Justice Victoria.
Digital Rights Management, 2004. Co-researcher. Large QUT Strategic Initiatives Grant with senior academics in the Creative Industries, IT and Law Faculties.
Talk Out Loud, 2003. Creative director. Web, print & TV campaign for KHL. Funded by NSW Health.
Online Visual Counselling Tools, Stages 1 & 2, 2001-03. Chief investigator, writer & creative director, ARC SPIRT/Linkages grants (C10024008 – research & writing & C00107629 - prototyping). KHL & QUT.
A Tangled Web, 2001, QUT Scholarship in the Professions Award. Researching & developing an online counselling tool with Relationships Australia.
Multimedia Project Management, 2001. Curriculum research and writer. Fee-for-service short courses commissioned by RMIT and eMERGE. Included substantial industry consultations and course audit report.
SomaZone,1998. Original concept, writer & director. A research-led interactive youth health & well-being documentary, including games & a 60-minute video documentary. Funded by the Dept. of Human Services & Film Victoria.
The Letter, 1990-96. Co-writer & producer. 26-minute drama for migrants & refugees. Writer & director of eight foreign language versions. Funded by Film Victoria & the Victorian Legal Aid Commission.
Against the Innocent, 1995/1989. Producer, additional cinematography. A fact/fiction feature film based on Jennifer Hocking’s PhD thesis. Funded by Film Victoria & the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia).
Other activities
Thesis editor supporting students to complete their PhDs:
- Investigating Secondary Education Quality in China Using the SOLO Method, 2023, Chunxia Wang, research PhD, UNE, SiMERR, Prof John Pegg.
- A Fragile Safety Net: Syrian Refugee Resettlement in Australia, 2020, Rita Gangi, research PhD, UNE, Humanities, Prof Helen Ware.
- The Audiovisual Documentation of Crimes of Political Violence in Timor- Leste, 2018, Andrew Sully, creative works PhD (film), Macquarie University, Dept. Media, Emeritus Prof Kathryn Millard.
- The Wrong Crowd, 2003, Debra Beattie, creative works PhD (ABC online documentary), QUT. Also Associate Supervisor.
External examiner
- Three PhDs (QUT & RMIT); 12 Masters of Creative Industries (QUT, Interaction Design); two Masters of Arts, Scriptwriting (VCA, Film & TV) and about 20 final year new media scripts (VCA, Film & TV).
Funding applications and/or projects mentor, for example:
- Halfway There, Dr Ingrid McGuffog’s State University of New York photo-storytelling program with formerly incarcerated women moving back into the community, Faculty of Criminal Justice, 2016-17. Online.
- Dr Geraldine Cook-Dafner’s successful ARC Linkages grant with Cochlear Limited - researching vocalisation training for cochlear implant recipients, VCA/UM, 2006.
- Commissioned by VCA to mentor two postgraduate students in developing their creative projects - Lamine Sonko, a Senegalese musician, & Shahin Shafaei, an Iranian actor, writer & director.
- Industry mentor at Open Channel. Funded by Film Victoria to assist graduate film students to gain funding & work in the industry, including helping to develop proposals, applications and scripts.
Script editor, consultant and assessor
- Editor. About 30 short dramas for VCA, QUT & Film Victoria. Winners of nine Best Short Script and/or Best Short Film awards at international film festivals, including Claremont Ferrand, FINRAV, Belgium, Moscow, Austin, Poitiers, London and Edinburgh festivals. Four Australian Film Institute (AFI) Best Short Film & Best Short Script nominations.
- Consultant, including Tilt Shift (Aleksi Vellis), Bonegilla (Luigi Acquisto), A Guerra da Beatriz (Luigi Acquisto, Irim Tolentino), The Dam (Jo McIntyre) & The Spirits of Tasi Tolu (Andrew Sully).
- Assessor of short scripts for Film Victoria’s Independent Filmmakers’ Fund & Open Channel’s Production Development Fund.
Teaching Areas
Postgraduate units taught or co-taught: Interactive & Visual Design (QUT, Master of Creative Industries), *Digital Storytelling & *Practicum in Community Cultural Development (VCA CCD).
Undergraduate units taught include * French National Cinema (UNE & Open University, online), *The Artist in the World (VCA), *Media Writing, *Media Business, *Professional Media Practice, *Supervised Projects Documentary & Drama Production (QUT), *Writing for Digital Media & *Digital Non-Fiction (RMIT), *Design Thinking (Swinburne University National School of Design), *Production Projects (GU) & Cinema Studies (Latrobe).
Professional development courses written and taught, including Writing Short Films (AFTRS), Multimedia Project Management (RMIT) & Producing Multimedia (Open Channel)
Commissioned curriculum writing, including CyberStudies, a full major in the GU School of Art’s Bachelor of Arts in Communication; Advanced Diploma in Professional Screenwriting (RMIT, 5 units); Digital Storytelling (VCA CCD), Open Channel’s LEAP Certificate IV in Video Production & Open Channel/ TEAME’s Certificate IV in Preparing Funding Proposals. Included steerage through accreditation processes & invited member of course advisory committee.
Adult education courses in TAFE and Australian community development settings, including for Gordon & Kangan TAFEs (men’s prison), Somebody’s Daughter Theatre & Sacred Heart Mission (female prisons & post-release settings) & The Benevolent Society (people with mental health challenges).
Adult education courses in overseas development contexts: Photo-storytelling, scriptwriting and/or video production, including with IDEP Selaras Alam, Bali; Dili Film Works, Fair Trade Films, Arte Moris, World Vision, the International Red Cross & Casa de Produção Audiovisual in Dili, Timor-Leste & Centro Juventude Covalima in Suai, Timor-Leste.
Rural senior high schools for TAFE NSW. While working overseas, I regularly returned to Australia on short trips to teach TVET Certificates II & III in Screen & Media (Video Production) in Moree, Boggabilla & Mungindi. Victorian Schools Innovation Commission, Fawkner Senior College, Melbourne.
Primary Research Area/s
Creativity Programs with Underserved Communities; Community Cultural Development; Adult Education (Creative Arts); Photo-storytelling (Photovoice); Participatory Visual Research; Participatory Action Research; International Aid and Development; Communications for Development (C4D)Publications
Creative Works
Jones, R (writer, director, camera) 2019-20, Sustainability: West Bali Stories. A half-hour documentary for the IDEP Foundation on their sustainability programs in West Yehembang, Jembrana, Bali. Funded by the Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship Program.
Jones, R, Diak, B (co-writer/designer) 2018, Hadomi Rai: Portraits of Timor-Leste. Book. Foreword by His Excellency Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Grafica Nacional. Public launch at the Xanana Gusmão Cultural Center in Dili.
Sully, A, Jones R (consultant, second unit cinematography), 2017, The Spirits of Tasi Tolu, documentary following a forensic team investigating the massacres in Timor-Leste.
Jones, R (photographer, writer) 2012-16, Loke Matan, Hare’e no Rona Ami (Open Your Eyes, See and Hear Us), Arte Moris and Feto Hatene, five group exhibitions about the lives and aspirations of traditional Timorese market people.
Jones, R (producer, writer, director), Chen, J, Wigley, L 2005-07, The Wavemaker. ARC Linkages grant creative outcomes. Four sequential interactive online learning activities. The Learning Federation (Commonwealth government), UM (VCA) and QUT.
Pitsas, N & Jones, R (producer) 2007, Resistors and Logic Gates. ARC Linkages grant creative outcomes. Eight sequential interactive online learning activities. The Learning Federation, UM (VCA) and QUT.
Jones, R (producer, co-director) 2005, Listen Up! A series of short animations funded bytheInspire Foundation and ORYGEN Youth Mental Health. With Matt O’Donnell. Screenings at Federation Square in Melbourne and ReachOut! website.
Jones, R (writer, director) 2001-03, Online Visual Counselling Tools. ARC Linkages grant creative outcomes. Kids Helpline/QUT.
Jones, R (writer, director) 1999, The Tangled Web. An Interactive relationships game funded by a QUT Scholarships in the Professions grant. With Relationships Australia.
Jones, R (original concept, writer and director), Olsson,T, Farr, R 1998, SomaZone, interactive documentary. Film Victoria. (Not to be confused with the spin-off website with the same title).
Jones, R (executive producer) 1997, Motorvation, VicRoads and Film Victoria.
Jones, R (co-writer/producer), Vellis, A 1990-96, 12 language versions of The Letter, educational dramas for migrants and refugees. Film Victoria. Top-grossing and most-purchased non-theatrical film for the Australian Film Institute (1990-92). Selected by Film Victoria for screenings in the ‘Urban Edge’ international travelling showcase.
Acquisto, L, Jones, R (producer) 1990, A Sense of Place, Australia Council and Film Victoria. AFI Distribution.
Acquisto, L, Jones, R (producer) 1989, Certain Monies, Australian Legal Aid Commission and Film Victoria. AFI Distribution.
Dellora, D, Jones, R (producer), Hocking, J 1988, Against the Innocent, a fact/fiction feature film based on Jennifer Hocking’s PhD thesis. Funded by Film Victoria and the Australian Film Commission. AFI Distribution. Invited screenings in many international film festivals.
Dellora, D, Jones, R (producer) 1987, Cleanskin, Film Victoria and the Victorian Department of Justice.
Jaeger, C, Jones, R (producer, script editor) 1986, No Myth, Film Victoria and the Women’s Refuge Referral Service.
Academic Publications
Book Chapters
Kelaher, M, Curry, S, Berman, N, Dunt, D, Jones, R, Johnson, V 2007, ‘Structured story telling in community arts evaluations’ in Lewis, A & Doyle, D (eds), Proving the Practice, DAADA/Optima Press, Fremantle.
Neville, R, Jones, R, Hearn, G & Conyngham, B 2007, ‘Creative Commons and the Creative Industries’ in Fitzgerald, B, Coates, J & Lewis, S (eds), Open Content Licensing: Cultivating the Creative Commons, Sydney University Press.
De Lutiis, J, Osborne, K & Jones, R 2007, ‘The Art Program’ in Artwork by Women in Prison, Post release and Beyond 2005-07, Melbourne, Somebody’s Daughter Theatre.
Articles
Jones, R, MacDowall, L & Curry, S 2007, ‘Boys to men: visual literacies in schools and prisons’ in the Journal of Public Relations and Communications. Special issue on Visual Communications, July.
Kelaher, M, Dunt, D, Berman, N, Joubert, L, Curry, S, Jones, R, Stanley, J & Johnson, V 2007, ‘Methodological Approaches to Evaluating the Impact of Community Arts on Health’, in UNESCO Observatory Multi-Disciplinary Research in the Arts, vol. 1, no. 1, 1-18.
Jones, R 2006, ‘Cultivating the Creative Commons: Perspectives from the Creative Industries’, in Flew, T (ed.), The Media and Arts Law Review, vol. 2, no. 1, 63-74.
Beattie, D, Cunningham, S, Jones, R & Zelenko, O 2006, ‘I use online counselling so the counsellor can’t hear me crying’, in Green, L & Haseman, B (eds), Media International Australia. Special edition on Practice-led Research, February, Issue 118, 43-53.
Selected Conference Presentations
West Bali Stories, IDEP Annual Sustainability Seminars, Jembrana, Gianyar & Nusa Penida, 2019.
Doing Visual Research, University of Queensland, Centre for Communication & Social Change, Brisbane, 2017.
Povu Maubere: the Wisdom of ‘Ordinary’ People, Country Women’s Association NSW state conference focused on Timor-Leste, 2014.
Keynote, Public Good in the Digital Age, The Wired Generation, Australian Anglican Schools’ Network National Conference, Melbourne, 2007.
Keynote, Maximum Exposure, 17th National Corrections Education Conference, Echuca, NSW, 2006.
Dialogues and Differences, National Arts Education Symposium, UM, 2006.
Cultivating the Creative Commons, Australian Creative Commons Conference, Brisbane, 2004.
Keynote, Vision and Visuality, The International Internet, Media & Mental Health Conference, Brisbane, 2004.
Online visual counselling tools presented by KHL at the UN sponsored inaugural Child Help International Symposium, Amsterdam & the 35th International Conference of Psychotherapy Research, Rome, 2004.
Culture with byte! OZeCulture, Brisbane, 2003.
Interactive Online Youth Counselling, Australian Innovation Festival, Brisbane. Sponsored by the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 2003.
Kids Help Online Tools, Innovation-Arts-Design-Media National Symposium, QUT, Brisbane, 2003.
Keynote, Writing Interactivity, WA English Teachers’ Association of Australia, Perth, 2002.
Keynote, Awakenings, National English Teachers of Australia Conference, Brisbane, 2001.
SomaZone, National Australian Health Promotions Association Conference, Brisbane, 2001.
Celebrating English, NSW English Teachers’ Association Annual Conference, (included workshops), Sydney, 2000.
Writing Interactivity, Australian Association for the Teaching of English, Brisbane, 2000.
Write with the Masters, GU School of Art public seminar series, 2000.
Keynote, SomaZone, Media 99, ATOM International Media Conference, Auckland, NZ, 1999.
Content is Key, Australian Writers’ Guild New Media Conference, 1999.
Screen Stories, Australian Screen Directors' National Conference, Melbourne, 1998.
