UNITWIN / UNESCO Chairs Programme Progress ...

Australia / Australie (714) UNITWIN / UNESCO Chairs Programme Progress report Period of activity: 2006-2007 UNESCO Chair in Communication within the framework of ORBICOM Network Report established by: Prof. Anna Haebich, UNESCO Chairholder, coDirector of the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas, Griffith University I. Activities 1. Academic activities Research The Chair holds an Australia Research Council Fellowship : ƒ

Title: Imagining Assimilation Duration: 5 years (2002-2007) Target groups : Students and public Geographical coverage for partners and participants : National and international Intended use of results: Book and museum exhibition various published papers

2. Conferences/Congresses/ meetings •

Conferences

A national conference: ƒ

Title : Landscapes of Exile Dates and place: 26-28th July 2006, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia Number of Participants: 100 This international conference explored how 'space' becomes 'place' through

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cultural, artistic, intellectual and ethical practices and how the experience of exile from a homeland can be both traumatic and transformative and how it can affect the human condition in complex and diverse ways. Creative for Life: The Chairholder chaired several meetings with cross section of Griffith University staff in developing the project and have also met with representatives from other universities and government .

An international conference: ƒ

Title: X-th International Scientific Conference on “Cultural Diversities and Communication amongst Cultures. Dates and place: 18-19 May 2007, Sofia The Chairholder presents an absentee paper at the conference titled “Creating and sustaining local knowledge societies and cultural diversity: A case study of cultural repositories in Australia”. It will be published in 2008.

3. Publications : •

Book Chapter

ƒ Article Title: Assimilation and Hybrid Art: Reflections on the Politics of Aboriginal Art Author: Anna Haebich Book Title: The Art of Politics, The Politics of Art Book Editor: Fiona Foley Year: 2006 Publisher: Keeaira Press Language: English Page numbers of chapter: 52-56 •

Journal Articles

ƒ Article Title: Retro-assimilation Author: Anna Haebich Journal Title: Griffith Review- Divided Nation Year: 2007 Volume: 15, Autumn Article page numbers: 243-255 ƒ Article Title: Creativity in an Ageing World Author: Anna Haebich Journal Title: Artlink Year: 2006

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Volume: Vol 26, No. 4 Article page numbers: 16-18

4. Other ƒ Creative For Life 2006-Continuing Creative for Life is a major new research initiative for our Centre. Conceptually, creative for life views creativity as a strategic intervention in the context of our ageing world. This project draws on an existing understanding—that creativity increases quality of life amongst the ageing population—and builds upon this, suggesting a whole life approach to creativity from cradle to the grave, incorporating mind, body and spirit. Creative for life sees the need for research that addresses, documents and theorizes issues of creativity and lifestyle, lived environment, design services, infrastructure for the ageing, public engagement and public debate on societal ageism. ‘Creativity, IT and quality of life’ is an integral theme in the project. Cross-cultural research initiatives under the umbrella of living and ageing well will address creative lifestyles, encourage public debates re demographic change and impact, develop a history of ageing, honour personal stories and promote human rights. Creative for life promotes inter-disciplinary activity across the university bringing together the arts sector [cultural, historical, design and creative practitioners] with IT, urban planning, human resources, medical and social workers with the aim of getting communities to engage in new technologies and foster new ways of understanding and living. ƒ Brisbane Memory Project 2006 - Continuing Brisbane Memories is a collaborative research venture of the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas in partnership with the Brisbane City Council Library Service. The project, led by Professor Paul Turnbull, has several aims. It seeks to identify and develop innovative ways of meeting the technical and conceptual challenges of managing knowledge of past events and places created interactively by a culturally diverse community of users using wikipedia style software packages. The project is also concerned to explore the meanings and values users give historically significant places in the Brisbane region through providing the means of creating and sharing relatively unmediated recollections of past experience. A further long-term research goal of the project is to investigate the implications of participation in interactive, collaborative reflection on places of personal and communal historical significance for self and communal identity. The Brisbane memories project draws together history, creativity and cultural tourism strategies in order to develop IT skills and promote community well being.

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II. Outcomes General: As Chair and Co-Director of the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas I have developed and supported research projects and initiatives that promote cultural diversity in knowledge societies through new technology and other innovations. This is contributing to the goals of Cultural diversity outlined in the UN Declaration on Cultural Diversity and the directions of the World Summit of the Information Society. I have also participated in international and national forums on these issues. (e.g. International Scientific Conference on “Cultural Diversities and Communication amongst Cultures. Sofia). Indigenous: Through the membership of the Indigenous Advisory Committee at the Queensland State Library the Chairholder contributes to discussion of sustaining Indigenous cultural diversity and use of new technology and also to maintenance and preservation of Indigenous intangible cultural heritage.

III. Forthcoming activities The plan is to develop the Chair further within the context of Griffith University by creating a database of innovative new research on sustaining cultural diversity and also the role of ICTs in this area. Also to develop a dialogue with ORBICOM and other UNESCO Chairs in the Asia Pacific region to share ideas and discuss possible research collaborations. The follow list of forthcoming publications are based on research that has been conducted during 2006-2007 : Imaging Assimilation. A Cultural History of Assimilation, Fremantle Arts Centre Press 2008: -Cole, A. and Haebich, A : Corporal punishments and corporeal publics: a cross-cultural historical approach to the techniques and cosmologies of body modification’, “Body Modification”, Special Edition of Social Semiotics, 2007 -Haebich, A. and Taylor, J: Modern primitives leaping and stomping the earth: from ballet to bush doofs, Aboriginal History Journal, 2007

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