GOMA Birthday Song

This work was commissioned by the Queensland Art Gallery to mark the fifth birthday of the Gallery of Modern Art. The brief was quite open, with the only directive to make the work complement the major exhibition "we miss you magic land!" by Perth artists, Pip & Pop (Tanya Schultz and Nicole Andrijevic). This musical work draws on a similarly otherworldly, childlike theme, influenced in part by the cinematic world of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka.

Digital storytelling as a social work tool : learning from ethnographic research with women from refugee backgrounds

This paper reflects on the wider potential of digital narratives as a useful tool for social work practitioners. Despite the multiple points of connection between narrative approaches and social work, the influence of narratives on practice remains limited. A case study of a digital storytelling (DST) process employed in a research project with a small group of lone mothers from refugee backgrounds is used to trigger discussion of broader applications of DST as part of everyday social work practice. The use of DST acknowledged women’s capacities for self-representation and agency, in line with participatory and strengths-based approaches inherent in contemporary social work. The benefits of using DST with lone mothers from refugee backgrounds illustrate how this method can act as a pathway to produce counter-narratives, both at the individual and broader community levels. Documenting life stories digitally provides the opportunity to construct narratives about experiences of relocation and settlement as tools for social advocacy, which can assist social workers to ensure meaningful outcomes for service-users. These propositions can serve to inform social work practices with people from refugee backgrounds and address some of the intricacies of working in diverse and challenging contexts.

Mirror, mirror : claiming digital places of the mundane mapping culture

This paper offers a discussion on the “mundane” or quotidian aspects of that software which might at first glance seem to be a fine example of the extraordinary. It looks at game worlds in terms of an ancient human desire to articulate place in the world and pursues a design concept which resonates with this practice in order to enable a more mundane exploitation of such spatial representations: the claiming of place.

Black ribbons (Autumn mix)

7' vinyl single and digital download

Developmental lessons from the Capricornia Arts Mob (CAM)

The Capricornia Arts Mob (CAM) is a collective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists, sculptors, photographers, carvers and writers based in the Rockhampton region of Central Queensland. This paper explores the early development of CAM, identifies some of the lessons its members have learned about working together, and considers its role as a regional artists’ collective. The authors identify that traditional Indigenous practices, such as yarning and the sharing of food, have helped to facilitate the emergence of CAM as a vibrant, challenging, eclectic artistic family. They recognise the cultural challenges faced by the collective – including finding a culturally appropriate place to meet and work, and the cross-cultural issues that can emerge within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. In just 18 months, CAM has held successful exhibitions and developed public artworks. It is a strong part of regional Queensland’s arts scene, which supports emerging artists and provides a space to celebrate and support Indigenous art.

Talk in activity during young children’s use of digital technologies at home

Internet-connected tablets and smart phones are being used increasingly by young children. Little is known, however, about their social interactions with family members when engaged with these technologies. This article examines video-recorded interactions between a father and his two young children, one aged 18 months using an iPhone and one aged three years accessing an iPad. Drawing on Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis, analysis establishes ways the family members engage and disengage in talk so as to manage their individual activity with mobile devices and accomplish interaction with each other. Findings are relevant for understanding children’s everyday practices with mobile technologies.

Embedded digital creatives

Digital creatives are spread widely across the economy, and growing rapidly in number. New industries such as mobile applications (apps) development are creating new occupations and services, and transforming some older ones. Digital creatives are driving innovation and economic growth in these industries and service sectors. Digital technologies and processes are becoming increasingly important in virtually all spheres of creative work, as they are across the economy. And yet there is no broad agreement either in Australia or worldwide about the constitution of the digital creative grouping, and only limited understanding of both the role of creatives in the digital economy and innovation, and of the issues and challenges they face. Who are they? Where are they working? Where are their numbers growing? The answers to these questions will help to inform the development of policy and the fostering of an environment that promotes digital content and creativity.

Embedded digital creative workers and creative services in banking

This chapter explores the roles and functions of both digital creative workers and creative services firms in an industry beyond the core creative industries: banking. The chapter focuses on the design and development of apps and mobile websites for smartphones and tablet computers, with examples drawn principally from the Australian banking sector. While it might be assumed that utility and practicality are more critical and more highly valued in apps development for financial services institutions than innovation and aesthetic design, this chapter illustrates the growing importance placed on creative work in this sector.

Directory of World Cinema : Australia and New Zealand 2

Building on and bringing up to date the material presented in the first installment of Directory of World Cinema : Australia and New Zealand, this volume continues the exploration of the cinema produced in Australia and New Zealand since the beginning of the twentieth century. Among the additions to this volume are in-depth treatments of the locations that feature prominently in the countries' cinema. Essays by leading critics and film scholars consider the significance in films of the outback and the beach, which is evoked as a liminal space in Long Weekend and a symbol of death in Heaven's Burning, among other films. Other contributions turn the spotlight on previously unexplored genres and key filmmakers, including Jane Campion, Rolf de Heer, Charles Chauvel, and Gillian Armstrong.

Introduction

This chapter discusses the various ways in which we can understand 'Australian film'. It is the introductory chapter to the Australian section of the second edition of the Directory of World Cinema: Australia and New Zealand.

Action and Adventure

This chapter discusses the history of action and adventure films in Australian cinema. It focuses on those films starring Australian actors who have gained international fame, and on those films featuring a female protagonist.

Luxury brand identity : the influence of mobile digital technology

This thesis examined the influence of mobile digital technology on the brand identity of luxury brands. Specifically it focused on the use of mobile applications by automobile, hotel and beauty brands and compared the perceptions of marketing managers with consumers on how mobile applications influenced luxury brand identity and image. Outcomes of this research included a model to depict the ongoing process between mobile-mediated luxury brand identity and image, and a typology of luxury brand mobile applications listing key features of mobile-mediated luxemosphere. Overall findings suggest that the influence of mobile applications on luxury brand identity has been negative, as their brand image appeared to be degraded, resulting in diminishing the brand identity.

Developing cultural responsiveness in environmental design students through digital storytelling and photovoice

As the Latino population in the United States grows, it will become increasingly important for undergraduate students in environmental design and related disciplines to become more culturally responsive and learn how to understand and address challenges faced by population groups, such as Latino youth. To this end, we involved environmental design undergraduate students at the University of Colorado in a service-learning class to mentor Latino youth in the creation of multimedia narratives using photovoice and digital storytelling techniques. The introduction of technology was used as a bridge between the two groups and to provide a platform for the Latino youth to reveal their community experiences. Based on focus group results, we describe the impact on the undergraduate students and provide recommendations for similar programs that can promote cultural responsiveness through the use of digital technology and prepare environmental design students to work successfully in increasingly diverse communities.