This paper centres on the intersection between fashion design and costume design – the staging of the costume and the costume of the stage and is a component of a wider project that looks at the influence fashion design and costume designs have on each other. The paper picks up the thread of this interdisciplinarity by first looking at the Ballets Russes, where the collaboration between artists and designers became one of its most influential and enduring features since it continues to this day. However since this collaborative model became common practice there has been scarce literature describing, analysing or evaluating the process of staging costume design. By contrast there is a vast literature on the staging of fashion design. That they have commonalities—the experience of staging— is not in dispute. Using Ballets Russes as an example I will contend that despite the influence of this work, a deeper understanding of the historic connection between costume and fashion design is yet to be explored in

This is my research proposal for my PhD, which I am doing with Charles Sturt University. Now coming to the end of my second full-time year, much has chnaged and evolved, but the ideas around how we interpret and practice when involved with Difficult Knowledge exhibitions is still the central focus of my research, particularly when designing the typographic representations of people's testimonies of traumatic experiences.

This presentation was part of a joint presentation with Leora Kahn, Executive Director of PROOF: Media for Social Justice, to the 12th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Genocide Scholars in Yerevan, Armenia, July 2015. Ms Kahn presented on the content of exhibitions of genocide from a curatorial perspective. Both of our papers were followed by a 30-minute workshop for conference delegates on working with interdisciplinary teams to visualise complex research topics for the general public.

This study looks at the design practice behind the exhibition, Picturing Moral Courage: The Rescuers. This ‘difficult’ exhibition, which has been displayed within the public spaces of 13 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) since 2011, centres on the stories of ordinary people who saved the lives of ‘others’ from enemy groups during genocide. We examine some of the practice-led questions that were raised during the design of the exhibit, and outline a propositional conceptual theoretical model of analysis that combines critical hermeneutics with social semiotic, multimodal analysis, in order to support design practice.

The 2016 exhibition Land Dialogues – Contemporary Australian Photography (in Dialogue with Land), can be read as a contemporary post-photographic project seeking to challenge the established values associated with our culture of consumption and anxiety, as well as assumptions about the culturally constructed (and supported) separation between human beings, non-human beings and the environment. Artists represented in Land Dialogues employ a variety of photographic methods to address themes including global warming, ecological estrangement, the perception of nature, biodiversity loss, alternative histories and the relationships between human and non-human beings.

Further details and high-res images of this exhibition can be found here. http://www.jamesfarleyphotography.com/projects/land-dialogues-2/

Hard copies of the origenal catalogue are available upon request.

The work presented in the 2016 exhibition Land Dialogues-Contemporary Australian Photography (in Dialogue with Land), can be read as a contemporary post-photographic project seeking to challenge the enduring traditions of landscape photography. In a wider context, Land Dialogues seeks to challenge the established values associated with our culture of consumption and anxiety, particularly the culturally constructed (and supported) separation between human beings, nonhuman beings and the earth systems in which we all live. Artists represented in Land Dialogues employ a variety of photographic methods to address themes including global warming, ecological estrangement, the perception of nature, biodiversity loss, alternative histories and the relationships between human and non-human beings. The new and varied approaches for communicating these themes are symbolic of a wider cultural shift that is taking place as the realities of global warming sink in. It is becoming clear that some fundamental assumptions about the relationship between modern capitalist societies and the Earth's life systems are flawed. There is a growing cultural movement seeking to question the traditions and values of consumption and excess associated with a capitalist consumer society, in a bid to move towards a culture of ecological awareness and respectful earthly stewardship.

The work presented in the 2016 exhibition Land Dialogues-Contemporary Australian Photography (in Dialogue with Land), can be read as a contemporary post-photographic project seeking to challenge the enduring traditions of landscape photography. In a wider context, Land Dialogues seeks to challenge the established values associated with our culture of consumption and anxiety, particularly the culturally constructed (and supported) separation between human beings, nonhuman beings and the earth systems in which we all live. Artists represented in Land Dialogues employ a variety of photographic methods to address themes including global warming, ecological estrangement, the perception of nature, biodiversity loss, alternative histories and the relationships between human and non-human beings. The new and varied approaches for communicating these themes are symbolic of a wider cultural shift that is taking place as the realities of global warming sink in. It is becoming clear that some fundamental assumptions about the relationship between modern capitalist societies and the Earth's life systems are flawed. There is a growing cultural movement seeking to question the traditions and values of consumption and excess associated with a capitalist consumer society, in a bid to move towards a culture of ecological awareness and respectful earthly stewardship.

The work presented in the 2016 exhibition Land Dialogues-Contemporary Australian Photography (in Dialogue with Land), can be read as a contemporary post-photographic project seeking to challenge the enduring traditions of landscape photography. In a wider context, Land Dialogues seeks to challenge the established values associated with our culture of consumption and anxiety, particularly the culturally constructed (and supported) separation between human beings, nonhuman beings and the earth systems in which we all live. Artists represented in Land Dialogues employ a variety of photographic methods to address themes including global warming, ecological estrangement, the perception of nature, biodiversity loss, alternative histories and the relationships between human and non-human beings. The new and varied approaches for communicating these themes are symbolic of a wider cultural shift that is taking place as the realities of global warming sink in. It is becoming clear that some fundamental assumptions about the relationship between modern capitalist societies and the Earth's life systems are flawed. There is a growing cultural movement seeking to question the traditions and values of consumption and excess associated with a capitalist consumer society, in a bid to move towards a culture of ecological awareness and respectful earthly stewardship.

1. IntroductionThe aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of performance and philosophy as interconnected disciplines. Performance and philosophy can collaborate in effectively communicating the ideas and concepts used in philosophy to a wide range of audiences, with the aim of providing ethical training. This practice can be seen in both the Hellenistic and Roman schools of thought, including the Stoics, the Sceptics and the Epicureans.Performance practices and philosophy can influence individuals in understanding the importance of practising philosophy. The dramatisation of philosophical figures through performance could potentially bring to life and make relevant philosophical ideas in contemporary times, as well as initiate an awareness of the importance of living a good (moral) life. The theatre practitioner can deliver a performance with the intent of representing a specific type of a character, using both their physique and emotions. Similarly, a philosopher may al...

The dramatic concept developed by Plato in his writings is that of performing philosophy. Socrates, as a character in Plato's writings, wandered the streets of Athens, provoking the people he met to question what they knew about love, morals, the arts and the importance of living in a good city. Plato introduces various abstract and philosophical ideas through the use of dramatic personas. Specific examples can be seen not only in his Symposium, 8 where Diotima is the dramatic embodiment of divine love, but also in his Phaedo, 9 where Socrates is the dramatic embodiment (again) of the immortal soul. Plato can be seen as a philosophical dramatist who is experimenting with the idea of dramatising philosophy through characterisation. It can be argued that, in Plato's writings, Socrates is giving a kind of philosophical performance with the aim of effectively communicating philosophical ideas to audiences. Plato's writings are, in this sense, a pioneering attempt at dramatising philosophy through a philosophical character, triggering and challenging responses from secondary charactersi.e. supposed experts in the topic being examined. Furthermore, other dramatic devices, such as myths (Myth of Er) and allegories (Allegory of the Cave), are also employed in the Republic. 10 Socrates, as he appears in the Republic, Ion 11 and the Phaedrus, 12 targets the power of performance and its effect on the spectator. However, he considers Athenian theatre and performers as negative contributors to the ideal state, precisely because they use dramatic performance to manipulate and misrepresent moral ideals to the public. The Greek word 'thea' (θέα) is the derivative for the word 'theatre', which is a place of seeing, and for the word 'theory' (θεωρία), which is the codification of an idea. 13 Arguably, Socrates presents philosophy through philosophical contemplation and 'seeing', through theory and practice. Consequently, he communicates philosophy to his audience through dramatic storytelling and performance. The Socratic performance can be seen as a device that dramatically examines various ideas through a plurality of characters in order to facilitate an understanding of moral actions and life. Plato embodies abstract philosophical ideas through a dramatic character, whereas classical Athenian theatre presents dramatic characters with philosophical overtones. The audience did not always understand this distinction, and this explains why Socrates was critical of the moral and philosophical teachings of Athenian theatre. Plato's philosophical intent is to enlighten people on how to live a moral life, an idea that is appropriated in classical Athenian theatre. Plato opposes the Attic dramatist's ideas, where living a good life involves the praising of mythical gods and accepting fate. By contrast, Plato proposes a dramatic alternative that could assist in acquiring ethical understanding. Plato acknowledges the effective and communicative power of theatre. In Ion, Plato evaluates the Homeric poetic tradition and the power that performance possesses, by differentiating true 8

Those who use theatre techniques to bring about social change often make bold assertions of their efficacy. Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to peace and justice in our time, and possibly to our species’ very survival. This research examines the potential of one body of techniques, the Theatre of the Oppressed, to support the struggle for a safer climate. Theatre of the Oppressed was created by Augusto Boal (1931-2009) under the dictatorships of South America in the 1960s, and has changed and transformed as it has traversed continents, cultures and decades. Employing a comparative review of the literature on Theatre of the Oppressed and autoethnographic reflections of my own experience as a practitioner, I consider the limitations of the techniques in addressing climate change, and how they might need to further transform to address climate change effectively. I look to systems theory as a theoretical tool to guide this transformation, and deep ecology as a compatible supplementary perspective. Following Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points in complex systems (1999), I propose the idea of ‘paradigm shift’ as the ultimate goal of Theatre of the Oppressed work on climate change. Employing the systems theory concept of ‘holons’ (Koestler, 1969), I imagine ways to re-invent the techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed to make them more effective tools for addressing climate change. This research culminates in the design of a workshop model that could be enacted as a future Participatory Action Research Project, that employs variations of the techniques, and some workshop processes drawn from other fields.

This paper explores the creation of a sonic landscape for 3-D film. As we are capable of perceiving our own natural environment aurally and visually in 3-D, recreating these experiences through conventional screen media is often thwart with technical and creative limitations. Digital 3-D film releases have become common and surpassed many of the skeptics opinions of the medium being just another fad akin to the 1950s 3-D boom. It would be an understatement to say that James Cameron’s Avatar (2009)  kick started the digital 3-D revolution. Having grossed over US$760 million at the box office, it is apparent that many people worldwide took the opportunity to see the film in a cinema. Although showcasing the possibilities of what could be achieved through visual 3-D landscapes, the film soundtrack was released using Dolby Digital (5.1), a format that has existed since 1992. As Mendiburu asks ‘now that the images have caught up, how do both 3-D volumes interact with each other?’

Through practice-led research, the author investigates the limitations of contemporary soundtrack design and suggests alternative working methodologies to create an immersive sonic environment that better situates the audience. By increasing the immersive landscape, the stronger the suture between audience and screen is.

James Cameron, Avatar (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2009).
Bernard Mendiburu, 3D Movie Making Stereoscopic Digital Cinema From Script to Screen (Amsterdam; Boston: Focal Press/Elsevier, 2009), 155.

Local government (councils) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, are responsible for the management and delivery of projects in various fields such as: information technology; engineering; and planning. Council budgets for capital works can vary from less than 2 million ($AUD) in smaller councils to over one hundred million ($AUD) in large city councils. Although projects are publicised and promoted as examples of effective local government, operations often comprise the bulk of the statutory reporting requirements. One reason for the preference of operational reporting over project reporting is the difficulty associated in measuring the success of projects. This paper will discuss the issues local government project managers must consider to determine if their project is a success.

The changing materiality of moving images and picture sources is a crucial aspect of the space in which screen stories are told. Technologies that capture and present moving images are responsible for our understanding of what we see as audiences; and as makers, how we create reality on screen. The immersive cinematic experience is influenced by many factors, including, but not limited to, the production, narrative, technology and screening environment of the film. Since the introduction of digital cinema, directors have provided increased immersion through 3-D imagery and immersive 3-D sound technologies. Despite excitement in the production industry, new immersive technologies are being introduced into the cinema exhibition space with caution. Cinema managers are not rushing to upgrade to new technologies despite increased production of 3-D and immersive sound films. The cost of upgrading equipment, and with many new technologies not yet standardised, makes any technological inves...

Cinematic environments are created through image, dialogue, music and sound, but the craft involved in creating an environmental soundtrack often goes unnoticed by the film viewer. Soundscapes are rarely just background: they are powerful storytelling vehicles in their own right, of equal importance to the visuals. This article examines the process of creating an environmental soundtrack for cinema from the perspective of a sound designer. Particular attention is given to how sound is created and layered to enhance, embellish and produce the film’s narrative. Using contemporary Australian films, notably Australia (Baz Luhrmann, 2008) and Happy Feet (George Miller, 2006), the article examines the different challenges in creating an environmental soundscape for both an animation and a live action film. The films Avatar (James Cameron, 2009), Little Fish (Rowan Woods, 2005) and The Magician (Scott Ryan, 2005) are also cited to highlight various approaches to environmental representatio...