Researching Cultures in Sydney’s West Elaine Lally Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney

1 Greater Western Sydney 45% of Sydney’s population Nearly 10% of national population 14 local government areas 6 campuses of UWS

2 University of Western Sydney Third largest economy nationally Culturally diverse, more than 100 nationalities World Heritage Blue Mountains region, Olympic venues, sites of indigenous and colonial heritage Mission linked to the development of the region - - a ‘university of the people’

3 Centre for Cultural Research Flagship university research centre within the College of Arts aims to address the cultural challenges and contradictions of a 21st century world that is increasingly globalised, diverse and technologically mediated. Key to research mission is collaboration -- with (not on) communities and organisations, generating new knowledge in context, focussing on problem-solving. Intersection of Cultural Studies with Anthropology, Geography, History, Sociology

4 Profile over 50 research projects during the last three years many funded by highly competitive grants from the Australian Research Council Research training through conventional thesis- based Masters and Doctorates, plus professional Doctor of Cultural Research and Doctor of Creative Arts degrees Regularly hosts visiting international scholars for seminars and conferences as well as longer visits

5 Framing contexts culture as a vital dimension of social, political and economic life in: –communities - intercultural and intercommunal relations, global movements, transnational experiences, and diasporic identities –environments - natural and human worlds, politics of sustainability, new technologies –media - contemporary communications and forms of representation, new modes of mediated citizenship –institutions - governance, policy and practice, esp. in cultural and creative organisations, cultural labour & economy –cities - local-global relations in urban environments, cultural planning and development, social & political dynamics of everyday life.

6 Current and recent projects Hot Science, Global Citizens: The agency of the museum sector in climate change debates City After Dark: Governance & lived experience of urban night-time culture Struggling for Possession: Control and use of online media sport Digital Storytelling: Urban narratives of migration and sustainability of community media in western Sydney Universal Design and Cultural Context: Accessibility, diversity and recreational space in Penrith Cross-cultural 'larrikins' in a Neo-liberal world: ideology and myth in postmodern Australia, Mexico and Brazil Culture Circuits: Exploring the international networks and institutions shaping contemporary cultural policy Cultural Research for the 21st Century: Building cultural intelligence for a complex world Complexity in the interface between telecommunications service providers and consumers

7 People Five professors: –David Rowe (Director) –Ien Ang (Distinguished Professor, Founding Director) –Kay Anderson –Bob Hodge –Meaghan Morris (half-yearly) –From 2010, Tony Bennett

8 School-based researchers School of Humanities and Languages –Brett Neilson, Greg Noble, George Morgan, James Arvanitakis, Judith Snodgrass, Adrian Carton School of Communication Arts –Juan Salazar, Hart Cohen, Kaye Shumack, Virginia Nightingale School of Education –Megan Watkins School of Social Sciences –Deborah Stevenson, Robyn Bushell, Russell Staiff, Stephen Tomsen

9 Research fellows, project staff, others Research fellows –Elaine Lally (SRF & Assistant Director), Fiona Cameron, Fiona Allon (APDI), Cristina Rocha (APD), Cameron McAuliffe, Greg Young Project based staff –casual and contract appointments, approx (?) Adjunct fellows –Helen Armstrong, Ned Rossiter, Zoë Sofoulis, Andre Frankovits Administrative team –Maree O’Neill, Tulika Dubey, Wayne Peake, Christy Nguy, Victor Rahman

10 Elaine Lally With UWS since 1997 Assistant Director of CCR since 2001 Background in IT, Anthropology, Cultural Studies PhD on computers in the home (At Home with Computers, Berg 2002) Current research across cultural aspects of IT, cultural policy and administration

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14 Collaborative approach Not a centralised repository An infrastructure to ‘plug in to’ Not just one point of view -- ‘official’ and ‘alternative’ perspectives Story-telling as a local policy and cultural development tool Attribution of origin always clear Development of partnerships -- ICE, WSROC, local councils, other community-based organisations

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17 Art of Engagement -- arts-business collaboration Partnership between MCA, Casula Powerhouse, Penrith Regional Gallery Customised arts activities through cultural brokerage (Jock McQueenie) Three commercial partners -- Panthers, SITA, Hammond Care Nine artists -- international, national, regional 3Cs -- culture, community, commerce

18 Our research project Ethnography of the C3 West initiative Focussing on: –Collaboration –Multi-disciplinarity and brokerage –Inter-institutional negotiations and temporalities –Contemporary visual artists and innovation –Networks and assemblages

Thank you