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  • Dr Renée Newman at ECU's Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

    Dr Renée Newman

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Dr Renée Newman

Associate Dean (Research)

Staff Member Details
Email: r.newman@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-8419

Renée is the current Associate Dean (Research) at WAAPA and Course Coordinator of the Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours.

Current teaching

  • BPA4001 - Performing Arts Research
  • BPA4002 - Creative Practice 1
  • BPA4003 - Research Project
  • BPA4004 - Creative Practice 2

Background

Renée Newman is an educator and performance maker. Her performance interests/credits include co-authorship writing techniques; site specific performance and audio (walking) performance; contemporary performance; and dramaturgy. In her art and scholarship Newman is interested intersections in art and ‘care’ – for self, society, ecology and beyond. She is a senior lecturer at WAAPA at ECU, Course Coordinator of the Bachelor of Performing Arts Honours and current Associate Dean (Research) WAAPA and published for Educational Philosophy Theory; Sustainability; Theatre, dance and performance training journal; Platform; and Performance Research as well as Routledge.

Professional associations

  • Blue Room Theatre (Member)
  • Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance - MEAA (Member)
  • National Tertiary Education Union - NTEU (Member)

Awards and recognition

National and International awards

  • 2024 - Nominee for Best Performance; Best New Work; Best Contemporary or Experimental Performance; Best Mainstage Production at Performing Arts of Western Australia (PAWA) Awards for 'Catastrophes'
  • 2014 - Best Production The Blue Room Theatre for 'Those who fall in love like anchors dropped upon the ocean floor'
  • 2015 - Best Independent Production Performing Arts of Western Australia (PAWA) Awards for 'Those who fall in love like anchors dropped upon the ocean floor'
  • 2018 - Nominee Best Sound Design - Ben Collins Performing Arts of Western Australia (PAWA) Awards for 'Seeking basic needs and other tales of excess'
  • 2006 - Nominee/Shortlisted Fulbright Postgraduate Award in Visual and Performing Arts

University and National Teaching awards

  • 2016 - Nominee ECU Supervisor Award

Research areas and interests

  • Arts and social enquiry
  • Social justice, environmental and political arts
  • Performance praxis/research
  • Practice-led research
  • Arts and ethics
  • Site Specific Performance
  • Sustainability

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy - English and Comparative Literature, Murdoch University, 2011.
  • Bachelor of Arts in English with Honours, Murdoch University, 2001.
  • Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama Studies, Murdoch University, 2000.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • Newman, R., Taylor, A., Cowling, L., Garbenis, J., Heath, T., Kingsland, F., McKenzie, V., Neideck, J., Reddrop, R., Stewart, S. (2024). Green utopias: a possible green ground for performing arts training. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 15(3), 397-414. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2024.2397258.

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Newman, R., Hetherington, E., Haslam, M., Collins, B. (2024). Catastrophes. [Live Performance]. Renee Newman and Ella Hetherington with PICA.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Chester, S., Newman, R. (2023). The Brink: Receptive Generosity and Kindness in the Development of a Choreographic Pedagogy of Consent for Actor Training. Australasian Drama Studies, 2023(83), 191–221.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Mouritz, M., Newman, P., Newman, R., Bryant, J., Smith, A., Olsen, E. (2022). Leadership in Sustainability: Collective Wisdom, Conversations, Creativity, Contemplation and Courage, the Five Pillars of a Master’s Teaching Unit. Sustainability, 14(9), article number 5070. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095070.

Reports

  • Rusak, H., Goh, T., Barbe, F., Newman, R., Blevins, P. (2022). Breathing Through the pandemic: Performing arts challenges and responses to the mental health implications of COVID-19. Australia. Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks2022-2026/1646.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Stewart, S., Newman, R. (2021). From the sandy beaches of Crab Creek to the Tarkett of WAAPA: a case study of intrinsic praxis in teaching methods of movement. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 12(3), 336-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2021.1973549.
  • Newman, R. (2021). Escape Velocity Walks the City: Kindness and intimacy in public space in the transgender and gender diverse teen experience. Performance Paradigm, 16(2021), 227-234. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks2022-2026/2043.

2019

Book Chapters

  • Newman, R. (2019). Evidencing slow making in one-to-one performance at Proximity Festival. The Routledge Companion to Theatre and Politics (345-348). Routledge. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/8214.
  • Newman, R., Adams, L. (2019). The question(s), the material(s) and the ethics of creative practice research methodologies. The Meeting of Aesthetics and Ethics in the Academy: Challenges for Creative Practice Researchers in Higher Education (110-120). Routledge. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/7562.

Journal Articles

2018

Journal Articles

  • Barbe, F., Newman, R. (2018). Spectator as traveller and performer as guide: a conversation on the pedagogy of site-specific, participatory and immersive performance. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 9(2), 274-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2018.1475160.

Creative Arts Research Outputs

2017

Conference Publications

  • Adams, L., Newman, R. (2017). Capturing creative research in the academy. Research and Development in Higher Education: Curriculum Transformation (1 - 11). Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

2016

Conference Publications

  • Adams, L., Newman, R. (2016). Collisions, Co-opting and Collaboration: Reflections on the workings of an interdisciplinary collaborative project—in Conversation. ACUADS conference 2015: art and design education in the global 24/7 (13p.). Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools.

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Newman, R., Sinclair, I. (2016). Sleeping Beauty. Renée Newman and Ian Sinclair.
  • Kruckmeyer, F., Newman, R., Morris, J., Mitchell, A., Mortley, B., Donnelly, C., Collins, B., Mehta, I. (2016). Those who fall in love like anchors dropped upon the ocean floor. Renée Newman and Jo Morris.

2015

Journal Articles

  • Adams, L., Kueh, C., Newman, R., Ryan, J. (2015). This is Not an Article: a reflection on Creative Research Dialogues (This is Not a Seminar). Educational Philosophy and Theory, 47(12), 1330-1347. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2015.1035630.

Conference Publications

  • Adams, L., Kueh, C., Newman, R., Ferguson, N. (2015). Capturing Creative Practice. Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools Conference 2014: The Future of the Discipline (9p). ACUADS.
  • Adams, L., Newman, R., Ferguson, N., Kueh, C. (2015). Messy never-endings: Curating inConversation as interdisciplinary collaborative dialogue. ACUADS Conference 2014: The Future of the Discipline (9p). ACUADS.

2014

Journal Articles

  • Newman, R. (2014). Leadership in Sustainability: Creating an Interface between Creativity and Leadership Theory in Dealing with “Wicked Problems”. Sustainability, 6(9), 5955-5967. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6095955.

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Adams, L., Newman, R., Kueh, C. (2014). inConversation catalogue. Spectrum Project Space.
  • Adams, L., Newman, R., Kueh, C. (2014). Curating the conversation: messy never endings. inConversation. Edith Cowan University.
  • Adams, L., Newman, R., Kueh, C. (2014). inbetween. Spectrum Project Space.
  • Newman, R., Castiglione, A., Garvey, H., King, G., Fowler, JJ. (2014). Second Hands. Little y Theatre Company.
  • Adams, L., Newman, R., Kueh, C., Ferguson, N. (2014). inConversation. Spectrum Project Space.

2013

Journal Articles

  • Newman, R., Reynolds, R. (2013). Conversations over the Gap. Performance Research: a journal of the performing arts, 18(3), 47-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2013.818313.
  • Newman, R. (2013). The Performance of Biopower and Liveliness: The Life and Death of Terri Schiavo. Platform: postgraduate e-journal of theatre and performing arts, 7(1), 13.

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Newman, R., Storen, M. (2013). Public Space - Joondalup. theMOXYcollective.
  • Newman, R. (2013). The Turning. Arenamedia and Screen Australia.
  • Newman, R., Storen, M. (2013). Public Space - Northbridge. theMOXYcollective.

2011

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Newman, R. (2011). Virgie. 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival :Virgie. theMOXYcollective.
  • Newman, R. (2011). Virgie - Actress. theMOXYcollective.

Research Projects

  • Mental Health – Role of the creative arts, including digital storytelling and performances on community wellbeing, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Covid-19 Research Fund, 2020 ‑ 2023, $100,000.
  • Catastrophes: a development of a new contemporary performance work, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Arts U-15 K Grants Program, 2021, $14,980.
  • The Story Exchange: A community-based audio artwork on the subject of 'love and loss', Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Arts U-15 K Grants Program, 2019 ‑ 2020, $14,855.
  • Seeking Basic Needs and Other Tales of Excess, Department of Culture and the Arts, Dept of Culture and the Arts - Grant, 2017 ‑ 2019, $14,858.
  • External Grant Application Support - ARC Discovery, Edith Cowan University, WAAPA grant Scheme 2016, 2016 ‑ 2017, $3,000.
  • Transformative Articulations: Imaginative Engagements with Creative Researchers in the Academy, Edith Cowan University, ECU Early Career Researcher Grant - 2013, 2013 ‑ 2014, $15,000.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The practice of facilitating an intersection between practitioner and stakeholder interests in community singing for cultural development programs
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Deep map cruising: locative performance through aural cartography
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Who is caring: investigating the intersection of movement and spoken text in 'theatre of the real' to portray the lived experiences of informal carers

Completed Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Sites of justice: Face-to-face encounters through dance-making in meeting places
  • Doctor of Philosophy, I am here now. A play -and- Polyvocality, the unhomely and the methods of Mike Leigh in playwriting. an exegesis
  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Dialogue not diatribe: Methods for a practice of socio-humanitarian playwriting
  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Choreography as landscape: Landscape discourse framing choreographic practice
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The Jekyll's Hide Project. Devising Jekyll's Hide: A critical analysis of the performative elements and working methods of Jerry Lewis and the butoh dancers Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Night music (compositions, performance and improvisations) -and- developing a chromatic-intervallic approach to jazz improvisation through reflexive practice. An exegesis
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Actor training and emotions - finding a balance.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The reinvention of tradition: Transformation of Chinese water sleeve dance and tai ji in contemporary performer training and performance making
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Maloya dance and music: Reunionese Creole Togetherness
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Cheek to Cheek: Transforming a Compositional Practice Through Collaboration
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Voice in screenwriting: Discovering/uncovering national inflection
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Female to male gender transition in Perth and WA: An exploration through documentary film production
  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Investigations in learning and teaching through metacognition and critical and creative thinking practices in secondary drama education

Co-principal Supervisor

  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Voice of motion: Connecting voice, acting and movement in contemporary dance
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Playing to the Beat, A play -and- Devising -and- Devising and Collective Creation in Actor Training, an exegesis

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Cries from within: The struggles & triumphs of creating a Singaporean voice in musical theatre.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Noting the self: From embodying Buddhist Vipassana meditation to meditation-based performance.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Digital Enhancement of Senior Secondary Dance Assessment
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The poetics of gravity: Performance experiments from the natural environment to the stage.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, (Re)presenting masculinity: A theatre director's critical observations of, and theatrical experimentations with, (re)presentations of masculinity in selected works of contemporary Australian theatre
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Rasalila meets giselle: A journey from sensuality to spirituality
  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Exploring a Feminist reclamation of Medea through Percussion Theatre
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Enter the movement: Generating stimulus from scenography and proposing 'de-sign' as a tool for choreographic invention
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Late capitalism and the American doctrine: Photographing American tragedy
  • Master of Arts (Performing Arts), Claiming Shakespeare for our own: An investigation into directing Shakespeare in Australia in the 21st century.
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