Eminent contemporary artist and Griffith University alumna Davida Allen delighted the audience at a special screening of her acclaimed 1999 film Feeling Sexy at Griffith Film School.
Held to coincide with Griffith University Art Museum’s current exhibition Davida Allen: In the Moment, the night included a Q&A with Allen and the film’s producer Glenys Rowe where the two shared anecdotes about their careers and the film’s production.
Allen, who wrote and directed the film, spoke about what attracted her to adapting her art practice to encompass the cinematic, as well as her short novel Close to the Bone : The Autobiography of Vicki Myers, on which the film is loosely based.
“I’d been directing my children and husband for years” she said. “The book was published to a specialised audience, but I wanted to bring the story to the ordinary person. It was greed for an audience really.”
Rowe, a former General Manager of SBS Independent,
Category: Griffith University Feed
Helping young women in distress with cancer
Helping young women live well after a cancer diagnosis is the aim of a new program being developed by members of the Women’s Wellness Research Group at Griffith University.
Led by Professor Debra Anderson from Griffith’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland, the 12-week nurse-led intervention provides a structured eHealth lifestyle program designed to support women aged 20-40 years with cancer, and minimize lifestyle-related health risks.
“Younger women with breast, blood and gynaecological cancer need targeted and tailored health promotion programs as they can experience some unique health concerns after cancer treatment,” says Professor Anderson, who speaks this week in the lead up to International Nurses Day (Saturday 12 May).
“Younger women with cancer can experience some specific concerns associated with these types of cancer. Depending on the age group, these may include fertility concerns, treatment-induced menopausal symptoms, weight gain, body image issues and concerns about sexuality and intimacy.
“We
Griffith launches free online course to open up disability discussion
‘Realising Career Potential: Rethinking Disability’ is a free MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) now open for enrolment that enables learners to see how rehabilitation counsellors help people with disadvantage or disability realise their vocational potential.
Griffith University’s Rehabilitation Counselling and Case Management experts, Dr Vanette McLennan and Dr Christine Randall lead the global discussion on the benefits of enabling people with disadvantage or disability to participate fully in society.
“Unfortunately there are many misconceptions regarding what disability actually is and what the barriers are for people with disability in the workplace and in the community. Discrimination and stigmatisation are still huge barriers for people and through this course, we want to challenge the myths and assumptions that exist.
“People don’t realise how much workplaces and communities benefit when everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in our society. Too often, misconceptions about disability get in the way. Workplace attitudes, flexibility and technologies can make a real
Griffith musical theatre grad wins lead role in Aladdin
Queensland Conservatorium musical theatre graduate Shubshri Kandiah has had all of her wishes granted after winning the lead role of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s smash hit musical Aladdin.
The role will mark Shubshri’s professional musical theatre debut. The 22-year-old graduated from the Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the end of last year, and is now the star of the country’s biggest show.
She will play Princess Jasmine for the final weeks of the Brisbane run at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), before wowing audiences in her hometown, Perth.
“I found out through my agent who flew to Brisbane and caught up with me over coffee. I was pouring honey into my chai when my agent broke the news and the honey just went all over the table!
“I was excited but a part of me didn’t really believe it. There are still times when I feel like its not real and I’ve now
Albatross project among those to fly high at climate change adaptation awards
The woman behind an albatross conservation project was just one of the winners at this year’s National Climate Change Adaptation Conference held at the Crown Promenade in Melbourne.
Dr Rachael Alderman from Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment was crowned a Climate Adaptation Champion by Griffith University’s National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) at the biennial awards ceremony on May 9.
Dr Rachael Alderman from Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment was crowned the Individual winner. Credit: Renee Chapman Photography
The award recognised Dr Alderman’s vital work to increase shy albatross numbers using innovative methods to help counteract the in effects of climate change, including artificial nests and disease treatments.
“We still have a lot to learn about how climate change will affect the shy albatross into the future but we know enough to know that it is a problem, so this work aims to develop tried
QCA student wins national art prize
Queensland College of Art doctoral candidate Robert Andrew has won the $40,000 Alice Prize, which recognises the country’s best contemporary art.
The biennial acquisitive prize is open to artists from across the country, attracting hundreds of entries.
Robert took out top honours with his work ‘Whitewash over the burn’, a striking textural piece that features burnt timber boards, aluminium, ochre and chalk.
Robert said he couldn’t believe his luck when a call came through from this year’s judge, Brian Ritchie – MONA FOMA curator and Violent Femmes bassist.
“It was a major surprise – I was absolutely speechless,” he said.
“The money will give me the opportunity to keep making art, and winning a prize like this also helps get your work out there and seen by the right people.”
Photo credit: Carl Warner
Robert’s prize-winning work was a tribute to his great-grandmother, a Yawuru woman from the Kimberley region whose struggles to gain citizenship in the early
Griffith grad Dami Im returns to her roots
Dami Im has returned to her roots with a new album of jazz standards – the music she first discovered during her studies at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.
Fresh off the back of a triumphant performance at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, the multi-platinum artist is now in the middle of a national tour.
“I see this album as a bridge from my past to my future,” she said.
“I wanted to explore the kind of music I used to do before the The X Factor and Eurovision.
“I feel like its time to show more of myself as an artist.
“In fact, I first learnt to sing many of these songs while I was studying at the Con.
“For me, this is where my whole journey as a singer began.”
The Masters of Music Studies graduate shot to stardom after winning The X Factor in 2013 and represented Australia in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.
Dami said the global
Griffith filmmakers selected for short film competition
Alumni and faculty from Griffith Film School have received funding to pursue their dream projects as part of a Screen Queensland short film competition.
Screen Queensland’s SQ Shorts Program has funded the production of 12 short films to allow emerging filmmakers to develop standout stories for the screen.
SQ Shorts is supporting a range of films that include three ‘edgy’ genre shorts; three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander films; three short horror films and three comedy pilots.
Nine GFS graduates have had their work selected – beating out hundreds of entries from around the state.
As part of the Screen Queensland program, the filmmakers will develop and produce 8-10 minute genre films, each with a budget of up to $40,000.
The completed films will premiere at a number of popular international film festivals and events around the world, including Screamfest, the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States.
Griffith grads sweep competition
Head of Griffith
Griffith singer-songwriter pens UK Eurovision entry
A talented young singer-songwriter who studied at the Queensland Conservatorium may be on track to Eurovision glory this week.
While Jessica Mauboy is flying the flag for Australia at this year’s contest, former Young Conservatorium student Nicole Blair has penned the UK’s national entry.
Her piano ballad, Storm, will be performed by English singer SuRie at Sunday’s Eurovision finals.
The contest reaches an estimated 200 million television viewers worldwide, and Nicole is heading over to Lisbon, Portugal for the finals.
She admits her loyalties may be divided if Australia makes it into the finals.
“To keep things fair, you can’t vote for your own country, so because I’m UK-based, I won’t be able to vote for SuRie!
“I do love Jessica Mauboy’s song, so maybe Australia will get my vote.
“But at the end of the day, I see Eurovision as a competition to celebrate songwriting. Everyone is so encouraging of each other, whether they are writing for their own
Party like it’s 1999: Why Budget 2018 feels like a throwback
By Dr Andreas Chai, Director, Economic Policy & Analysis Program, Griffith Business School
1999 was a great year to be alive in Australia. Apart from Prince hitting the airwaves again, Powderfinger were still playing and topped the Hottest 100, the first Matrix movie was released, and you could still get a flat white for under three dollars. In terms of the Federal Budget, 1999 marked the start of a remarkable period in which the Federal Budget accumulated approximately $90 billion dollars between 1999-2008.
2018 is starting to look a lot like 1999, at least in terms of international commodity prices. While global growth remains sluggish and domestic business investment is stuck in a low gear, the underlying cash balance of the Federal Government is projected to reach surplus in the coming quarters thanks to the strong performance in commodity prices, such as an iron ore.
Rising iron ore prices drive up earnings in