Transformative technologies are predicated on cross-platform connectivity. They suddenly and often unexpectedly connect social, economic, scientific, technological and cultural domains in new ways.

Understanding and anticipating the human impacts of 4.0 technologies calls for agile, multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary responses from the humanities, arts and social sciences.

Our research structure comprises three key areas of investigation that provide critical methodologies for addressing the challenges of transformative media technologies. While expressing overarching themes, they are in dialogue with each other as they examine themes and develop projects that emerge across them.

Creative Arts 4.0 is led by Professor Kim Vincs

Creative Arts 4.0 is a creative test-bed for examining human interactions with new media technologies, and the capacity to vary the parameters and functionality of these technologies beyond their current real-world forms.



Principles such as digital twinning, cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things are used to innovate in creative media arts.

Key research areas

Adopted from the term Industry 4.0, Creative Arts 4.0 refers to the transformation of creative arts through and by 4.0 technologies. It also refers to the ability of practice-based creative and artistic research to drive technology innovation and applications in other fields such as health, education and manufacturing.

Key research areas include immersive media such as AR and VR; cyber-physical systems; production innovation in film, television, animation and journalism and visualisation in industry.

Research

Immersive media research is developing new forms of movement-based physical interaction in AR and VR systems to enhance virtual simulation experiences. Our investigations into cyber-physical systems uses art-based projects to explore physical agency using robotics, and the potential for extending AR environments with the use of artificially intelligent robots. Transformative media has the potential to disrupt and enhance production innovation techniques. We investigate the creative impact of integrating new technological approaches into film, television and animation production. Visualisation in industry is developing technological innovation and new use cases for emerging media technologies such as AR, VR, mixed reality, digital/deep mapping, AI, and visual effects software. Our research makes a critical contribution to the evolution of creative practice in the arts. Creative practice research traditionally focuses on innovation within artform, our approach is to use our capacity for fast prototyping, novel solutions and creative thinking to address complex issues in media technology development. Solutions can then be applied within and beyond the arts.

Techmedia Culture is led by Angela Ndalianis

Techmedia Culture examines the cultural, theoretical, aesthetic and ethical issues posed by emerging and changing media technologies through traditional research methods such as publications and conferences along with the galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) sector public engagement, including exhibitions and public events and the creation of new digital modes of delivery and experience and industry consultations and partnerships.

Key research areas

Key research areas are – The digital era and the changing landscape of entertainment technologies; media archeology and histories; immersive experiences and virtual heritage in the GLAM sector; theorisation and cultural understanding of technological mediation; social networking and digital ethnography.

Research

The critical, cultural, historical and social analyses of emerging creative media technologies is central to the work we do. Our research develops what anthropologist Clifford Geertz called “thick description”. Our aim is to not only create media technologies and produce creative outcomes, but to understand the cultural contexts of transformative media technologies, and to investigate how technological innovation is producing cultural and conceptual paradigm shifts. Social science research methods will place our research insights within the wider context of specific industries, communities and policy frameworks.

Our investigations provide signifificant opportunity to produce innovative traditional research outcomes, while also adapting the findings of those outcomes to knowledge translation that reaches the public realm. Through collaborations with industry partners such as ACMI and Village Entertainment, research expertise is extended and applied to entertainment and museum contexts in order to create innovative exhibition content, interactive experiences and audience engagement aligned with the 21st Century.

Film, television, gaming, entertainment, news, visual effffects and technology companies, institutions in the GLAM sector and a range of workplace and community groups benefit from our research.

Digital Cultural Heritage is led by Melanie Swalwell

Digital Cultural Heritage positions the Centre as a leader in digital cultural heritage and preservation. Partnering with institutions in the GLAM sector, communities and local councils, our team is finding innovative and creative solutions to preserve works of heritage significance.

This is ensuring access to computer-based materials and analogue media that have enduring cultural value, for future generations.

Key research areas

Research draws upon the fan and citizen as collector and preserver of digital heritage objects and content. Communities have taken the lead in ensuring the preservation of ‘born digital’ culture, often establishing collections and methods of preservation, including playability in a contemporary context of digital cultural artefacts. Researchers are collaborating with public institutions and collections across Australia to affect the digital conversion and preservation of important media arts, film and video collections that are of major cultural significance.

Research

Our research investigates the preservation of computer games, media art, performances and digital film and is creating systems that can update technology and make media accessible on current delivery systems. We are working to preserve analogue media such as film, video and music by converting into a digital form. The team are improving nationwide coordination of digitisation and preservation of digital cultural heritage, including policy writing and advisory services to government and public institutions. We identify and acknowledge the important role performed by everyday users and fans in building and preserving online collections of digital content, and in developing tools for emulation and preservation.

The Centre provides a unique opportunity to create a new level of capacity and reach to innovation in the GLAM sector to address cultural heritage issues through digital cultural heritage solutions.
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