Staff Details

Name:	Dr Angela O'Brien
	PhD (Monash), MA (Lancaster UK), LittB (UNE), BA DipEd (Qld), LLB (Hons) (Monash), GradDipEdAdmin (Hawthorn, Melbourne) LSDA, FTCL, Barrister & Solicitor, Victoria, MIAMA.
Position:	Associate Professor - Creative Arts (retired)
Area:	Theatre Studies
Phone:	+61 3 83448216
Fax:	+61 3 93448462
Room:	A205
Email:	aob@unimelb.edu.au

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Research Student Supervisions

Gabrielle Wolf	PHD	History/Theatre Studies	completed	View Summary
David Starrs	MCA	Theatre Studies	completed	- N/A -
Sean McMullen	PHD	Creative writing	current	View Summary
Ricci-Jane Adams	PHD	Theatre Studies	current	View Summary
Marie Couper	PHD	Dance - Theatre Studies / Arts Management	current	View Summary
Caitlin Dullard	HONS	Theatre Studies	completed	- N/A -
Russell Fewster	PHD	Theatre Studies	current	View Summary
David Kelman	PHD	Education/Theatre Studies	current	View Summary
Terri Louise McNeilage	PHD	Creative Writing	current	View Summary
Brenda Addie	MCA	Theatre Studies	current	- N/A -
Hilary Glow	PHD	Theatre Studies / Australian Studies	completed	- N/A -
James Henry (Jim) CHAMBLISS	PHD	Visual Media/Medicine	current	View Summary
Gerard Conrick	HONS	Theatre Studies	current	- N/A -
Gaynor Patricia Cuthbert	PHD	Visual Media (Art History)	current	- N/A -
Malcolm Craig Bywaters	PHD	Visual Media/Arts Management	current	View Summary
Jennifer Ann Gilmer	PHD	Theatre Studies	current	View Summary
Helen Gilfind	PHD	Creative Writing / Information Systems	current	- N/A -
Jordan Vincent	PHD	Theatre Studies	current	- N/A -

Staff Profile - Dr Angela O'Brien

Associate Professor Angela O'Brien is an Academic Associate of the School of Culture and Communication, Faculty of Arts. She recently retired from the University after more than 23 years of service. She continues to undertake research in her field and to supervise Research Higher Degree students. During her career at the University she undertook many leadership roles, most recently Discipline Chair of Creative Arts in the School of Culture and Communication and Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate Research. Prior to these roles she was was foundation Head of the School of Creative Arts from 2001 to 2004 at the University of Melbourne and Dean of the School of Studies in Creative Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts. She has taught widely in drama, writing and visual arts and been involved in the development of creative arts curriculum at secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels. Prior to joining the VCA, she spent thirteen years training creative arts teachers for the primary and secondary systems. She has also worked in the Vocational Education sector in Australia and England.

Professor O'Brien has significant experience in management, particularly change management. She has extensive governance and committee experience on educational and professional bodies. She has been a member of the Prahran College Council, The University of Melbourne Council, the Victorian College of the Arts Council, and federal and state councilor for the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). She was a member of the initial Creative Arts Studies curriculum group when the Victorian Certificate of Education was introduced, and subsequently a member of the Drama and Theatre Studies Assessment panel for a number of years. She has been a member of the organising committees for the Australian Institute of Arts Management (1996) and Asia Pacific Confederation of Arts Education (1997) Conference (Chair), the annual Ron Danielson Memorial Performing Arts Lecture and the Kenneth Myer Medallion selection Committee. She was foundation President of the Victorian chapter of the Shakespeare Globe Centre and active in the annual Shakespeare Schools’ Festival for a decade (1990-1999). She has been a member of the Advisory Committee to the Performing Arts Museum at the Victorian Arts Centre, and is a member of Museums Australia's Performing Arts Special Interest Group.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She is an accredited arbitrator with the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia and member of IAMA National Council (President in 2008/9). She is a Nationally Accredited Mediator (Australia).

Research profile:

Professor O'Brien's doctoral study was in left wing theatre in Australia (1920-1960), and its association with left wing theatre in the United Kingdom, USA and the former Soviet Union. She collected and maintained the New Theatre Melbourne Archives (1935 - 2001) from 1981 until they were transferred to the Performing arts Museum in 2001. She continues to teach and research in this area and associated theatre history and literary studies. She published an on-line database of the history of student theatre at the University of Melbourne in association with University’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2003. She is currently writing the history of Arena Theatre as well as working on an update of the history of Melbourne New Theatre for publication.

In 1997 she managed an ARC funded project which convened a National Symposium on Research in the Performing Arts. She has been involved in a number of other research projects, including research on the feasibility of developing partly community based arts management programs for Aboriginal students and a visual History of Black Theatre with actor/director Glenn Shea.

Since completing her legal training, Professor O'Brien is developing teaching and research interests in arts law and policy and in the the use of creative activity in diversionary programs for youthful offenders and youth at risk. She was the Chief Investigator in a large three year Australia Research Council (Linkage) funded project to investigate the effectiveness of using creative arts involvement as a diversionary intervention for young people at risk. Industry Partners include Department of Justice, Department of Human Services, VicHealth, Arts Victoria and Melbourne Magistrates. This project won the University of Melbourne inaugural Knowledge Transfer Excellence Award in 2007. She co-authored (with Dr Kate Donelan) a recently published monograph on this project, Creative Interventions for Marginalised Youth: the Risky Business Project (2008). A volume of essays, edited by O'Brien and Donelan, The Arts and Youth at Risk: Global and Local Challenges is currently in press.

She is currently working on a further ARC Linkage project with SCRAYP Youth Arts with and Edge and Debney Park Secondary School looking the effectiveness of arts interventions to support whole school renewal. She is a Chief Investigator in a recently awarded ARC Linkage Grant, Accessing the Cultural Conversation which will consider the continued involvement of young people as theatre audiences. This project brings together academics from Melbourne, Sydney and Griffith Universities and a wide number of industry partners, including the Victorian Arts centre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Arena Theatre, Malthouse and Arts Victoria.

Books
Donelan, K and O'Brien, A. (2008) Creative Interventions for Marginalised Youth: the Risky Business Project. Brisbane: Drama Australia.
O'Brien, A. and Donelan, K. (2008) The Arts and Youth at Risk: Global and Local Challenges. New Castle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. (In-press)
O'Brien, Angela & Dopierala, Wanda (1994). The Pleasure of the Company: Drama in Teacher Education in Melbourne 1961-1994, Melbourne, SVPAE
Hillel (O'Brien), Angela (1986). Against the Stream: Melbourne New Theatre, 1936-1986, Melbourne, New Theatre Publications

Theses
O’Brien. Angela (1996) Thesis: The Presumption of Doli Incapax: Is it outmoded or forgotten in the Victorian juvenile justice system? Melbourne: Monash University
O’Brien, Angela (1990) The Road Not Taken: Political and Performance Ideologies at Melbourne New Theatre, 1935-1960. Melbourne: Monash University
O’Brien, Angela (1976) Mary, Original Play with Textual Study and Performance Analysis, UK: Lancaster University. Mary was performed in the Nuffield Theatre Studio at Lancaster University in 1976.
O’Brien, Angela (1972) The Plays of John Whiting, Armidale: University of New England

Chapters in Books
O’Brien Angela and Kate Donelan. (2008). “Rethinking the Arts and Youth ‘At Risk’”. Chapter 1 in The Arts and Youth At Risk: Local and Global Challenges, edited by Angela O’Brien & Kate Donelan. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing (in-press).
O’Brien, Angela, and Kate Donelan. (2008) “‘Doing Good’: The Ethics of Arts Interventions with ‘At Risk’ Youth”. Chapter 11 in The Arts and Youth At Risk: Local and Global Challenges, edited by Angela O’Brien & Kate Donelan. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing (in-press).
O’Brien, Angela, (1996) “Visual and Performing Arts, Graduate Outlook, Sydney, Hobson's Press, Reprinted 1997, 1998 editions. Rewritten for 1999 edition.
O’Brien, Angela (1996) “Restoring Our Dramatic Past”, Chapter 6, Researching Drama and Arts Education: Paradigms and Possibilities (ed Philip Taylor), London, Falmer Press
Hillel, Angela (1985) "Oriel Gray: A Forgotten Playwright", Australian Drama: 1925-1955, Armidale, New England University, 1985.

Refereed Articles
O’Brien, A. & Donelan, K. (2007)‘Risky business: Engaging Marginalised young people in the creative Arts’ International Journal of the Arts in Society, Volume ISSN 1833-1866.
O'Brien, A, Donelan, K. (2006). Risky Business: an Australian study of the use of the creative arts as an intervention activity for marginalised young people. Revista de Psihologie si Stiintele educatiei (Psychology and Educational Sciences Journal), I, 2, 53-66.
Donelan, K. & O’Brien, A., 'Walking in Both Worlds: Snuff Puppets at Barak Indigenous School', The Applied Theatre Researcher/IDEA Journal, Volume 7, 2006 (in press).
Donelan, K., Kelman, D., and O’Brien, A. (2006) "My Story, Our Stories: Living and Connecting through enacted stories", NJ Drama Australia Journal, 30,1, pp.57-68.
O’Brien. A., Donelan, K. Martinac, K amd Coulter, K. (2006) “Risky Business: young people, collaboration and arts engagement”, Backing Our Creativity; Research - Policy - Practice National Educational and the Arts Symposium 2005, Symposium Proceedings,Part 1, (ed Jeanneret, N. and Gardiner G.) Australia Council for the Arts http//:www.ozco.gov.au pp103-113.
O’Brien, A, Donelan, K and Kelman, D (2006) My Story, Our Stories: Living and Connecting through enacted stories, NJ Drama Australia Journal, 30,1 In-print
O’Brien, Angela (2005) “The Lost Princess: Anastasia, A Risky Character”, Double Dialogues Issue 7: InStead
O’Brien, Angela (2005) ”Reflections on the Risky Business Conference”, NJ (Drama Australia Journal), 29, 2
O’Brien, Angela (2004) “Teacher, mentor or role model: the role of the artist in community arts work with marginalised young people”, Change: Transformations in Education, Vol 7, 2, November pp 74 – 88
O’Brien, Angela (2004) “Spokesperson from the Margin: Lucky, A Risky Character”, NJ Drama Australia Journal, 28, 1 pp 61-72
O’Brien, Angela (2003)“Art Through Pain – The Panacea”, Double Dialogues Issue 4. (2003), http://www.doubledialogues.com/issue four/ ISSN 1447 9571 Keynote Address 2003 Double Dialogues Conference
O’Brien, Angela (2003) “Drama and Community: Who the piper, whose the tune?” NJ Drama Australia Journal 27, 2 PP 4-16
O’Brien, A (2003) “Many Voices, One Country: Story-Telling And Creative Writing In Australian Education “ Presentation to UNESCO Conference On Arts Education in the Pacific Region Fiji Paris, UNESCO published on-line http://www.unesco.org/culture/lea
O’Brien, Deans, Flood et al) (2003) “Story Telling In Schools – Promoting Identity, Unity And Harmony And Economic Sustainability In Diverse Cultures” published in Arts Education in the Pacific Region: Heritage and Creativity, Paris, UNESCO, pp 49-65
O’Brien, Angela (2001) “Survivors: A Creative Game for the 21st Century”, Primary Arts Journal: Arts Education 21C Colloquium Issue, Vol 2, December 2001

Non-refereed Articles
O’Brien, Angela (2004) “Ralph Roister Doister, the first English Comedy”, The Melbourne Shakespearean, Volume 4 No2 December 2004
O’Brien, Angela (2003) “Separating the Men from the Boys: Gender representation and Cross-dressing in the Plays of Shakespeare” The Melbourne Shakespearean Vol3 No2 November 2003

Book Reviews and Notes
O’Brien, A (2007) NJ (Drama Australia Journal) 31 (1) Book Review of Applied Drama: The gift of Theatre.
O'Brien, A (2006) Drama education Journal 31, Book Review of Theatre Histories, An Introduction
O’Brien, A (2006) Drama Education Journal 30, 1 Book Review of Dance and Drama in Uganda: The Pearl of Africa in-print
O’Brien, A. (2005) Drama Australia Journal 29.1 pp 79-82 - Book Review of 3 UNESCO published documents on Arts Education in Africa, Pacific and South America.
O’Brien, Angela (2004) NJ Drama Australia Journal 28.2 – Book Review of Creating Frames: contemporary indigenous theatre
O’Brien, Angela (2003) NJ Drama Australia Journal 27.2 – Book Review of Upstaged, pp 123-124
O’Brien, Angela (2003) Overland 173 Spring, 2003 – Book Review of Upstaged, pp96-97
O’Brien, Angela (2002)“Dot Thompson, Theatre Director: Dedicated to Drama as an Agent for Social Change”, The Age Obituaries, 9/4/2002, page 9

Website publications
A History of Arena Theatre: http://www.arenatheatre.co.au/monograph (site under construction)
The History of MUST: Student Theatre at the University of Melbourne
http://www.must.unimelb.edu.au

Research Reports
O'Brien, A and Donelan, K, (2007) Risky Business: A Cross-disciplinary investigation of creative arts as an intervention activity for young people at risk in urban and rual Victoria, Australia - Research Report.
O’Brien, A., Donelan, K. & Kelman, D. (2005) My Story/Our Stories: Growing and Connecting through Enacted Stories, A Research Report to VicHealth, University of Melbourne

Articles in Reference Books
O’Brien, Angela (2007) “Dick Diamond”, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, Melbourne: MUP.
O'Brien Angela (1995) "New Theatre, Australia", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press pp400-401
O'Brien Angela (1995) "New Theatre, Melbourne", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press p402
O'Brien Angela (1995) "Catherine Duncan", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press p198
O'Brien Angela (1995) "Frank Hardy" A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press
1995 "Dick Diamond", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press pp260-261
O'Brien Angela (1995) "Reedy River", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press p483
O'Brien Angela (1995) "New Theatre Brisbane", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press pp401-402
O'Brien Angela (1995)"Ballad of Angel's Alley", A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press pp79
O'Brien Angela (1995) "Dolia Ribush" A Companion to Theatre in Australia (ed Philip Parsons), Sydney, Currency Press pp500-501

Edited Conference Proceedings
O'Brien, Angela & Richards (eds) (1997) Proceedings 1997 National Symposium on Research in the Performing Arts, Melbourne, VCA.
O’Brien, Angela and Joubert, Lindy (eds) (1999) ASPACAE Proceedings Eighth International Conference 1997 (Melbourne, University of Melbourne)

Refereed Conference Presentations
2007, O'Brien, A and Donelan, K. (2007) Intercultural dialogue and dramatic metaphor: case studies of performance projects with culturally marginalized young people in two Australian schools, IDEA 2007, Hong Kong, July.
2007, O'Brien, A (2007) Report on the Risky Business Research project, Australiasian Drama Studies Association, Melbourne, July
2005 O’Brien. A., Donelan, K. et al (2005) “Report on the Risky Business Research Project”, Australia Council Conference, Backing Our Creativity, University of Melbourne, September
2005 O’Brien, A., Donelan, K., Martinac, K., Coulter, K. (2005) “Risky Business Research Findings”, Key-note Address, Risky Business Research Symposium, Melbourne, October
2004 Social Inclusion and the Arts, The fourth pillar conference: Local government, Cultural vitality, Community strengthening. Melbourne, November 2004
2004 Anastasia, the lost Princess: A Risky Character, Double Dialogues Conference, Melbourne, October
2004 Presentation on “Risky Business Research project”, Social Structures and Institutions: the Quest for Social Justice, Dubrovnik, June 14-19
2004 Member of Panel: “Risky Business for People at Risk”, IDEA 2004, Fifth World Congress, July 2-8 Ottawa Canada
2004 “Conceiving a Partnership Project”, Partnerships in Humanities Symposium, University of Sydney, February
2004 “Ethical and Logistic Challenges in a Multi-site Cross-disciplinary Research Project”, Dialogues and Differences in Arts Education, Sydney, May
2003 “Art Through Pain – The Panacea” Double Dialogues Conference, Melbourne, May
2002 Keynote Speaker, “Arts and Community: Who the Piper, Whose the Tune?” Drama Australia Conference, Perth, October
2001 “Finding Research Partners: Arts and Youth at Risk” IDEA 2002, Fourth World Conference, Bergen, Norway July
2001 “Introduction to Arts and Youth at Risk Project”, Drama Australia Conference, Melbourne, November

Other invited presentations
2008 'Edward Sugden: Thespian', Conference on Edward Sugden, First Master of Queen's, Queen's College, May.
2008 The Risky Business Project, Presntation for Queensland Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs
2007 'King Lear: A Problem Play', Shakespeare Society, October.
2005 'Shakespeare and Existentialism', Existentialist Society, February.
2004 'Ralph Roister Doister, the First English Comedy', Shakespeare Society, October
2003 'Separating the Men from the Boys: Gender and Shakespeare', Shakespeare Society, Melbourne, August
2003 Panel Chair: Presentation on The Coolroom, Flagship Conference University of Melbourne 15th July 2003 Launch of archival exhibition and preview presentation of Website, MUD: A History of Student Theatre, Union House Theatre, August (during MUDFEST)
2003 Launch of Website MUD: A History of Student Theatre, Open Stage Theatre, November
2002 Invited Australian delegate - UNESCO Symposium of Arts Education in the Pacific, Fiji, November2002 “Shakespeare and existentialism”, Shakespeare Society, Melbourne
2001 “Shakespeare's Theatre”, Shakespeare Society, Melbourne
Externally Funded Research Projects 2001 - 2005

2002 – 2005 ARC Linkage Project: A cross-disciplinary investigation into the use of the creative arts as an intervention for marginalised young people in urban and rural Victoria. (Risky Business Project) (Approx funding: ARC $400,000; Partners $125,000)

2002 – 2005 VicHealth research grant : The arts and well-being for youth at risk - in association with Risky Business (Funding : $51,000)

2004 – VicHealth Research grant My Story, Our Stories: Living and Connecting through enacted stories (Funding: $25,000)

2004 – Australia Council: Snuff Puppets project with youth at risk (Funding $30,000)

2005 – 2007 ARC Linkage project: Transformative arts education partnerships: a creative approach to whole school renewal (Funding: ARC $73,000, Partners $75,000)

2007 - 2010 ARC Linkage: Accessing the Cultural Conversation

Current Research (From SCA Research Database)

Title:	Cross-disciplinary investigation of creative arts as intervention activity for young people at risk in urban and rural Victoria
Summary:	- Not Available -

Title:

A History of Student theatre at the University of Melbourne

Summary:

This project is funded by the University of Melbourne 150th Anniversary Project. The Union Theatre Department is a partner in the project. It involves research into student theatre across the campus, including productions by prior institutions now associated with Melbourne, viz, Melbourne College of Advanced Education. As part of the research a database is being compiled, along with oral histories and brief histories of each decade. This information, along with visual support material, will be posted on a website attached to the School of Creative Arts.