BSANZ member profile
Hello! I am an arts industry professional with over 30 years’ experience in the Australian and international arts sectors as a CEO, curator, producer, programmer, board member, and facilitator. I have a BA in Communications (Theatre/Media) and an MA in Theatre and write occasional theatre reviews and feature stories for ArtsHub Australia. I work with a range of artists and organisations in a consultancy capacity to help bring their ideas and projects to fruition and, alongside this work, I cultivate my emerging creative writing practice and academic study.
Having recently commenced a PhD in the School of Media and Communications at RMIT, I became aware of the work of the Bibliographic Society when undertaking some preliminary research. I am interested in creative artefacts, particularly texts of an ephemeral or mass-produced nature – broadsheets, annuals, manuals, advertising, chapbooks, squibs, and the like – that embrace a ‘burlesque sensibility’ to critique society. I’m fascinated by the contribution street art, ephemeral texts, and public artistic interventions can make to contemporary cultural discourse and, as part of my PhD, I hope to produce a compilation of contemporary burlesque texts.
A book lover and collector all my life, my library reflects my curiosities and interests: from travel and memoir, through to poetry, contemporary fiction, literary classics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and writing as a practice. I love the popular annuals of the 20th century such as the Girls and Boys Own Adventure series and am working on creating a contemporary satirical version called Barry’s Annual Manual.
I look forward to meeting everyone, attending the annual conference, and learning more about the wonderful world of Australian and New Zealand books and book culture.
Contact: jennifer@keepbreathing.com.au