Western Sydney University - School of Humanities and Communication Arts

Today, HCA academic and Creative Industries lecturer, Rachel Morley (PhD), caught up with the multi-talented Mark Mariano - actor, model, writer, podcaster, Buzzfeed Social Media Manager, and proud WSU Bachelor of Communication graduate (2017). Mark generously shared his insights in a special industry talk on the art of being a 'slashie' - someone who thrives juggling multiple creative roles! Mark's lecture is part of Rachel's first-year subject, 'Introduction to the Creative Industries,' which helps students navigate the exciting, dynamic world of creative careers. We love staying connected with our incredible alumni. Thanks for inspiring our current students, Mark! #WesternSydneyU #CreativeIndustries #WSUAlumni #Slashie #CreativeCareers #WSUCommunication

The supper club brings together Western Sydney University’s academics and students, and invited guest speakers alongside Western Sydney Creative’s exhibiting artists for a lively night of discussion centred on the key themes and issue presented in the current exhibition and aligned to research within the school, whilst enjoying a casual meal together. The first Supper Club will be held on the evening of 10 April at the Margaret Whitlam Galleries, Building EZ, Parramatta South Campus, and aligns to the solo exhibition by Shivanjani Lal, Saans Lo (take breath). The event will be catered by Fijian Indian Caterers Jhatpat Catering. The supper club is a collaborative project developed by Western Sydney Creative and the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. For more information and tickets https://lnkd.in/g2QYapCn

Making Sense of Misinformation and the Media. What does misinformation mean to you? Do you know how the news and media systems actually work in Australia? And what’s the deal with generative AI, social media and politics?   Join the teams from ABC Education and the Parramatta City Public Library for four hands-on workshops throughout April and May to learn about misinformation and its connection to the news, politics, social media and civic engagement (amongst other things).    Share your experiences, gain practical industry knowledge and skills and create your own media products and resources all while helping to build stronger media environments and civic participation in Australia.    The Details: What: 4 x 1 hour in-person workshops facilitated at the Parramatta City Public Library (PHIVE) When: Friday 4 & 11 April, Friday 2 & 9 May Who: 18–25-year-olds living and studying in Western Sydney Why: Build your knowledge and understanding of the news and social issues, gain practical industry skills and create your own media resources   Register your EOI by Monday 28 March!  https://lnkd.in/gHkCq_ST

Bruce Crossman’s music, Fragility and Sonorousness (piano) was given its Japanese premiere at the prestigious Asian Music Festival 2025 in Kawasaki, Tokyo, Japan. Pianist Masanobu Shinoda performed the work at Chamber Music Concert 1: Piano Plus in the beautiful MUZA Kawasaki complex, Assembly Room on February 4, 2025. This festival was organised by the Japan Federation of Composers, as part of the Asian Composers League; it is an amazingly vibrant festival, which includes composers drawn from all over the Asia-Pacific region (14 member countries), and they selected four composers from Australia this year.   The work was initially composed as a commission from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) as part The ANAM Set (2021) and written for Australian pianist Kane Chang, as a creative response to the pandemic years. Its idea was to capture the fragility of experience with the richness of sonorous piano textures, but also something that was marked by the surprise and experiences of life—both the scars and its joys. It is both pure sound—lingering moment and explosive virtuosic piano textures—and philosophical, drawing on contemporary Chinese architects Rossana Hu and Lyndon Neri’s ideas of memory and surprise. Hu and Neri’s concepts of revealed raw memory of place and the sudden intimacy of a Shanghai nong tong alley “full of discovery and surprise” (Hu and Neri 2017) inspired the music. This performance of Fragility and Sonorousness by Japanese pianist Masanobu Shinoda at Asian Music Festival 2025 received a strong review by Andrián Pertout in Resonate Magazine, Australian Music Centre. Pertout described it as “a manifestation of artistry at the highest levels of compositional craft and creativity; a musical language distinctly stamped with the Crossman 'intercultural' label, and what I would refer to as exhibiting quasi-improvisational 'jazz-but-not-jazz' sensibilities that today succinctly define Crossman as a true 'original' of our times.” Photo: Vincent Tay (Bruce Crossman); Asian Music Festival 2025 in Kawasaki poster Date: February 4, 2025 Japan Federation of Composers https://lnkd.in/gFKpH9Bf Australian Music Centre https://lnkd.in/gwS4a7kc

Last year, Western Sydney University PhD student, Thilakshi Mallawa Arachchi undertook a professional internship at the Sydney Opera House, gaining hands-on experience in community engagement and cultural outreach. Throughout the internship, she contributed to initiatives that foster inclusivity and strengthen connections with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, helping to make the Opera House a more welcoming and accessible space for all.   A key highlight of Thilakshi’s internship was her focus on developing research strategies grounded in social justice and equity to better understand the impact of community-engagement programs. Drawing on the partnerships she had established during her PhD, she actively created opportunities for refugee and migrant communities to visit the Opera House—many for the first time—through the community engagement pathways established by the Opera House.   Thilakshi described the internship as “A soul-enriching experience during my PhD—one that allowed me to immerse myself in the beauty of art, culture, and community while bridging academic research with real-world impact.”

Last week we farewelled our 2025 cohort from Meiji University Japan. In a two-week study-tour, 17 Japanese students learnt about Australian history, politics and foreign relations through immersive field trips, local lectures and by partnering with Western Sydney University volunteers. The collaboration between WSU and Meiji University is longstanding with our next group of WSU students off to Tokyo this June. A huge thank you to James Trapani, Peter Mauch and Marian Schraiscuhn for their dedication in coordinating this program, and to Sophia Kim for organising our volunteers. #WesternSydneyUniversity #MeijiUniversity

Join Powerhouse Museum and Western Sydney University this Saturday night for an afternoon of creativity, discussion, and storytelling diving into the past, current, and future of young people in the climate action movement!

WSU Design Grad show 2024 was AWESOME 👏 !! We were lucky to run two events, one for Industry at Adobe HQ, Sydney, and one for family and friends at our very own Parramatta South campus. Please enjoy the videos produced for each event, with a special shout out to production lead, Wil Calabio, and second shooters Holly Kustro and Ned Lanyon. Design Grad Show—Industry https://lnkd.in/g8pZcbQY   Design Grad Show— Family and Friends https://lnkd.in/gnRtaAZC Enjoy the Grad Show website here, brand design Khushi Mali and digital design Cludia Lam: https://lnkd.in/gsGK36kj

We are so proud of our colleague Dr Felicity Castagna Stevenson! Last week she received a Local Woman of the Year Award from the NSW Government for her contribution to the arts and literature in the Parramatta Region. Felicity is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and a tireless member of our community, somehow finding time to teach and inspire our students, raise two children, write award-winning books and give all of this back to Western Sydney. Congratulations Felicity! 🎉🎉 Donna Davis #humanitiescommsartswsu #localwomanoftheyear

In the last few weeks, two graduates of our Western Sydney University Bachelor of Music program have achieved an incredible milestone - publishing their first books. Their work reflects the strong foundation in popular music studies and musicology (in the broadest sense) that our students develop. Dr. Kat Nelligan completed her Bachelor of Music in the late 2000’s and has continued her academic journey with Honours before earning her doctorate at the University of Melbourne. She is now a Lecturer in Popular Culture and Music Industry at RMIT. Her book, Brand Lady Gaga is published in Bloomsbury. 🎵Brand Lady Gaga: https://lnkd.in/gac5YGYe ⚪️More about Dr. Nelligan: https://lnkd.in/gSFeyYYS Dr. Pat O'Grady also completed his Bachelor of Music before going to Macquarie University to pursue his doctorate and is now a Senior Lecturer in the School of Music at ANU. His research on music production and the Bee Gees comes together in his book, Bee Gees, Process, and Latent Elements in Music Production, published by Routledge. 🎵Bee Gees, Process, and Latent Elements in Music Production: https://lnkd.in/gSMzjJ5R ⚪️More about Dr. O’Grady: https://lnkd.in/gXZ8hzTJ A huge congratulations to both of them! It’s inspiring to see their achievements and a testament to the fact that an academic career is a real and exciting pathway for our Bachelor of Music graduates. #musicology #bachelorofmusic #bookpublication #newbook