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Background

The establishment of the Centre for Creative Exchange in the Tropical Environment (CETE) is a significant strategic direction for the recently formed School of Creative Arts at JCU. The Centre is envisaged as one of the important initiatives to lead the School in terms of the conduct of:

  • Entrepreneurial activity

  • Research activity

  • Short course programs for a variety of clientele including senior high school students and professional arts groups

  • Industry and community arts liaison

All academic staff and postgraduate students of the School pursue these various initiatives under the aegis of the Centre, which forms the umbrella structure for capturing and defining both the creation of new knowledge and the mutual benefit to occur through partnerships with various internal and external stakeholders.

The key agenda of the Centre is to pursue initiatives wherein research conducted within the tropical environment will benefit and have impact within the region, nationally and internationally concentration on enhancing life in the tropics is a central unifying theme. The Centre occupies a designated place within the new specialist SoCA facilities.

Emeritus Professor Des Crawley has been engaged as external consultant to lead the Centre for an initial period of ten months (October 07 - July 2008). Professor Crawley brings a wealth of senior leadership and experience to the Centre, having worked professionally as an academic, artist-researcher, digital media consultant to industry and workshop leader to community and professional art making groups at a national and international level.

Strategic Intent

In the first 12 months the Centre seeks to explore a range of strategies and activities, which may include the:

  • hosting of workshops for Year 12 students in the North Queensland region;

  • establishment of an identity and relationship with selected North Queensland industry groups;

  • recruitment of post doctoral fellows and/or higher degree students with research interests relevant to the Centre’s role;

  • identification of a series of research projects with existing academic staff either as individuals or groups;

  • design of field trips for staff and students of SoCA, and for community members and arts groups;

  • development of a strong functional relationship with the Queensland Department of State Development and its Creative Industries sector;

  • establishment of intra-Faculty research projects that investigate various impacts of the creative arts and their impact on the economic, social and cultural capital of the region and further afield nationally and internationally; and

  • planning for a national or international conference to be held in 2009 relevant to the creative arts.

Inquiries

Any individuals or groups interested in a collaborative venture with the Centre or further information should contact the School of Creative Arts via CreativeArts@jcu.edu.au or phone (07) 47813166.