Monash University Publishing Books

Collective Movements is a wide-ranging project focusing on the work of historic and contemporary First Nations creative practitioners and community groups in south-eastern Australia that recognises collectivity as integral to Indigenous knowledges and ways of being. This project and publication begins from a desire to make a language and terminology beyond Western art concepts of ?collaboration? and ?collectivism? more visible, and to better describe and acknowledge the way Indigenous creatives work within a broader community and its inheritances.0Collective Movements includes contributions from Australia?s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chamber orchestra, Ensemble Dutala; leading Australian First Nations theatre company ILBIJERRI; Aboriginal art centre Kaiela Arts Shepparton; Melbourne-based collective this mob; Ballarat artist collective Pitcha Makin Fellas; Koorroyarr Arts, the creative platform founded by Gunditjmara sisters Kelsey and Tarryn Love; and The Torch, an arts support platform for Indigenous offenders and ex-offenders in Victoria. It also traces the stories of the widespread return of Possum Skin Cloak making in south-eastern Australia, the landmark 1996 festival We Iri, We Homeborn, and Latje Latje Dance Group Mildura, one of the earliest organised dance groups in Victoria

In A Secret Australia, nineteen prominent Australians discuss what Australia has learnt about itself from the WikiLeaks revelations - revelations about a secret Australia of hidden rules and loyalty to hidden agendas. However Australians may perceive their nation's place in the world - as battling sports stars, dependable ally or good international citizen - WikiLeaks has shown us a startlingly different story. The revelations flowing from the releases of millions of secret and confidential official documents by WikiLeaks have helped Australians to better understand why the world is not at peace, why corruption continues to flourish, and why democracy is faltering. This greatest ever leaking of hidden government documents in world history yields knowledge that is essential if Australia, and the rest of the world, is to grapple with the consequences of covert, unaccountable and unfettered power.

'Many people have a powerful story to tell about a turning point that led to them finding their purpose, their passion.' When historian Henry Reynolds witnessed extreme racial injustice, he was ignited to change the course of his research. Whistleblower Andrew Wilkie bravely spoke out about Australia's involvement in the Iraq War. Actor Jack Charles's time in the Marumali healing program, developed by a fellow Stolen Generation survivor, set him on a path of self-discovery. Teacher Anthony Bartl was paralysed from the neck down, but it hasn't stopped him from snorkelling, skiing, and going on an African safari. From Rosalie Martin, a speech pathologist working to increase literacy among prisoners, to Gia-Yen Luong, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who is improving education in Australia, each contributor shares a moment that changed their future, sparking them to live a life of passion and purpose - and in turn enriching the lives of others. These true stories of triumph and tragedy, hope and survival, show the power each of us holds to improve the world. Other contributors include Robyn Davidson, Gillian Triggs, Inala Cooper, Anna Funder, Peter Doherty, Stephanie Alexander, Allan Fels, Fiona Patten, and Elizabeth Chong.

Shelley Lasica's work delves into dance, movement, and their diverse contexts. The exhibition, WHEN I AM NOT THERE, showcases forty years of her choreographic practice at Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne (15–27 August 2022). This marks the first Australian survey of its kind, featuring a new ensemble piece created with ten artists: Lydia Connolly-Hiatt, Luke Fryer, Timothy Harvey, Rebecca Jensen, Megan Payne, Lisa Radford, Lana Šprajcer, Oliver Savariego, François Tétaz, and Colby Vexler. The exhibition also includes elements from Lasica's archive, such as costumes, objects, soundscapes, and text. The project consolidates Lasica's ideas and experiments, contributing to conversations about choreography within gallery spaces and exploring the dynamics of performance versus exhibition. Edited by curator Hannah Mathews in collaboration with Lasica, this substantial monograph is the first dedicated to an Australian choreographer. It offers a thorough account of Lasica’s performance and exhibition history, featuring extensive documentation from her archive and contributions from writers Erin Brannigan, Justin Clemens, Claudia La Rocco, Robyn McKenzie, and Zoe Theodore.

Acclaimed filmmaker John Darling lived in Bali through the 1970s and 1980s. During that time, he created the films that established him as the leading foreign filmmaker of Indonesia. This included Lempad of Bali , which celebrated the life and times of the astonishing Balinese artist Gusti Nyoman Lempad. Today, Darling is often remembered for his documentary The Healing of Bali , made in the immediate aftermath of the October 2002 bombing in Kuta and described in The Sydney Morning Herald as a ‘masterpiece.’ This collection of essays is a multifaceted portrayal of Darling’s years in Bali, revealing the cultural experiences that shaped him. Transcending conventional biography, it contains essays in his honour, paired with his poetry and photographs, as well as critical essays on his work and personal reminiscences of his life from Balinese and Australian expatriates. It is a book for fans of John’s work as well as the new generation of filmmakers he inspired, and those with an interest in Balinese culture and Bali’s cosmopolitan expatriate scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Published in conjunction with Monash University’s Herb Feith Indonesian Engagement Centre.