Dr. Sasha Mackay
PhDResearch Fellow
School of Education and the Arts
Centre for Research in Equity & Advancement of Teaching & Education (CREATE)
I am a Research Fellow in the School of Education and the Arts, affiliated with the Centre for Research in Equity and Advancement of Teaching and Education (CREATE) at CQUniversity. A creative arts researcher with expertise in regional arts and social impact, I work with the CQ Regional Arts Services Network (RASN) team to understand the strengths and needs of the rural, regional and remote arts sector, and the myriad contributions this sector makes in communities.
I have contributed to nationally-significant research projects investigating the social impacts of arts and cultural engagement, including the Valuing the Arts in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand research commissioned by Creative Australia and the Manatū Taonga Ministry of Culture and Heritage, New Zealand (Gattenhof et al. 2022). From 2020 to mid-2023 I was the early-career researcher involved in the ARC Linkage Project The Role of the Creative Arts in Regional Australia: A Social Impact Model (Gattenhof et al. 2023), led by Queensland University of Technology. I am co-author of the book The Social Impact of Creative Arts in Australian Communities (Springer, 2021).
Background
My professional background spans public service media and social impact arts. I have been an online producer and editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Heywire storytelling project for rural and regional youth, and a producer at social impact arts organisation Creative Regions Ltd. where I designed and delivered oral history and digital storytelling projects with and for regional communities. My PhD, awarded in 2015, investigated the potential of the ABC's Heywire program for rural and regional youth. This research was nominated for an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award. I have published case studies and analyses of my community arts work with Creative Regions in international scholarly journals.
Universities Studied At
Queensland University of Technology
Universities Worked At
Queensland University of Technology
Central Queensland University
Professional Experience
Research Project Manager - Queensland University of Technology (2020-present)
Research Development Officer - Queensland University of Technology (2019)
Producer - Creative Regions Ltd. (2015-2017)
Online Producer and Editor - Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2010)
Professional Memberships
Oral History Queensland - Executive Committee Member
Blak Creatives Noothera/Gnuthuru presented by Munimba-ja
Grant: Contract Research (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Scheme: Noosa Shire Council - Contract Research
Total Funding: $10,000.00
Regional Arts Services Network (RASN) (2022-2025) (ACT22/416)
Grant: Government Tender (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Scheme: Regional Arts Services 2022-2025, including regional touring Ref No: AF/6611
Total Funding: $1,082,350.00
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 4702 Cultural Studies
- 4701 Communication and Media Studies
- 3699 Other creative arts and writing
- 3602 Creative and professional writing
Current Capacity
Other creative arts and writing - Other creative arts and writing not elsewhere classified
I am interested in the impacts of arts, culture and creativity in rural and regional communities, and arts management.
