Anna Kennedy-Borissow

PhD

Arts and Cultural Management

Image of Anna Kennedy-Borissow
Image of Anna Kennedy-Borissow

Anna Kennedy-Borissow is a PhD candidate, arts manager, and theatre maker. Her research investigates the aspects of arts and cultural participation that contribute to recovery and resilience in disaster-affected communities. She is also a 2023 Graduate Research Teaching Fellow at the University of Melbourne, teaching in the Master of Arts & Cultural Management program. Previously, Anna worked in the not-for-profit arts sector supporting regional arts practice, and in the independent theatre sector producing, performing, and touring with new Australian works.

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Thesis

Creativity, recovery, and resilience: How the arts strengthen resilience in communities affected by natural hazards

Participation in arts and culture builds social capital and has the potential to improve mental health and wellbeing. Following environmental disasters, this can be seen in action within affected communities through 'creative recovery': arts projects across a range of art forms that stimulate social recovery. However, despite the proliferation of creative projects following disasters, creative recovery is an under-explored area of research. My thesis responds to this gap by asking the question: what are the key aspects of arts and cultural participation that contribute to recovery and resilience for disaster-affected individuals and communities? My work draws on interdisciplinary literature, interrogating the complex interplay between community wellbeing, emergency management, and creative practice. Through analysis of creative recovery project documentation, interviews with practitioners, and focus groups with community members, this thesis will present a cohesive picture of creative recovery in Australia.

Research interests

  • Arts Participation
  • Arts and Health
  • Creativity and Wellbeing
  • Socially-engaged Arts Practice
  • Creative Recovery
  • Psychosocial Wellbeing
  • Community-led Disaster Recovery

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