Susan Davis

Susan Davis is Deputy Dean Research at CQUniversity in education and the arts and with extensive experience in education and practice-based research. Her research interests include drama and narrative, creativity, engagement, arts education, assessment and feedback. This research connects the local and global, historical and contemporary, with concerns for how understanding place, history and context may be revitalised to inform possible futures. Her career spans extensive experience as a secondary drama teacher, Performing Head of Department, Senior Policy Officer and more recently as a lecturer in primary and early childhood teacher education programs. She also has been actively involved in various state and national curriculum development projects, Queensland Drama State Panel and Arts Advisory committee and in Drama Queensland/Drama Australia. She maintains active creative practice through developing performances and workshops with schools, for arts-based community projects and events including the 'Wild/flower Women' suite of projects including curating art exhibitions and performances and the international 'Water-Reckoning' Rolling Role project. Recent collaborations have included research regarding First Nations performing arts and learning programs (with JUTE Theatre Company), as well as the development of two iterations of the drama and arts-based professional learning program The Open Storybox, first trialled with Sydney Theatre Company in 2014 and with Patch Theatre Company 2015-16. Sue was one of the authors of the drama book ‘Dramatexts’, lead editor for the book “Dramatic interactions in education: Vygotskian and sociocultural approaches to drama, education and research” and author of “Learning that matters: Revitalising Heathcote’s Rolling Role for the digital age”. She is a regular presenter and national and international conferences and has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. She was also Chair of the UNESCO designated Noosa Biosphere Reserve (2011-14) with a strong interest in promoting the principles of conservation, sustainability and learning as part of this UNESCO program. She is currently on the boards of Drama Australia and the Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance, the Chair of the Central Queensland Regional Arts Services Network and recently stepped down as Co-Convenor of the Arts, Education and Practice SIG for AARE (Australia Association for Research in Education).