Dr Soseh Yekanians

Dr Soseh Yekanians is a graduate from the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art in Sydney and The Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York. In 2012, she was awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship to embark on a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in Perth. Her practice-led research titled, "Creatively Pursuing Persona: Finding Identity through Directing", investigated how theatre directing and the performing arts could provide a culturally displaced individual with a sense of identity and belonging. Her practice-led study, specifically provided new insights into how theatre directing allows an individual to (re)discover their identity through leadership in a non-judgmental forum and how the theatre as a space for communal exchanges and conversations can initiate dialogue about cultural differences. In 2016, as a result of her specialisation to the field of performing arts and directing, Soseh was awarded a fellowship by the National Academy of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) for their inaugural MFA in Cultural Leadership.

Following her doctorate, major career highlights have been the publication of her children’s literature book, "The Special Team Elite" (2018, Austin Macauley Publishers) and her monograph "Finding Identity Through Directing" (2020, Routledge).

Dr Soseh Yekanians is currently a Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts at Charles Sturt University.