Mr Adam Manning
Lecturer
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
Career Summary
Biography
Adam Manning is a Kamilaroi artist, musician, composer, and researcher based on Awabakal/Worimi Country, and a member of the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council. He currently works at the University of Newcastle, NSW.
A Custodial Descendant of Kamilaroi Barray, his practice engages with relationships between land, sound, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Working across music, visual art, and research, he integrates cultural frameworks with contemporary methodologies in performance, composition, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Manning’s musical career includes collaborations with leading ensembles and organisations including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Art Orchestra, and Ensemble Offspring, alongside national and international touring. He is a represented artist with the Australian Music Centre. His compositions have been widely featured on ABC Classic, including commissioned works. He has also undertaken instrument development and testing with Roland Japan and is an endorsed artist with Latin Percussion (USA).
His practice extends into sound art and installation, with works presented at the Newcastle Museum and the Newcastle, Maitland, and Lake Macquarie Art Galleries. His visual arts practice is informed by cultural knowledge shared through the Guparr Aboriginal Men’s Shed, combining traditional forms with contemporary approaches. His works are held and exhibited across institutions including, the University of Newcastle, and NSW government and education sites.
At the University of Newcastle, Manning’s research explores Indigenous knowledge systems, creative practice, and experimental pedagogy, with a focus on sound, materiality, and place-based inquiry. He has published book chapters and peer-reviewed research papers contributing to contemporary discourse in these areas. He previously served as Conservatorium Coordinator, leading a team of over 40 staff across a six-year period, and has directed percussion ensembles to award-winning outcomes in national competitions. He is currently a full-time Lecturer in Music at the University of Newcastle.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Music (Honours), University of Newcastle
- Graduate Diploma in Learning & Teaching (Secondary, University of Southern Queensland
Keywords
- Composition
- Music Performance
- Music Production
- Rhythm
- Yarning
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 450111 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and performing arts | 100 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Creative Industries Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Chapter (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Manning A, 'A Transformative Journey: Exploring a Rhythmic Acknowledgment in Collaboration with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House' (2025) | ||
| 2021 | , 'The Journey and Satisfaction of a Project with a Social Purpose', 333-345 (2021) |
Conference (5 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Drummond J, Manning A, Bessenyei A, 'Circuit dreaming: Childhood imagination and making music with robots', Circuit dreaming: Childhood imagination and making music with robots (2022)
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| 2022 | Manning A, 'Yarning about Indigenous Design' (2022) | ||||
| 2021 | Manning A, 'A Rhythmic Acknowledgment' (2021) | ||||
| Show 2 more conferences | |||||
Creative Work (23 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Manning A, 'Exploring Cultural Narratives Through Composer Commissions' (2024) [N1] | ||
| 2023 | Manning A, 'First Exhibition Adam Manning' (2023) | ||
| 2023 | Manning A, 'Situating First Nations instruments within the field of practice-based contemporary orchestral composition' (2023) [N1] | Open Research Newcastle | |
| 2023 | Manning A, 'A Rhythmic Acknowledgement of Country' (2023) [N1] | Open Research Newcastle | |
| Show 20 more creative works | |||
Journal article (8 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Motta S, Manning A, 'Decolonising Narratives Through Sonic Artistry and Weaving Dialogues: A Trans-Indigenous Exploration,', The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal:, 6, 1-10 (2026)
|
Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2025 |
Manning A, 'This Land augmented reality: Digital technologies and design thinking process', Intellect Discovery, 14, 147-160 (2025) [C1]
|
Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2023 |
Manning A, 'A Rhythmic Acknowledgment for Walking Experiences', Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal—Annual Review, 16, 75-79 (2023)
|
Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2023 |
Manning A, 'The Patterns of Yarning', STEAM Journal (2023)
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| 2023 | Manning A, 'Life’s a Pattern', STEAM Journal, 5 (2023) | |||||||
| 2023 |
Hadley M, Hook S, Orr N, Manning A, Wright R, 'Protest art on contested statues igniting conversations about art, law, and justice', Nuart Journal, 78-84 (2023) [C1]
|
Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2020 |
Manning A, Besseny A, English H, 'The Future in their Imaginations: Music and Robotics School Holidays Program for School-Aged Children Holidays Program for School-Aged Children', The STEAM Journal, 4, 1-8 (2020) [C1]
|
Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| Show 5 more journal articles | ||||||||
Media (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Manning A, 'Newcastle Music Festival Live Stream' (2018) | ||
| 2018 | Manning A, 'Music and Robotics' (2018) |
Review (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Manning A, '2014: Adam Manning, ‘The Best of Both Worlds - Electric-Acoustic Percussion Set-Up', 1-1 (2014) | ||
| 2014 | Manning A, '2014: Adam Manning, Real-time Percussive Mashup,’ Roland ‘How To’', 1-1 (2014) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 1 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $14,896 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20201 grants / $14,896
ECR Inclusive Transformative Technology Scrum$14,896
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Benjamin Matthews (Lead), Dr Rewa Wright, Mr Zi Siang See, Dr Jamin Day, Ms Shanna Fealy, Dr Donovan Jones and Mr Adam Manning |
| Scheme | Strategic Network and Pilot Project Grants Scheme |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
News
News • 19 Jul 2019
Virtual concert set to transform performance possibility
The University of Newcastle will host Newcastle’s first ever virtual concert this week, as students test the boundaries of immersive performance.
Mr Adam Manning
Position
Lecturer
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Contact Details
| adam.manning@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Links |
Facebook SoundCloud YouTube |