Associate Professor Helen English
ARC DECRA
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci (Music)
- Email:helen.english@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:0405607272
Engaging the power of creativity
Since the completion of her PhD in 2016, Helen has been exploring how music affects the mind, body and soul and the impact it has on self-care, empowerment and creating connections. Helen’s current focus is on creative ageing through transformative engagement with music.
A taste for music
“Prior to becoming an academic, I worked for 20 years as a musician and music educator where I observed the impact of music on audiences and learners,” says Helen.
“I worked in some outreach programs in Australia and the UK with school students in low SES regions and adults living with challenges such as cerebral palsy and stroke survival. These experiences were lightbulb moments for me in realising the transformative effects of music on those facing challenges in everyday life.”
Consequently, Helen established creative projects in 2015 and 2018 in partnership with Hunter region high schools and alternative education provider, Hands On Learning in Victoria.
"These had significant transformative effects on some children, including releasing a stream of verbal communication from one primary-aged child who was usually unable to communicate and changing the behaviour of a high school student from disruptive to productive.
Current song sheet
“As part of my current ARC fellowship research, I work with music groups to identify and examine how music-making in the broadest sense can be transformative for ageing communities,” says Helen.
“I’m interested in how engagement with music learning in a community music group can foster change, create new ways of perceiving others, and change how we connect with people and think of ourselves.
“There’s already plenty of research about the positive effects of music across the lifespan, but much less on how to create a social learning environment for music to deliver these effects.”
In parallel to this, Helen is leading a research project, funded by Dementia Australia, which is running creative activities (songwriting and artmaking) for older adults in retirement villages. This project is looking at the same questions about positive effects from the complementary angle of designing courses and measuring effects in terms of cognitive and social wellbeing and brain health.
“An important aspect of my research is to provide resources to aged-care providers so that they can run meaningful programs themselves or feel confident to choose an effective program being offered externally,” says Helen.
Beyond these immediate aims, Helen is committed to widening participation to creative activities for all older adults, whether in aged care, in remote locations, with migrants or refugees.
Thank you for the music
“Our research is about making quality experiences available to older adults, and as we lay down the foundations of our research and our network expands, I look forward to a wider impact,” says Helen.
“Recently we held a creative ageing symposium in Newcastle with the intention of working with representatives of different organisations and stakeholders, including many older adults and researchers, to address some of the challenges of providing robust evidence for, and access to creative activities for older adults.”
The results of the discussions with the symposium attendees will be used to influence public opinion and policy.
In the meantime, the existing research impact is far reaching. Helen’s group is connected to other researchers nationally and internationally, notably with key researchers at the Universities of Melbourne and Queensland, Griffith University, the University of Leeds and Royal College of Music, UK.
“Most recently we have joined the Arts in Care Homes movement, which is based in the UK and are planning the first such event in Australia for 2023,” says Helen.
Partnerships
Helen and her team have developed some rewarding partnerships with aged-care providers, including NovaCare, Uniting Care, Maroba, Whiddon Care and Adventist Care and have established a strong relationship with Lake Macquarie’s Museum of Art and Culture, which runs art courses for seniors, and with Lake Macquarie Seniors Programs staff who run online and face-to-face courses.
So, what is it that continues to inspire and motivate Helen?
“Responses such as: ‘But I did it. I’m proud of myself because I did it,’ and ‘I never ever expected to write a song in my life,’ inspire and motivate me,” says Helen.
“I feel proud when we complete a research project or a stage of a project because we’ve often overcome barriers, persevered through challenging periods and been creative to find solutions. It’s always a moment and outcome to celebrate.
“I'm proud to be engaging in research that has impact as it proceeds and our commitment to work with people and shift the research paradigm from participants to collaborators or co-researchers.”
Engaging the power of creativity
Since the completion of her PhD in 2016, Helen has been exploring how music affects the mind, body and soul and the impact it has on self-care, empowerment and creating connections. Helen’s current focus is on creative ageing through transformative…
Considering cultural capacity
An insult attributed to Mark Twain following his fleeting visit to Newcastle in 1895 became the spark that led Helen English to investigate the cultural life of our emerging coal mining townships.
At the time of Twain’s visit, Newcastle was still emerging from the shadows of its origins as a notorious prison outpost.
Twain’s apparent assessment of Newcastle as consisting of “a long street with a graveyard at one end with no bodies in it, and a gentleman’s club at the other with no gentlemen in it” is the stuff of legends, despite questions regarding the authenticity of the quote.
In 2008, Helen was working on a soundscape inspired by Twain’s visit.
She became determined to unearth a more thorough representation of cultural life in the Coal City at the end of the 1800s, and question the negative picture represented by legend.
What she discovered was a bustling world of colour and music, competition and community, commiseration and celebration.
The forgotten musicians of Newcastle
Graduating from the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, Helen worked as a professional musician for many years.
She is a talented aficionado of the piano and harpsichord.
A move to Tasmania in 1995 and motherhood redirected Helen into pursuits more practical than the life of a travelling musician and she dabbled in musicology.
Coming to Newcastle in 2000, Helen enrolled in a Masters degree.
She was appointed Associate Lecturer at the University of Newcastle in 2003, and has since completed her PhD.
Researching music and community in Newcastle and Maitland, her interest in social justice issues, and a lack of existing musicological study on the regional working class, inspired Helen to hone in on her thesis topic, ‘Music as a Resource for World-Building in Newcastle and its Townships, 1869-1879.’
Taking her research one step further, Helen has presented on "Forgotten Musicians of Newcastle" at several forums and recorded much of the surviving music by these composers from the period 1860-1880.
Processions, picnics and parades
Giant personalities such as Mark Dent and Thomas Jones pepper Helen’s work.
Dent, blackballed following his involvement in an unsuccessful 1844 petition to English Parliament regarding dangerous working conditions, came to Australia and found work and community in Lambton.
Jones organized a community concert in Lambton, NSW, as a testimony to John Griffiths, who led a 400 strong choir from South Wales to London in 1872 and 1873, where they blitzed the competition at the choral games two years running.
These larger than life personalities, and many like them, rarely saw any financial benefit from their commitment to community and place making through music. What was their motivation?
“Drawing on social theory, I try to look at music not just as something that people did, but what it was doing for them,” Helen explains.
“Music was empowering people, or creating community, or helping them keep working when they were tired, or just creating a familiar context.”
Helen’s work tells of processions and picnics, fundraisers and concerts, of communities bonded together by the hardships and opportunities presented by a fledgling city.
Music and world building
Her understanding of the effects of music on the body, mind, and emotions uniquely qualify Helen for a role with the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions (CHE), for whom she has recently been appointed an Associate Investigator.
Helen has received funding from the Centre to investigate amateur blackface minstrelsy in the Hunter Valley.
“People are embarrassed to hear about it now, but it doesn't mean you can't investigate it, why was it so important to people, so popular?” she asks.
Helen is also collaborating with Deputy Director of the Centre, Professor Jane Whitfield Davidson (University of Melbourne), on a project titled ‘Music and World-Building: From Past to Present’.
The co-researchers are investigating current music communities informed by research into historical communities.
Through looking at pre-existing music-making, the researchers seek to understand how music can be used to build and replenish community capacity.
Building community capacity
Helen is now a Senior Lecturer for the UON School of Creative Industries, teaching into a range of diverse courses including Music Research, Australian Music, and Piano.
It is her current role as Director of School and Community Engagement however, that sees Helen translating the theoretical capacity building of her research into real life outcomes.
With funding from the Commonwealth Government Higher Education Partnerships and Participation Program (HEPPP) and UON Centre for Excellence of Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE), Helen has orchestrated several projects in partnership with local schools.
These projects focus on bolstering music literacy and building aspirations in the creative and performing arts in school students.
One project saw UON student mentors working with students from seven schools to develop performance pieces, culminating in a showcase of their works at the Griffith Duncan Theatre.
Consultation with staff at several local schools has led Helen to coordinate a network of high school music staff, and further opportunities for students are in development.
Helen is also co-leading a research project with Matt Lumb from CEEHE, ‘Music, belonging, and transformation: Understanding the impact of outreach to low SES high schools in fostering and supporting aspirations’.
Considering cultural capacity
Dr English's primary areas of research include Music practices in the 19th century, Music and Society, Australian music, Social Justice and Gender studies.
Career Summary
Biography
I am an Early Career Researcher and recent recipient of an ARC Early Career Fellowship (DECRA). In the fellowship, "creative ageing through transformative engagement with music", I will be seeking to identify the mechanisms and practices that make engagement with musical activities transformative for older adults and to document where musical activities for older adults nationally through an interactive map. My PhD (awarded 2016) was recognised with a musicology award from the National Council of Women and is published in the Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain book series with Routledge (2020). In the PhD I developed a theoretical framework of Music and World-Building which I now apply to research into colonial musical cultures; creative ageing and music and wellbeing. The common thread is a passion to discover how the transformative effects of music are a resource for world-building, including wellbeing; lifelong learning and empowerment.
My first career was as a professional musician and music educator in the UK. As a performer, I specialised in opera, accompaniment and new music. In the 1990s I worked with the Garden Venture at the Royal Opera House, creating and performing new work. With Music for Life, I performed in prisons and at secure hospital units. As a music educator I toured with Opera 80, working in low socio-economic schools and with adults with disability. These experiences were foundational for my later career as an academic.
I have worked as an academic since 1997 when I joined staff at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Tasmania. In 2003 I was appointed as Associate Lecturer at the University of Newcastle. I am currently a Senior Lecturer and Director of School and Community Engagement for the School of Creative Arts, University of Newcastle. As a lecturer I teach diverse courses including Music Research, Australian Music and Performance Studies.
I have published extensively on colonial music-making, with a focus on the music of coalminers who migrated to the Newcastle and Hunter Valley coalfields. My PhD topic was Music as a Resource for World-Building in Newcastle and its Townships, 1869-1879. The thesis investigated what music afforded Newcastle settler communities in world-building through its effects on body, mind and emotions. Publications include an invited article on singing, identity and social connections in colonial Newcastle by the Journal of Australian Colonial Studies (2017); a chapter ‘Migrant Musicians and their impact in the emerging music making of the Hunter Valley, 1840-1880,’ in Diversity in Australia’s Music, (2017) a volume dedicated to the late Roger Covell, who wrote the seminal text Australia’s Music in 1967. A review by Julia Szuster notes that ‘English’s close examination of these two very distinct cultures and the musicians who worked in them underpins her perceptive judgement that they played a valuable role in the formative days of community building’ (2018).
In 2017 I applied successfully for a small grant from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions (CHE) and was made an Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions (CHE). The grant allowed me to research a new area of music-making in colonial Newcastle and its region. This was published as an article in 2019 (Musicology Australia) and formed a chapter of a monograph, Music and World-Building in the Colonial City, published in 2020 by Routledge. In addition, I have a chapter, ‘Ethiopian Entertainers and Opera Burlesque: Blackface Parodies in Colonial Australia’, forthcoming in a two-volume definitive text, Opera, Emotion and the Antipodes published by Routledge (in press).
I am passionate about equity of access to music and have been involved in outreach to schools in low socio-economic communities in NSW and Victoria since 2012 when I was awarded a Commonwealth Government Higher Education Partnerships and Participation Program (HEPPP) grant for BMUS Music Literacy. In 2015 I was successful in a HEPPP National Priorities Pool grant applied for through the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Excellence of Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE). The HEPPP grant, ‘Building Aspirations in the Creative and Performing Arts,’ allowed the development and implementation of an innovative project that empowered school students to develop skills in creative thinking, project design and its realisation. A short promotional DVD for the project can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/146851875. A project undertaken with Dr Matt Lumb and funded by CEEHE is now published in the Journal of Widening Participation.
I am also committed to advocating for and researching the impact of music on our rapidly growing older population within the emergent field of creative ageing. In 2020 I have instigated a creative ageing research program with Professor Frini Karayanidis and Dr Michelle Kelly from the School of Psychology at the University of Newcastle and Professor Jane Davidson and Professor Felicity Baker from the University of Melbourne. There are currently three projects underway: a survey of older adults’ current and past activities; a song-writing program in aged care (now transferred to online delivery) and an online art-making course. In 2021 we plan a large-scale song-writing and performance research study with three aged-care homes and Lake Macquarie Council.
Research Expertise
Music and World-Building; Colonial Music; Nineteenth-Century Music; Music sociology
Teaching Expertise
Australian Music, Musicology, Music history, Piano playing and associated skills, 19th Century music, Baroque music
Administrative Expertise
Program Convenor, Software expertise: Word, Excel, Publisher, Finale, Sibelius. Auditions, enrollments, orientation, credits, mentoring, completions
Collaborations
"Assessment in Music: An approach to aligning assessment with Threshold Learning Outcomes in the Creative and Performing Arts" This research project was led by Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University from 2012-2014. As a team member, I was a contributor to discussions about assessment in music and was involved in determining Threshold Learning Outcomes in Music Studies at Tertiary level. In 2013 I gave a conference paper as co-author with Richard Vella, Chair of Music at University of Newcastle, "Embedding Creative and Critical thinking in Performance Studies - the Challenge". This is due to be published by Springer in 2014 as a book chapter
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle
- Diploma in Music, Guild Hall School of Music and Drama
- Master of Arts (Music), University of Newcastle
Keywords
- Australian Music
- Music and Social Justice
- Musicology
- Nineteenth Century Music
- creative ageing
- music and gender
- music and wellbeing
- music and world-building
- sociology of music
Languages
- French (Fluent)
- Italian (Fluent)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 360303 | Music education | 30 |
| 360304 | Music performance | 30 |
| 360306 | Musicology and ethnomusicology | 40 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Associate Professor | University of Newcastle School of Creative Industries Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4/2003 - | Executive Officer | NACTMUS (National Council for Tertiary Music) Australia |
| 1/1/1997 - 1/12/1999 | Associate Lecturer | University of Tasmania Conservatorium Of Music Institute Australia |
Professional appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/1/1993 - 1/4/1993 | Music Staff | Opera 80 (now English Touring Opera) Opera: Education Unit United Kingdom |
| 1/1/1993 - 1/12/1994 | Music Staff | Royal Opera House, London United Kingdom |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Together in Music, Oxford University Press (2021)
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| 2020 |
English H, Music and World-Building in the Colonial City: Newcastle, NSW, and its Townships, 1860-1880, Routledge, Abingdon, 228 (2020) [A1]
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Chapter (9 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Lynch S, English H, Drummond J, Scott N, 'Exploring cell-based dynamic music composition to create non-linear musical works', Innovation in Music: Technology and Creativity, Routledge, London (2024) [B1]
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| 2022 | English H, 'Empowering Ensembles ', Together in Music: Participation, coordination, and creativity in ensembles, Oxford University Press, Oxford (2022) | |||||||
| 2021 | English H, 'Possible Technology Selves: The conflicts for female students in considering music careers', The Elephant's Leg Adventures in the Creative Industries, Common Ground, Champaign, Ill. (2021) | |||||||
| 2021 | English HJ, ''Ethiopian Entertainers' and opera burlesque: Blackface parodies in colonial Australia', Opera, Emotions and the Antipodes. Historical Perspectives: Creating the Metropolis ; Delineating the Other, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon 137-165 (2021) [B1] | Nova | ||||||
| 2021 |
English HJ, 'Empowering ensembles: Music and world-building past and present', Together in Music: Coordination, Expression, Participation, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK 227-235 (2021) [B1]
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| 2018 | English H, 'Migrant Musicians and Their Impact on the Emerging Music Making of the Hunter Valley, 1840 1880', Diversity in Australia's Music, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne 73-99 (2018) [B1] | Nova | ||||||
| 2015 |
Vella R, English H, 'Embedding Creative and Critical Thinking in Performance Studies - The Challenge', Assessment in Music Education: From Policy to Practice, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland 141-151 (2015) [B1]
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Nova | ||||||
| 2012 | English HJ, Wye SQ, 'Musical entertainment in Newcastle, NSW, 1875-77', A World of Popular Entertainments: An Edited Volume of Critical Essays, Cambridge Scholars, Newcastle upon Tyne 207-220 (2012) [B1] | Nova | ||||||
| Show 6 more chapters | ||||||||
Journal article (16 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
English H, Drummond J, Kerrigan S, 'Im/possible musical selves: experiences of female music students in a music degree', Australian Educational Researcher, (2024) [C1] Recent studies and media articles draw attention to gender imbalances in the music industry, both locally in Australia and globally. In Australia, there have been calls to overhau... [more] Recent studies and media articles draw attention to gender imbalances in the music industry, both locally in Australia and globally. In Australia, there have been calls to overhaul tertiary music programmes to support and encourage female students into careers such as sound production, screen composition and contemporary music performance, where women are greatly underrepresented. Taking up this call, we investigated the experiences of women in a music degree programme at a regional university. Positioned as a music education study at tertiary level, we focussed on any barriers female students perceived to be affecting their participation in specific music courses. We took a phenomenological approach, collecting data through focus groups and examining the data through a ¿possible selves¿ framework, as described by Markus and Nurius. The findings from the focus groups indicated that female students felt unconfident about some career paths, which they described as male-dominated, notably in the STEM-focussed music technology courses, and perceived some learning environments as not gender-inclusive. The ¿possible selves¿ framework pointed to the role of emotions in female students¿ learning experiences. The importance of positive emotions for confident learning is applicable to other higher education disciplines, particularly those in STEM.
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| 2023 |
Pridmore S, English HJ, Pridmore W, Naguy A, 'Suicide in Chinese myths and legends-Some familiar themes.', Australas Psychiatry, 31 497-501 (2023) [C1]
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| 2023 |
English HJ, Davidson JW, 'Adela and transformative learning: A Freirean perspective on a community music education project in Melbourne, Australia', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MUSIC EDUCATION, 41 571-584 (2023) [C1]
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| 2023 |
Kelly M, English H, Dingle G, Karayanidis F, Davidson JW, 'Widening Participation in Creative Activities for Older Adults: A Report on a Symposium Held in Australia', Voices, 23 (2023) [C1]
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| 2022 |
English H, Kelly M, Danckert C, Rosekilly P, Donoghoe Z, Karayanidis F, 'Song-write you way to wellbeing: Six-week Pilot Study of an Online Program for Older Adults', Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing, 1-15 (2022) [C1]
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| 2021 |
English HJ, Lumb M, Davidson JW, 'What are the affordances of the digital music space in alternative education? A reflection on an exploratory music outreach project in rural Australia', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MUSIC EDUCATION, 39 275-288 (2021) [C1]
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| 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]
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| 2020 | English H, Khayati H, 'On the Genesis of Tradition/Modernity Discourse in the Field of Iranian Music', Sociology of Culture and Art, 2 (2020) [C1] | Nova | |||||||||
| 2020 |
English HJ, Davidson JW, 'Music for good: Reflections on a community music project through the lens of historical nostalgia', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY MUSIC, 13 253-270 (2020) [C1]
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| 2019 |
English H, 'Blackface at Work and Play: Amateur Minstrel Groups in the Hunter Valley, 1840 1880', Musicology Australia, 41 1-21 (2019) [C1]
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| 2018 |
English H, Monk S, Davidson JW, 'Music and world-building in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia', International Journal of Community Music, 11 245-263 (2018) [C1]
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| 2018 |
English H, Lumb M, Page J, Wilton J, 'Spaces of solace and world-building: A praxis-based approach to Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) outreach for equity and widening participation in higher education', International Studies in Widening Participation, 5 10-25 (2018) [C1]
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| 2017 | English HJ, 'Singing and Identity Formation in Newcastle, 1860 1880: Choirs, Cultivation and Connectedness', Journal of Australian Colonial History, 19 95-118 (2017) [C1] | Nova | |||||||||
| 2014 |
English HJ, 'Music-Making in the Colonial City: Benefit Concerts in Newcastle, NSW in the 1870s', Musicology Australia, 36 53-73 (2014) [C1]
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| 2013 | English HJ, 'Musical Entertainment in Newcastle, New South Wales, in the 1870s: Audience, Identity, Power and Cultural Ownership', Crossroads: an interdisciplinary journal for the study of history, philosophy, religion and classics, VI 73-83 (2013) [C1] | Nova | |||||||||
| Show 13 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Conference (6 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Lynch S, English H, Drummond J, Scott N, 'Exploring Dynamic Music Methods to Extend Compositional Outcomes', Stockholm (Online) (2022)
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| 2022 |
Lynch S, English H, Drummond J, Scott N, 'Implications of Dynamic Music on Compositional Processes and Outcomes', MSA (Online) (2022)
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| 2019 | English H, Davidson JW, 'Music for good: Reflections on a community music project', Program of the International Symposium on Performance Science 2019, University of Melbourne (2019) | ||||
| 2013 | English HJ, 'Re-viewing history through sound - fact or fiction?', re-Visions: Proceedings of the New Zealand Musicological Society and the Musicological Society of Australia Joint Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand (2013) [E1] | Nova | |||
| 2009 | English HJ, Wye SQ, 'Popular musical entertainment in Newcastle 1876, focusing on the opening and early operation of the Victoria Theatre, Perkins Street', A World of Popular Entertainments Conference Proceedings, Callaghan, NSW (2009) [E3] | ||||
| Show 3 more conferences | |||||
Creative Work (5 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Lemoh T, English H, Scott N, Raymond Hanson: Complete Piano Works (Audio Recording), The University of Newcastle Harold Lobb Concert Hall, NAXOS Cat No: GP860-61 (2021)
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| 2019 |
Kelly M, Pohlman S, Marlin S, Shaw G, Shadbolt J, Freeman E, et al., Brain @ Watt Space, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle, Australia (2019)
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| 2017 | English HJ, Colonial Music from the Hunter Valley, SoundCloud, https://soundcloud.com/stream (2017) | ||||
| 2013 | English HJ, Forgotten Composers of the Hunter Valley, 1870-79, Harold Lobb Recital Hall, Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle, NSW, Australia (2013) [J2] | Nova | |||
| 2008 | English HJ, Margery's Times: Margery Through the Looking Glass, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK (2008) [J2] | Nova | |||
| Show 2 more creative works | |||||
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 27 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $943,189 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20231 grants / $5,183
External collaboration_International_English$5,183
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English, Professor Rosie Perkins, Associate Professor Freya Bailes, Professor Karen Burland |
| Scheme | External Collaboration Grant Scheme - International |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2023 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | G2300433 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20223 grants / $564,629
Creative ageing through transformative engagement with music $482,129
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English, Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2024 |
| GNo | G2001142 |
| Type Of Funding | C1200 - Aust Competitive - ARC |
| Category | 1200 |
| UON | Y |
Designing evidence-based creative arts programs to maintain healthy minds in older adults$75,000
Funding body: Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd
| Funding body | Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd |
|---|---|
| Project Team | A/Prof Helen English, Dr Sharon Savage, Dr Michelle Kelly, Prof Frini Karayanidis |
| Scheme | Dementia Australia Project Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2024 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | C1700 - Aust Competitive - Other |
| Category | 1700 |
| UON | N |
Creative aging through transformative engagement with music - College cash contribution$7,500
Funding body: College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | CHSF |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2024 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20213 grants / $91,030
Designing evidence-based creative arts programs to maintain healthy brains and minds in older adults$75,000
Funding body: Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd
| Funding body | Dementia Australia Research Foundation Ltd |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English, Associate Professor Helen English, Doctor Sharon Savage, Professor Frini Karayanidis, Associate Professor Michelle Kelly |
| Scheme | Project Grants |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | G2101029 |
| Type Of Funding | C1700 - Aust Competitive - Other |
| Category | 1700 |
| UON | Y |
Does creativity enhance wellbeing and brain health?$14,770
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English (Lead); Dr Caelli Brooker; A/Prof Keri Glastonbury; Dr Alexandra Lewis; Prof Frini Karayanidis (Psychology); Dr Michelle Kelly (Psychology); Dr Helena Bezzina (Conjoint); Prof Jane Davidson (UoM); Prof Felicity Baker (UoM) |
| Scheme | Strategic Network and Pilot Project Grants Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2021 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
CHSF Early Advice Scheme 2021$1,260
Funding body: College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | CHSF - Early Advice Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2021 |
| Funding Finish | 2021 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20205 grants / $59,156
Effects of creative arts engagement on neural, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing in community-dwelling older adults$34,000
Funding body: Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor Frini Karayanidis, Dr Michelle Kelly, Dr Helen English, Professor Felicity Baker |
| Scheme | PRC Project Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Faculty funding for external engagement in 2020 - Centre for 21st Century Humanities$20,000
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr J McIntyre (Director); Dr K Ariotti; A/Prof G Arrighi; Dr H Askland; Dr J Coffey; A/Prof N Cushing; E/Prof H Craig; Dr H English et al. |
| Scheme | Faculty funding |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
2020 Faculty of Education and Arts Strategic Application Support Scheme$2,500
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English |
| Scheme | 2020 FEDUA Strategic Application Support Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
2020 FEDUA 'Finish that Output' scheme funding$1,396
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr H English (Leader); J Davidson (University of Melbourne). |
| Scheme | FEDUA 'Finish that Output' scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
2020 Faculty of Education and Arts Strategic Early Advice and Feedback Scheme$1,260
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English |
| Scheme | 2020 FEDUA Strategic Early Advice and Feedback Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2020 |
| Funding Finish | 2020 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20193 grants / $88,757
ECR-HDR Scholarship$82,827
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle, Australia
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle, Australia |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English |
| Scheme | ECR-HDR Scholarship |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Creative Ageing small grant$4,930
Funding body: Centre for 21st Century Humanities, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Centre for 21st Century Humanities, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen J English; Prof. Frini Karayanidis; Dr Michelle Kelly |
| Scheme | C21CH 2019 Projects |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Travel Grant$1,000
Funding body: School of Creative Industries | University of Newcastle
| Funding body | School of Creative Industries | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English; Prof. Frini Karayanidis; Dr Michelle Kelly; Patrick Skippen |
| Scheme | Conference registration |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2019 |
| Funding Finish | 2019 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20182 grants / $16,072
Possible Technology Selves: Investigating Factors Contributing to Women’s Absence from Technology Courses within Music and Communication Programs$15,000
This research project aims to enhance understanding of an area of inequity found in the underrepresentation of women in particular School of Creative Industries (SOCI) degree programs and courses, notably those involving technology. It will seek to identify factors contributing to female students’ reluctance to participate in these programs and their courses. Data will be gathered exploring perceptions of certain skills and ensuing career paths, framed within the concept of Possible Selves (Marcus and Nurius, 1986). The project will also investigate whether imagined futures alter during the Tertiary Education journey, including the period post-undergraduate, whether as a professional or in postgraduate study. Having identified these factors, the team will implement changes in pedagogy, assess their impact and draw up recommendations for future directions not only in inclusive pedagogies, but also in mentoring and work-integrated learning opportunities.
Funding body: Centre for Excellence in Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE)
| Funding body | Centre for Excellence in Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen English, Ass Prof Susan Kerrigan, Ass Prof Jon Drummond |
| Scheme | Excellence in Teaching for Equity in Higher Education (ETEHE) |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2018 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
The Future of Emotions: Conversations Without Borders, Perth, 14-15 June 2018$1,072
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Helen English |
| Scheme | FEDUA Conference Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2018 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20172 grants / $8,500
Music and world-building: from past to present$5,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Pilot Project Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Blackface at work and play: the rise of minstrelsy in the Hunter Valley, 1840-1880$3,500
Funding body: ARC Centre of Excellence for History of Emotions
| Funding body | ARC Centre of Excellence for History of Emotions |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Dr Helen J English |
| Scheme | Associate Investigator, CHE |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | C1200 - Aust Competitive - ARC |
| Category | 1200 |
| UON | N |
20151 grants / $63,811
Building aspiration in the Creative and Performing Arts$63,811
Funding body: Department of Education
| Funding body | Department of Education |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English, Doctor Jocelyn McKinnon, Doctor Kathryn Grushka, Doctor Miranda Lawry |
| Scheme | Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1501420 |
| Type Of Funding | C2110 - Aust Commonwealth - Own Purpose |
| Category | 2110 |
| UON | Y |
20142 grants / $28,750
ERF Teaching Relief - English$25,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English, Professor Richard Vella |
| Scheme | Equity Research Fellowship |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1301347 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
Music in the valley: identity, memory and reinvention in colonial Newcastle 1870-1879$3,750
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | Equity Research Fellowship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1301236 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20121 grants / $11,773
BMUS Literacy$11,773
This proposal will draw on a three-way partnership between the Community, the BMUS and the Conservatorium. This project proposes ways to retain those already in the program and to act as mentors to increase further low SES enrolments.
Funding body: Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (former)
| Funding body | Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (former) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Helen English |
| Scheme | Higher Education Partnerships and Participation Program |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | N |
20101 grants / $1,500
Musicological Society of Australia/New Zealand Musicological Society Conference, University of Otago, New Zealand, 2 - 4 December 2010$1,500
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2011 |
| GNo | G1000843 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20082 grants / $3,600
Margery's Times: Margery Through the Looking Glass$1,900
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | New Staff Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2008 |
| Funding Finish | 2008 |
| GNo | G0188941 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 7/7/2008 - 10/7/2008$1,700
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2008 |
| Funding Finish | 2008 |
| GNo | G0189126 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20071 grants / $428
Time and Temporalities$428
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Helen English |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2007 |
| Funding Finish | 2007 |
| GNo | G0188279 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Masters | How Traditional Languages are Vocalised and used in Modern Australian Music by Aboriginal Artists and/or Bands, and the Traditional Instruments and Music Compositional Techniques that are used to Vocalise my Gamilaraay Culture | M Philosophy (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2022 | PhD | Can Music Positively Impact the Wellbeing of Health Care Workers | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Separately Amused: Social Aspects of Musical Entertainment in Sydney from 1820 to 1840 | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Important Considerations and Strategic Approaches to Effective Audition Practice and Performance: An Examination in the Context of Popular Australian Audition Repertoire | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2021 | PhD | Nonlinear Dynamic Music: Applying Adaptive Game Music Techniques to Broader Contexts of Music Distribution | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2019 | PhD | Designing Songwriting Courses for Older Adults: The Challenges and Possibilities | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2007 | Honours | Associate Artist or Accompanist?: an evaluation of the pianist's role | Music, University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Past Supervision
| Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | PhD | Crossfade: Exploring Interstitial Spaces and Public Collaboration in a New Orchestral Composition Entitled Portraits of the Air | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | The Piano Works of Raymond Hanson: Discovery, Exploration and Reflection | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2020 | PhD | The Solo Viola in Britain 1885–1953 | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2019 | PhD | Folksonomy vs. Taxonomy in the Celestial Jukebox: What Does Folksonomy Achieve in Music Streaming? | PhD (Music), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
News
News • 18 Feb 2022
Researchers get creative to support healthy ageing minds
Researchers will investigate how the creative arts can support healthy brains and heathy minds as we age.
News • 17 Aug 2021
Funding success supports early career research translate to real-world
Five outstanding early career researchers have been successful in securing more than $2 million in the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme.
News • 4 May 2020
New book looks at how migrants used music to help shape their lives in nineteenth-century Newcastle
How did nineteenth-century migrants to Australia use music to make sense of their new surroundings? That is the question focused on in a newly published book authored by School of Creative Industries researcher and member of the Centre for 21st Century Humanities, Dr Helen English.
News • 14 Feb 2020
New monthly radio spot features creative ageing researcher Dr Helen English
School of Creative Industries lecturer and Centre for 21st Century Humanities member, Dr Helen English will join ABC Radio Newcastle Mornings presenter Kia Handley in a monthly radio interview about her research that is focused on understanding the benefits of engagement with creative activities, such as in music, dance or art, for older members of society.
News • 15 Nov 2019
Research examines older people’s engagement with creative and physical activities
Identifying barriers and enablers to lifetime engagement with creative and physical activities.
Associate Professor Helen English
Position
ARC DECRA
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Focus area
Music
Contact Details
| helen.english@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | 0405607272 |
| Links |
Research Networks Personal Blogs SoundCloud Personal webpage |
Office
| Location | NUspace, Level 4 , |
|---|
Connect with me
Helen English - Music Making in the Colonial City
Written by University of Newcastle Senior Lecturer in Music, Helen English,this article highlights the importance of benefit concerts for communities
Helen English - Music and World Building in the Colonial City
How did nineteenth-century migrants to Australia use music to make sense of their new surroundings? That is the question focused on in a newly published book authored by School of Creative Industries researcher and member of the Centre for 21st Century Humanities, Dr Helen English.
NEWS • Feb 18.2022
Researchers get creative to support healthy ageing minds
Researchers will investigate how the creative arts can support healthy brains and heathy minds as we age.
NEWS • Aug 17.2021
Funding success supports early career research translate to real-world
Five outstanding University of Newcastle early career researchers have been successful in securing more than $2 million in the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme.
NEWS • May 04.2020
New book looks at how migrants used music to help shape their lives in nineteenth-century Newcastle
Music and World-Building in the Colonial City Newcastle, NSW, and its Townships, 1860-1880 is a new book published by Dr Helen English.
NEWS • Feb 14.2020
New monthly radio spot features creative ageing researcher Dr Helen English
School of Creative Industries lecturer and Centre for 21st Century Humanities member, Dr Helen English will join ABC Radio Newcastle Mornings presenter Kia Handley in a monthly radio interview about her research.
NEWS • Nov 15.2019
Research examines older people’s engagement with creative and physical activities
Dr Helen English is conducting research on creative aging. The project is part of a large-scale interdisciplinary endeavour that is focussed on understanding the benefits of engagement with creative activities, such as in music, dance or art, for older members of society.