Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

03/06/2026

Should Australia’s cultural policy prioritise artistic freedom? 🎨

A thought-provoking ArtsHub piece argues that ‘social cohesion’ is increasingly being used to limit artistic expression — raising real concerns for the sector. [artshub.com.au]

At its core, the article reminds us: freedom of expression isn’t optional — it’s fundamental. [artshub.com.au]

💭 As the next national cultural policy takes shape, it’s worth asking:
Are we protecting space for bold, challenging ideas — or playing it safe?

What do you think? 👇

https://lnkd.in/gdxUHu9D

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28/05/2026

Great to see Dr Susan Grantham from our Centre featured in the New York Times 🗞️🌏

The article explores how quiet neighbourhoods can suddenly become global hotspots when they go viral online — bringing beauty, attention, and sometimes unexpected challenges for local residents.

Dr Grantham’s insights on the impact of social media–driven tourism capture a growing tension between digital visibility and community wellbeing. Her commentary adds important nuance to a conversation that’s becoming increasingly relevant worldwide 📸➡️🏡

Proud to see Griffith expertise shaping international discussions on social media, culture, and community impact 👏🎓

Australia’s ‘Prettiest Street’ Is Grappling With TikTok and Instagram Fame - The New York Times

27/05/2026

Important conversation ahead ⚖️🏅

Join the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research and the Sport and Gender Equity Research Hub for:

S*x, Sport, and Rights: Assessing the IOC’s 2026 Eligibility Rules

Presented by Professor Sarah Joseph 🎤

A timely deep dive into one of the most significant policy shifts in global sport

18/05/2026

🎧 New research shines a spotlight on the power of community radio in Australia’s music ecosystem

A landmark Australian Research Council–funded study led by Monash and Griffith researchers has revealed the extraordinary role community radio plays in supporting Australian music.

🔊 Key findings include:

• Community radio contributes more than $153 million annually to the national music economy

• It broadcasts more than double the Australian music played on commercial networks

• Around 1.3 million Australians purchase music, merchandise or tickets after hearing artists on community radio

• 30% of listeners discover local or emerging artists through the sector

Far from being a niche platform, community radio is shown to be a critical engine for music discovery, artist development, and audience engagement—particularly for emerging, independent and diverse voices. [themusicnetwork.com]

This research, co-led by Susan Forde and collaborators, provides compelling evidence of the sector’s cultural and economic significance—and a strong case for continued investment in Australia’s creative industries.

👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWCJ3GFc

Griffith University

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07/05/2026

📢 Upcoming Seminar

S*x, Sport, and Rights: Assessing the IOC’s 2026 Eligibility Rules

Presented by Professor Sarah Joseph

In March 2026, the IOC introduced new rules that will exclude trans women and many DSD women from the female category at the 2028 Olympics. All women athletes will now be required to undergo a one‑off SRY gene test to compete.

This seminar explores how the IOC’s shift from its 2021 inclusion‑focused framework aligns — or conflicts — with international human rights law.

📅 Wednesday June 3, 2026 at 5.00pm AEST

For more details or to register -

07/05/2026

Great news from GCSCR member Linda Hassall 🚀

The ARC‑funded Culture for Climate: Performance and Ecology Research Lab website has officially soft‑launched 🌿🎭

Huge congratulations to Linda and the project team — Culture for Climate Lab/Performance & Ecology Research Team — on this milestone.

Take a look around the site to see what’s emerging 👀 https://cultureforclimate.com/

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07/05/2026

We’re thrilled to share that Race and the Scottish Enlightenment: A Colonial History, 1750–1820 by Linda Anderson Burnett and our own Professor Bruce Buchan has been shortlisted for the 2026 BSHS Pickstone Prize.

The Pickstone Prize recognises outstanding scholarship in the history of science, and this year’s shortlist reflects the depth and ambition of research shaping the field today. Bruce’s work, produced in collaboration with Andersson Burnett and published by Yale University Press, offers a powerful re-examination of how Scottish Enlightenment thinkers helped shape early racial thought through global networks of medicine, natural history, and colonial encounter.

A huge congratulations to Bruce — the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research is proud to see this important work receive international recognition. We look forward to the announcement of the winner in the coming weeks.

Link to book here - https://lnkd.in/g623euTK

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21/04/2026

🎶 Fan Core: Gen X Women Writing About Music 📚

📍 Avid Reader Thursday July 30 @ 6.00pm

From Beatlemaniacs and Riot Grrrls to Swifties and beyond, women have always been at the heart of popular music culture. Yet their voices have too often been marginalised or silenced.

Fan Core: Gen X Women Writing About Music brings these stories front and centre ✨

Born between 1965–1980, Gen X women have witnessed — and shaped — a seismic cultural shift in how women engage with music as fans, musicians, writers, commentators and industry professionals.

This lively panel features four kick‑ass women reflecting on writing that is deeply generational, personal and political, exploring their long‑standing relationships with popular music and subcultural communities 🎤✍️

We’re proud to have GCSCR centre members Christine Feldman-Barrett and Sally Breen on the panel, in conversation about women, fandom and music history at one of Brisbane’s great independent bookstores ❤️

🎟️ Don’t miss this conversation at Avid Reader. https://avidreader.com.au/pages/14088-FanCoreGenXWomenWritingAboutMusic

🎶📖💥

16/04/2026

🌍 Doing Inclusive Sport Leadership: International Perspectives on Policy and Practice

Join this online seminar exploring how gender‑inclusive sport leadership is enabled—or constrained—across contemporary sport systems.

Part of the SAGE Partnership on Gender Equity & Sport Leadership with QSport and the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport, the seminar brings together leading researchers, policymakers and practitioners to examine the gap between equity commitments and organisational practice.

With insights from Jude Blacklock (ANU), Dr Georgia Munro‑Cook, the Australian Sports Commission, and global perspectives, this session is highly relevant for anyone working in sport governance, leadership, equity reform, or Brisbane 2032 legacy planning.

📍 Online | 🎓 Research‑informed | 🌏 International perspectives



Register today -

30/03/2026

🦘 Ancient NT Rock Art Sheds New Light on the Tasmanian Tiger

A fascinating new article in The Conversation—authored by our Centre members Professor Paul Tacon and Dr Andrea Jalandoni—reveals how ancient rock art in the Northern Territory is reshaping what we know about the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine).

These thousands‑year‑old depictions offer rare insight into how First Nations communities observed and represented the thylacine, expanding our understanding of its historical range and cultural significance. It’s a powerful reminder of how Indigenous knowledge and archaeological science together can illuminate Australia’s deep past in ways that challenge long‑held assumptions.

Congratulations to Paul and Andrea for this important contribution. Their work continues to demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary research and the enduring relevance of rock art in telling Australia’s ecological and cultural story.

A compelling read for anyone interested in heritage, biodiversity, or the intersection of art and science.

The rock art reveals the Thylacine’s deep significance to Aboriginal peoples.