Hip Hop Culture in Australia 

I have been researching how people in Australia practice and understand Hip Hop for nearly twenty years, beginning with my PhD. My thesis titled ‘Living Hip Hop: Defining Authenticity in the Adelaide and Melbourne Hip Hop Scenes’ (2012) was an ethnographic study of Hip Hop which made important contributions to Global Hip Hop studies, producing new insights into processes of globalisation, localisation and authentication. Over time, I have expanded my Hip Hop research to explore key themes such as: Hip Hop education and well-being; the experiences of First Nations practitioners; and most recently; generational change, history-making and Hip Hop archives.  I am author of The Calling (2023) a book about the impact of the 2003 album of the same name by Adelaide group the Hilltop Hoods in the Bloomsbury 33 1/3 series.  I am co-editor (with Sudiipta Dowsett, Lucas Marie and Grant Leigh Saunders) of the first academic collection to focus on Hip Hop in Australia titled: Representing Hip Hop Histories, Politics and Practices in Australia.

Music and Youth Services

Long-Term Impacts of Youth Program Participation (City of Onkaparinga Youth Services Team Partnership): In 2023, I worked with Dr Johny Karanicolas to conduct a literature review for the Youth Services Team that addressed the research question: ‘What are the longer-term impacts of participation in youth programs across people’s life course?’. The review found that participation in youth programs had several positive long-term effects but identified a need for more research that engages participants later in life. This finding led to an extension of the project in 2024 with Media Studies colleagues (Dr Kim Barbour, Dr Aaron Humphries, Dr Matt Hart and PhD candidate Megan Moon). Our team conducted video interviews with thirteen South Australians who attended a diverse range of youth services when they were aged between 8 and 25 years-old.  Interviews were thematically analysed and edited into four short videos outlining key findings: 1) Confidence and Resilience 2) Networks and Relationships 3) Skill for Life and 4) Participation Barriers. The videos can be viewed on the City of Onkaparinga website. 

‘Elevate the Spirit’: Effective Hip Hop Workshops for First Nations Young People in Kaurna Yerta: In 2022, I led a team project exploring the design and delivery of Hip Hop workshops for First Nations young people in Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide). The project explored the motivations of Hip Hop mentors and the benefits of Hip Hop education from their perspective. This project was funded by the Mountford Bequest and included team members: Dr Margaret Becker (co-designer / funding applicant), Dr Paul Chambers and Indigenous cadet, Kynesha Temple whose position was funded by Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education. To view the full report (click here), to view a summary paper (click here).

In the same year, I worked with Dr Johnny Karanicolas to evaluate the WOMADelaide x Northern Sound System Artist Academy. The Academy is a training & development program for emerging First Nations and multicultural artists, developed by WOMADelaide in collaboration with the City of Playford. The evaluation included participant observation at events and interviews with artists and staff. We produced a final report that explored the benefits of the program, core factors that contributed to program success, program challenges and future recommendations. 

Health Communication and Development

Health-e Baby: From 2012-2014 I was the Senior Research Fellow on the ‘Health-e Baby’ project (ARC Linkage grant) which explored the health communication and media preferences of pregnant women and led to the production and evaluation of a tailored pregnancy smartphone application. The interdisciplinary project team was: Prof. Andrew Skuse, Prof. Vicki Clifton, Prof. Mike Wilmore, Dr. Sal Humphreys and Dr. Julia Dalton, RN, RM. 

Communication for Development: In 2011 I worked as a Research Assistant on a joint project with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), the Department for International Development (DFID), 3ie & AusAID led by Professor Andrew Skuse. This project resulted in the publication of a Systematic Review exploring the factors that facilitate and constrain C4D (communication for development) interventions in fragile states. The full review and policy briefs can be viewed here.