I have a diverse range of experience within the visual and performing arts sectors in both Australia and the UK.
I was raised by my mother, Anne, who exposed me to various forms of art and psychology from a very young age. Anne was a contemporary dancer and a psychiatric nurse (who executed the best performance art renditions of both Godzilla and Monkey Magic), and Anne’s sister Helen was a psychiatrist. As a small child, I often accompanied Anne on tour. It was not uncommon to be babysat by a sound engineer (i.e., Jane Rossetto, currently the Head of Sound at Adelaide Festival Centre), be entertained by a performance art rehearsal (e.g., Maggie Tonkin’s rendition of a chicken laying an egg containing Godzilla), or overhear Helen and Anne's conversations about the relationships between psychology and art. I developed a deep fascination with all things creative because of this unusual childhood.
I've always been a creative person, as well as a night owl. I didn’t fit in well at school, particularly because it was so difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning! Yet, in the performing and visual arts worlds outside of that hostile school environment, I always felt at home. From the foam sculpture classes at Carclew, to learning specialist watercolour techniques at Ruth Tuck Art School, and almost a decade of singing with the Australian Youth Choir, as well as countless theatrical productions with Urban Myth Theatre of Youth, I found spaces where I was accepted. In these environments, both my talents and quirks were celebrated, which was a life-affirming counterpoint to the schoolyard bullying.
As an adult, I've explored a diverse range of creative fields. I have worked as a performance artist, a musical theatre actor, a performing arts producer, and a textile artist. The most memorable of these projects was the Go-Go Dancing Nannies performance art troupe, created by one of Meryl Tankard’s dancers, Roz Hervey. I was one of approximately eight mod-outfitted nannies who danced in authentic 60s style to the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction, interspersed with Busby Berkeley-style pram choreography. The prams contained fake babies that would occasionally cry. The troupe, along with their accompanying vintage prams, would be loaded into a minibus and then delivered to public spaces, such as shopping malls and parks, where the performances took place.
The Go-Go Dancing Nannies, created and choreographed by Roz Hervey, designed by Gaelle Mellis. Photographed by Andy Rasheed, 1997.
Other notable projects include my starring role in Freeway (a musical about heroin addicts written by Pat Rix, which considerably stretched my acting abilities), an ensemble role (performing alongside my mother Anne) in the political musical Scam, and producing a late-night music and cabaret program for Comedy@Trades (with help from my dear friend Saskia Moore) which proved more popular than the official Melbourne International Comedy Festival club.
Freeway, the musical, book by Pat Rix, with music by Pat Rix and Miranda Bradley, set and costume design by Silvana Angelakis, and lighting design by Mark Pennington. Photographed by Eric Algra, 1998.
I have now established a place for myself in academia, where I investigate the factors that contribute to individual differences in creativity. Alongside my textile art and research work, I take particular joy in teaching and am committed to inclusive practice. My approach is shaped by a determination to create the kinds of learning environments that I sorely lacked in my own formal education; spaces where every student is recognised, valued, and supported to be fully and unapologetically themselves.
Please have a look at my LinkedIn profile for more information about my recent work history.
@amberroselimcreative
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