BOWERBIRD
QUALIFICATIONS
2013 M.A. Performance Studies, Victoria University Awarded College of Arts ‘Most Outstanding Postgraduate by Research Student’
2009 Diploma Theatre Arts (Solo Residency), Victoria University
2006 Graduate Diploma in Animateuring, Victorian College of the Arts
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Certificate IV (Assessment and Workplace Training), Mission Australia
2001 Certificate in Counseling, LifeLine/Childline, Namibia
1997 B. Music Performance (Improvisation) in voice, Victorian College of the Arts
1988 B. Sc. (Hons I), Monash University
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Australian Women Directors Alliance
International Federation Theatre Research
Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapters:
Berger, Karen. “Finding Belonging in an Uncountry.” in Hopeful Places 1950 – 2010, edited by Chris McConville, Ballarat: ConnorCourt Publishing, 2015.
Berger, Karen. " 'To Soothe the Pillow of a Dying Race': The Force of a Phrase in Producing Theatre." Chap. 5 in Testimony, Witness, Authority: The Politics and Poetics of Experience, edited by Tom Clark, Sasha Henriss-anderssen and Tara Mokhtari, 49-61. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013.
Peer Reviewed Journals:
Berger, Karen. "‘In Search of the Thing Itself’ – Animals and Africans in the Art of Three Jewish Women - Maya Deren, Clarice Lispector and Helene Cixous." Australian Association of Jewish Studies Journal XXIV (2010): 23-36.
Berger, Karen. "The White Darkness: Confluences in the Imaginative Explorations of Identity and ‘the Other’ in the Work of Three Jewish Woman Artists in the Tropics - Maya Deren (1917 - 1961) in Haiti, Clarice Lispector (1920 - 1977) in Brazil, and Hélène Cixous (1937 - ) in Algeria." etropic 9, (2010). http://www.jcu.edu.au/etropic/ET9/Berger.htm.
Conference Papers:
Berger, Karen. The Uncanny Adventures of an Unaustralian presented at Performing Transformations Conference, Tangiers, 2012. Another version of this paper was presented at Place and Displacement Conference, Melbourne, 2012.
Berger, Karen. ‘In Search of the Thing Itself’ – Africans in the Art of Two Ukrainian/American Jewish Artists: Maya Deren (1917 - 1961) and Clarice Lispector (1920 – 1977) presented at the The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific Annual Conference, Melbourne, 2012.
Berger, Karen. Attending Cixous’ Schools of The Dead, Dreams and Roots to Create Performance presented at The Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies Annual Conference, Melbourne, 2011.
Other:
Berger, Karen. Director’s Notes, in The Parricide by Diane Stubbings. Sydney: Currency Press, 2014.
Berger, Karen. “Director Karen Berger On Diane Stubbings’ The Parricide” in Theatre People, April 23rd, 2014. http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/director-karen-berger-on-diane-stubbings-the-parricide/
Berger, Karen. The Wailing Wall, in Contemporary Fables Volume 1, Melbourne: Gilgamesh Publications, 2010.
Karen Berger: QUALIFICATIONS
2021 PhD Performance Studies, Federation University
2021 Forest Therapy Guide, International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance
2013 M.A. Performance Studies, Victoria University
Awarded College of Arts ‘Most Outstanding Postgraduate by Research Student’
2009 Diploma Theatre Arts (Solo Residency), Victoria University
2006 Graduate Diploma in Animateuring, Victorian College of the Arts
2005 Certificate IV (Assessment and Workplace Training), Mission Australia
2001 Certificate in Counseling, LifeLine/Childline, Namibia
1997 B. Music Performance (Improvisation) in voice, Victorian College of the Arts
1988 B. Sc. (Hons I), Monash University
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
International Federation Theatre Research
Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies
Theatre and Performance Research Association, U.K.
Australian Women Directors Alliance
Institute of Postcolonial Studies
Critical Border Studies
Multicultural Arts Victoria Melbourne Festival Ambassador, 2017
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapters:
Berger, Karen. “Breaking Boundaries in the work of artist, Tracey Moffatt” in Creative Activism: Research, Pedagogy and Practice, edited by Elspeth Tilley, Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, in press 2021.
–. “Finding Belonging in an Uncountry.” in Hopeful Places 1950 – 2010, edited by Chris McConville, Ballarat: ConnorCourt Publishing, 2015.
–. “ 'To Soothe the Pillow of a Dying Race': The Force of a Phrase in Producing Theatre.” Chap. 5 in Testimony, Witness, Authority: The Politics and Poetics of Experience, edited by Tom Clark, Sasha Henriss-anderssen and Tara Mokhtari, 49-61. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013.
Peer Reviewed Journals:
–. “Performing the Bounds of Responsibility.” Acts of Liberation, Special Edition of Humanities, 2021. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/10/4/112/pdf
–. “Performing the Limits of Home.” Platform: Journal of Theatre and Performing Arts, Vol. 16, No. 1, Within Limits, Spring 2022. https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/media/20082/10-performing%20the%20limits%20of%20home.pdf.pdf
–. “ ‘In Search of the Thing Itself’ – Animals and Africans in the Art of Three Jewish Women - Maya Deren, Clarice Lispector and Helene Cixous.” Australian Association of Jewish Studies Journal XXIV (2010): 23-36.
–. “The White Darkness: Confluences in the Imaginative Explorations of Identity and ‘the Other’ in the Work of Three Jewish Woman Artists in the Tropics - Maya Deren (1917 - 1961) in Haiti, Clarice Lispector (1920 - 1977) in Brazil, and Hélène Cixous (1937 - ) in Algeria.” etropic 9, (2010). http://www.jcu.edu.au/etropic/ET9/Berger.htm.
Conference Presentations:
–. Exploring the Interior, presented at Dancing with Decolonisation online, global dance conference, August, 2022
–. Within Limits, presented at launch of Journal of Theatre and Performing Arts, May, 2022
–. Lingua Botanica and Exploring the Interior presented at Unbuilding Multispecies Violence in Storied Place: A Triptych Art-Academic Event, Deakin Critical Animal Studies Network and The University of Melbourne School of Culture and Communication, 2019.
–. Exploring the Interior (video) presented at Seeing the Invisible, BAZA, Novis Sad, Serbia, 2019
–. Performing Belonging/Performing Exploring (two videos) presented at TaPRA conference, University of Exeter, 2019.
– and Danny Diesendorf. Playback Workshop, Drama Australia National Conference, 2018.
– and Andrew Gray. Two-day Playback Theatre Masterclass, TEFO Drama Education Conference, Hong Kong, 2015.
–. The Uncanny Adventures of an Unaustralian presented at Performing Transformations Conference, University Abdelmalek Essaâdi, Tétouan and the International Research Center ‘Interweaving Performance Cultures’, Morocco, 2012. Another version of this paper was presented at Place and Displacement Conference, Melbourne, 2012.
–. ‘In Search of the Thing Itself’ – Africans in the Art of Two Ukrainian/American Jewish Artists: Maya Deren (1917 - 1961) and Clarice Lispector (1920 – 1977) presented at the The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific Annual Conference, Melbourne, 2012.
–. “ 'To Soothe the Pillow of a Dying Race': The Force of a Phrase in Producing Theatre” presented at The Oral, the Written and Other Verbal Media conference, Melbourne, 2011.
–. Attending Cixous’ Schools of The Dead, Dreams and Roots to Create Performance presented at The Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies Annual Conference, Melbourne, 2011.
Other:
Berger, Karen and David Joseph. Deceptive Threads. Sydney: Currency Press, 2018.
Berger, Karen. Director’s Notes, in The Parricide by Diane Stubbings. Sydney: Currency Press, 2014.
–. “Director Karen Berger On Diane Stubbings’ The Parricide” in Theatre People, April 23rd, 2014. http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/director-karen-berger-on-diane-stubbings-the-parricide/
–. The Wailing Wall, in Contemporary Fables Volume 1, Melbourne: Gilgamesh Publications, 2010.
TRAINING
2010 – 2020 Melbourne
Creative Music Intensive, Australian Art Orchestra: Peter Knight, Simon Barker, Bae Il Dong, Daniel & David Wilfred
Body Site|Body Sight Jill Orr, Dancehouse
Decolonising Practice Jacob Boehme, Dancehouse
Generate - Working In First Nations Cultural Contexts Genevieve Grieves, Footscray Community Arts Centre
Facilitating in the Corporate Environment Groupwork Institute
Bryony Kimmings Performance Making Workshop Victorian Arts Centre
Yorta Yorta On-country Learning Dr Wayne Atkinson, University of Melbourne
Intercultural Psychodrama workshop Jenny Hutt, Bev Hosking
Extended Voice Techniques Linda Wise
Bodyweather Tess de Quincey
Moving Body Marie Dumont, Fiona Battersby
Choreolab Gideon Obarzanek, Chunky Move
Performance Practicum Margaret Cameron, John Howard
Catherine Fitzmaurice Voice Technique Bodyvoice Studio
Patsy Rodenburg Masterclass (audited) 16th Street
Suzuki Training Matt Crosby
2009 Europe
Odin Week Odin Theatre, Denmark
Voice Workshops with Kristin Linklater & Meredith Monk Giving Voice, Grotowski Institute
Rasa Box Training with Richard Schechner Theatre as a Place of Truth, Grotowski Institute
Realisation of a Personal Project Roy Hart Theatre, Maleragues
India
Kathakali & Carnatic Singing Vijnana Kala Vedi
Yoga Courses Rishikesh & Kerala
2006 – 2009 Melbourne
Andante performance workshop Younes, Bachir, La Fura del Baus
SITI Training: Suzuki Method, Viewpoints, Composition SITI Actors, Full Tilt
The Unfolding Character in Chekhov Robert Draffin
Storytelling John Bolton
Voices of the Archetypes Frankie Armstrong
Ta Ke Ti Na Percussion Workshop Reinhard Flatischler
Bodyvoice Workshop John Howard, Helen Sharp
2006 Brisbane
Stomping Ground: Viewpoints, Suzuki Method Zen Zen Zo
2005 Melbourne
Performance Making Barry Laing
Alchemy Improvised dance, Skinner Releasing technique Anne O’Keeffe
2004 Paris
Professional choreographic theatre and voice workshop Pantheatre
2001 – 2004 Accra, Ghana
Traditional dance and percussion University of Ghana
2000 – 2001 Windhoek, Namibia
‘The Artists’ Way’ Creativity Workshop Pathways Consulting
Drama and Art Therapy Legal Assistance Centre
Traditional Music in a Contemporary Context Pape Dieye, Emmanuelle Olivier
1994 – 2000 Melbourne
Butoh and Suzuki method Greg Dyson, David Pledger
Choreographic Theatre and Voice Enrique Pardo
Improvised theatre and singing Al Wunder, Bronwen Barton
Text Anna McRossin-Owen, David Myles
Alexander and Feldenkreis techniques David Moore, Julia Scoglio
Clown and Bouffon Christine Grace, Kate Kantor
Jo Estill voice method Ros Barnes
Percussion Chris Lesser, Epizo Bangoura, Anne Harkin
Classical, jazz, tap and various ethnic dance styles
1991 – 1993 Britain
Extended voice techniques Harriet Buchan, Claire Steele
Polish physical theatre Gardzienice
Physical theatre Theatre de Complicite
Archetypes and voice John Wright, Frankie Armstrong
Fooling and clown Jonathon Kay, John Lee
Forum Theatre Al McIllop
1990 – 1991 France
Physical Theatre L'Ecole Jacques Lecoq
Clown and Street Theatre L’Ecole Phillipe Gaulier, Theatre de L'Ombre