DrShelley Hannigan

2026: Senior Lecturer in Arts Education (Visual and Media Arts).
I am an art educator/researcher and visual artist. I also have a background studying, researching, teaching and working in the field of a creative arts therapy (MEd). My multifaceted practice and research are rooted in exploring the intersections of art, education, health and wellbeing, through innovative, transdisciplinary and sustainable approaches. At the core of my work lies a profound belief in the transformative power of art for the human condition, pedagogy, and wellbeing, especially within STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) initiatives and arts-based health and wellbeing practices. I am available to supervise Masters and Phd students, and examine Phds, in these areas.

More about my background:

My academic journey began with an undergraduate degree focused on painting and film, laying a foundation for my visual/craft and media focused arts practice. Early in my career, I worked within the film industry and as a proofreader for the New Zealand Herald. Driven by my passion for artistic expression, I traveled extensively in my twenties to develop my art practice and intermittently took on part-time teaching roles. My pursuit of formal education led to Melbourne, Australia where I completed a Master’s degree in Creative Arts Therapies at La Trobe University. This period was pivotal, blending  artistic interests with therapeutic methodologies aimed at enhancing wellbeing and creative practice processes. I worked for three years  in hospitals as a Creative Arts Therapist whilst also teaching part time in adult community colleges. It was at this early stage that I realised how arts-based interventions could play a vital role in preventing mental health issues among young people. This extended into community arts projects in schools and in my local Geelong community, emphasizing arts as a tool for social engagement and mental health. My community arts initiatives have consistently reflected my commitment to inclusivity, representation, and fostering resilience through creative engagement.

Since joining Deakin University in 2006 as a sessional academic (tenured from 2009), I have developed a portfolio of research and teaching that spans arts education, arts practice, trauma informed education, inclusive practices and creative arts therapies. My research employs methodologies such as Narrative Inquiry, arts-based inquiry, phenomenology, autoethnography, collaborative self-study, arts practice-based research, arts-led inquiry, and A/R/Tography. These approaches enable me to investigate complex issues at the nexus of arts, health, and education, facilitating rich insights into how creative practices provide forms of research inquiry and support both wellbeing and learning.

By 2026 I have 68 publications and Non Traditional Research Outputs (exhibitions and catalogues) recorded by Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=x7RE7JsAAAAJ&hl=en). My i10-index is 14.

I continue to supervise Masters and PhD students on diverse projects, including inclusive education, art education, arts-based pedagogies, and professional artistic practice, nurturing the next generation of scholars and creative practitioners.

My ongoing research interests include developing school-based programs in arts-health, trauma informed education and wellbeing, and exploring innovative ways to integrate the arts into educational settings. I am actively involved in collaborative research groups, including the Faculty of Arts and Education group, Regenerating Futures (CRF) —where I am the Chief Investigator on Geelong's Artefacts of the Future project since early 2025 and have been a Co-CI on the Melbourne Artefacts of the futures projects prior. I am CI on the Arts Wellbeing in Schools Project which explores different approaches to arts health and wellbeing in schools.  I am also a member of the national Climate Aware Creative Practice group and other peak body organisation such as the International Society for education in the Arts (INSEA), Art Education Australia, and IACAET (a global professional association promoting creative arts in education and therapy). I volunteer on a number of academic journal review boards internationally.

In my teaching, I consistently seek to foster transformative learning experiences, emphasizing the importance of arts and creativity in building resilient, inclusive communities. I have been Course Coordinator for the BA Education Major suite of units in the past, I have Unit Chaired a number of arts education units (ECA100 and EEA311). I also wrote and managed the unit EEI302: Introduction to Creative Arts Therapy Approaches and Practices (2019 to 2024). I teach Research methods in for post graduate student courses which covers qualitative and quantiative methodologies. I also supervise Masters of Teaching and Masters of Education students in various research pathway courses. My work exemplifies a commitment to fostering innovative, interdisciplinary approaches that endorse arts, health, and education as vital components of societal wellbeing. Through my research, community engagement, and academic leadership, I continue to inspire and advance the field of arts-based health and education, shaping a more compassionate, creative future.