About ECU

Professor Helena Grehan

Professor Helena Grehan's research investigates the intersections of art, technology, politics and spectatorship in the contemporary context. Graduating from Murdoch University with a PhD in Theatre Studies in 1998, she taught undergraduate and postgraduate students at Murdoch in theatre, creative arts and literature from 1998-2019 and has held several leadership roles at Murdoch University. From 2019 to 2023 Professor Grehan taught HDR candidates in the cross-campus Accelerated Research Masters with Training and has supervised over 20 HDR candidates to completion. She has published six scholarly books (sole, co-authored and co-edited) and numerous articles and chapters, several of which have won prizes for research excellence. She has led major Australian Research Council (ARC) funded collaborative grant projects and is also the Deputy Editor of the journal Performance Research. In 2023 Professor Grehan was awarded the highest honour in the humanities when she was elected a Fellow to the Australian Academy of the Humanities and joined WAAPA in February 2024.

1. Who or what initially inspired you to pursue a career in academia?
As an undergraduate student I loved theatre and particularly enjoyed learning about how plays with political and or social messages could make a difference to the way spectators thought about the key issues of the time. I wanted to understand the power these works had, so I embraced the discipline of theatre and performance studies from my undergraduate days right through to my PhD. When I had finished my PhD a position became available at Murdoch University and I applied. I was lucky enough to be selected for this and I began my career. I was inspired and supported by many senior colleagues across the country particularly through the unofficial mentoring provided by the Australasian Drama Studies Association. There were many inspirational and generous senior women in the association, and they were always willing to support early career researchers.

2. What is most exciting about your new role in the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, particularly in relation to your research area on the intersections of art, technology, politics and spectatorship in the contemporary context.
I am thrilled to be at WAAPA and to have the opportunity to continue my research and, most importantly, to build new collaborations with colleagues at WAAPA and ECU more broadly. There is a very positive energy here and everyone is welcoming and supportive. I feel very lucky to have been given the time and space to think and develop existing projects as well as creating new ones in such a positive environment.

3. Do you have any advice for how women in the performing arts can succeed and thrive within their academic careers?
I think the most difficult thing is finding the time to think and write. Between the demands of teaching, administration and busy lives outside the academy, research time can suffer. I think setting realistic goals, having a good mentor to help you and being clear on where you would like to be in 3 to 5 years’ time is often helpful in keeping things going.

4. As an ECU Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Research Fellow, what guidance would you give to others aspiring researchers in building their research profile and capacity?
As per the above answer, a good mentoring relationship can be a lifesaver. I think it is also important to be as strategic as possible in managing your time and making sure that you have a clear sense of your goals. In terms of research, it is very helpful to have a clear sense of what your particular contribution to the discipline or disciplines is and to be able to think about how each of your outputs contributes to this.

5. You were recently elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, what do you hope to achieve within the academy?
I was delighted to be elected to the AAH. I hope to contribute to its work as ‘the national voice for cultural, creative and ethical thinking’ (AAH). The AAH plays an important role in advocacy, policy development and in providing advice to the public, institutions and government on matters pertaining to culture, history, and society. I look forward to the opportunities to become involved in this as a newly elected Fellow.