Arts practice as a site of knowledge/research: An Australian perspective of the artist in academia Diana Blom Music, University of Western Sydney, Australia d.blom@uws.edu.au Dawn Bennett Humanities, Curtin University Perth, Australia David Wright Dept. of Education, University of Western Sydney, Australia ABSTRACT Due, in part, to the previous lack of recognition for arts practice as research, artists working as academics in Australia have been active in a growing body of writings addressing different approaches to practice-led research. In February 2008 the Australian Federal Labor government announced Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA), a new research framework that formally recognizes the research component of many creative works. There is now formal recognition of both the practice itself, and of practice-led writing. This paper draws on interviews conducted prior to the implementation of ERA with eight artist-academics employed at Australian universities. The study sought participants’ views on their arts practice as research or a site of knowledge. The relationships and interactions between the work of the artist and the work of the academic were being constantly negotiated and emerged as integral to the recognition of practice as research. Participants’ views appeared to be shaped by the creative medium in which each worked, and while responses married with views in the literature, several new issues were identified. Findings suggest many ways of writing about and teaching the knowledge contained within the artistic process and product. This knowledge has particular value to the academy in different locations. Keywords Creative practice, creative research, ERA, Australia INTRODUCTION Due in part to the previous lack of recognition for creative practice as research, artists working as academics in Australia have become active agents in a growing body of written research addressing different approaches to practice-led research (Bennett, Blom & Wright, 2009; Blom, 2006; Bolt, 2006; Hannan & Vella, 2006; McIntyre & Paton, 2008). However, in February 2008 the Australian Federal Labor government announced Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA), a new research framework with a 2009-2010 budget of AUD$35.8 million. The framework incorporates formal research recognition for creative works in four categories: 1. Original (creative) works in the public domain; 2. Live performance works in the public domain; 3. Recorded/rendered creative works; and 4. Curated or produced substantial public exhibitions, events or renderings. To meet framework requirements, the artist-academic must articulate the research component of each creative output using a 250-word statement that identifies the research background, contribution and significance (ARC, 2009). Thus, artist-academics—whether or not they have previously chosen to engage with practice-led writing as well as the creative process and outcome—must now think reflectively and critically about their arts practice as a site of knowledge. This paper draws on a study involving interviews with eight artist-academics employed full-time at Australian universities. The interviews were conducted prior to implementation of the ERA framework and the initial interview question related to participants’ views about their arts practice as research or a site of knowledge. The paper summarizes responses to this question. All three investigators considered their own arts practice to be a site of knowledge and had previously articulated their discoveries using the written word, so they brought empirical knowledge to the project. This knowledge provided an experiential platform for the multiple perspectives exposed by the literature. Key areas of interest included how knowledge is embedded; how this knowledge comes to light; whether knowledge is found within the process or the creative outcome/artwork; and ways of writing about this knowledge. LITERATURE Whilst an international literature review was undertaken, writings by Australian artist-academics are used here to illustrate insights into embedded knowledge within the creative process and outcome, and to consider how this knowledge comes to light. For example, Bolt (2006, p. 4) draws on David Hockney’s investigation into Ingre’s paintings to illustrate how an exegesis can “do much more than explain, describe or even contextualise practice” by enabling Hockney and others “to look at, and think about paintings and drawings from a different perspective. It enabled a shift in thought itself” (p. 4). For Bolt, a visual artist herself, this ‘shift in thought’ occurred when making landscape paintings and being “left inadequate to the task