Ben SwiftCurriculum Vitae
Note: the canonical version of this page is the web version hosted at https://benswift.me/cv/.
I am an internationally-recognised interdisciplinary scholar, electronic/computer music artist and creative technologist. I’m an expert in AI/machine learning, computational art & music, computing education, user experience (UX) design, and cybernetics.
I lead the Cybernetic Studio at the School of Cybernetics at the Australian National University: a cybernetic community that makes things out of hardware/software/people/stuff to explore cybernetic systems and their impact on the world.
As a livecoding artist I have performed at international arts festivals, including the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) and the International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC). I’m the Vice President of the Australasian Computer Music Association (ACMA). I am also a founder and co-director of the ANU Laptop Ensemble, an interdisciplinary computer music research and teaching collective.
I am a maker of open-source software tools for music, creative code, generative AI, data analysis/visualisation, and more. I’m one half of the core development team for the Extempore programming environment for musical livecoding. Extempore’s users are a worldwide community of programmers, artists, musicians, and data visualisation practitioners. I have more than 15 years’ experience as an OSS community manager, technical writer, software engineer and creative code outreach ambassador.
table of contents
Qualifications & Appointments
Qualifications
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2012 Ph.D. ANU Research School of Computer Science. Thesis title: “The Design of a Smartphone-Based Digital Musical Instrument for Jamming” (Note: the ANU Research School of Computer Science was replaced by the new ANU School of Computing in 2021.)
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2007 Bachelor of Science (Honours 1st class, mathematics & physics major) Australian National University
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2005 Certificate IV in Music Performance Canberra Institute of Technology
Appointments
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2024– Cybernetic Studio Lead (Senior Lecturer), ANU School of Cybernetics
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2023–2024 career break—full-time carer (12 months)
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2022–2023 Educational Experiences Lead (Senior Lecturer), ANU School of Cybernetics
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2021–2022 Educational Experiences Designer/Senior Lecturer, ANU School of Cybernetics
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2018–2021 Senior Lecturer, ANU School of Computing
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2020 career break—full-time carer (6 months)
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2020 Modelling & Visualisation Lead, ANU Software Innovation Institute Covid Taskforce
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2019 career break—full-time carer (6 months)
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2016– Visiting Scientist, CSIRO/Data61
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2016–2018 Lecturer, ANU Research School of Computer Science
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2013–2015 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ANU Research School of Computer Science
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2012 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, QUT Institute for Future Environments
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2010–2012 Co-founder, Random Lizard Board Games
Teaching
Prizes & Awards
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2020 Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2020 (shortlisted in Hybrid Learning category)
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2018 Vice Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
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2012 Grand Prize winner, GovHack 2012 (including ANU VC commendation)
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2012 CECS Dean’s Award for Outreach (National Science Week outreach project)
Previous courses
In addition to my role leading the Cybernetic Studio I am currently teaching into the Executive Short Courses on AI at the School of Cybernetics.
I was previously the course convenor & lecturer for the following courses in the ANU School of Computing (follow links to the curriculum, available under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA licence):
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COMP2710: Laptop Ensemble is a course open to students in computer science, music, art, and elsewhere at ANU (the course is co-taught with MUSI2205 in the ANU School of Music). In this course students learn fundamental skills of music computing, including digital synthesis, algorithmic composition, and musical interface design, putting these skills to use creating a computer musical instrument, composition, or interactive media work to present in concert at the end of the course.
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COMP1720: Art & Interaction in New Media is a course about learning to tell stories through interactive code art. It’s not just an art course, and it’s not just a “coding” course: students engage with both of those domains at the same time, and (I hope) have a lot of fun in the process. No previous coding or artistic experience is required: COMP1720 teaches everything from the ground up.
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EXTN1019: ANU Extension Creative Computing is a course where ACT Year 11 & 12 students learn the fundamentals of computer programming through the creative process of making music and visual art. As well as creating and performing their own new works of code-based art & music, this course contributes towards the students’ ATAR and they receive credit towards an undergraduate computing degree if they choose to study at ANU. As the School of Computing’s first ever ANU Extension course, this program attracts fantastic students who might otherwise not study engineering or computer science (either at ANU or elsewhere) and helps them reimagine what it is to be a computer scientist or engineer in the 21st century.
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COMP2300: Computer Organisation and Program Execution is ANU’s introductory computer architecture course, which I wrote and delivered from 2017–2018, and is now being delivered by Uwe Zimmer. In this course students take a complex computer system (the STM32L476G discovery “disco” board) home from week 1. That might seem daunting—and it’s true that there’s more stuff on such a board than one can master in one semester—but students can still learn a lot about CPUs (and how programs are organised and executed) by the end of the course.
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The COMP2710 Internet of Things (IoT) China Study Tour is an in-country intensive study course conducted in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Technology. In this course students learn about low-cost, network-connected embedded computing devices & their relationship to the broader computing landscape through building a prototype IoT artefact (and releasing the source code, parts list and build instructions on GitHub), while reflecting on the design, security, social and ethical challenges associated with the Internet of Things.
Service and Engagement
ANU
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2024– PhD Program Convenor, ANU School of Cybernetics
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2022–2023 Associate Director (Education), ANU School of Cybernetics
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2021–2022 Associate Director (Research), ANU School of Cybernetics
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2021 Leader, CECS Website Redesign Tiger Team
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2016–2021 Design Lead, Lucy Project teaching & learning web infrastructure, including the CECS Jekyll Course Website template and CECS GitLab infrastructure
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2018–2020 Member, ANU Technology-Enhanced Learning Reference Group (TELRG)
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2018–2021 Member, ANU 75th Anniversary Digital Artifact Committee
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2016 Chair, COMP1100 Review Committee (which examined the increasing failure & non-completion rate in our first-year CS course at the time)
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2015–2019 Student Experience Convenor, ANU Research School of Computer Science (where I worked at improving the experience of our students, especially those who might fall through the cracks of the other support structures in place within the School)
Academic
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2022 Creative Computing Chair, OzCHI
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2021 Organising Committee, Australasian Computer Music Conference
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2021– Editorial Committee, Chroma: Journal of the Australasian Computer Music Association
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2019–2021 Vice President, Australasian Computer Music Association
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2017– ANU School of Computing representative, Australian Council of Deans of ICT Learning and Teaching Academy
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2020 General Chair, Australasian Computer Music Conference
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2013 Chair, VL/HCC Artist-Centred Computing Workshop.
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2011 Student Volunteer Chair, OzCHI
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2010–2014 Treasurer, Australasian Computer Music Society
I have served as a grant and paper reviewer for CHI, OzCHI, ACMC, NIME, IEEEVR, FWF Austrian Science Fund, CMJ, Leonardo, ICSE and VL/HCC and SIGGRAPH Asia.
Industry
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2022 Advisor, PM&C Digital Technology Taskforce
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2021– Cyber Friends Program Advisor, Questacon Cyber Ready Program
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2016–2017 Cloud Infrastructure Developer, CloudMol computational chemistry platform (as part of a CSIRO/Data61 Visiting Scientist position)
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2015–2018 Industry Internships Co-ordinator, ANU Research School of Computer Science
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2015 Workshop Organiser, Supercomputing ’15 (a hybrid academic conference/industry trade show)
Community
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2021– accredited Mental Health First Aider
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2009–2015 Volunteer Teacher, CSIRO Scientists in Schools Program
Since 2007 I have given dozens of talks, workshops and run other outreach activities to promote computing (especially interdisciplinary art/music coding) to diverse audiences, especially in ACT Schools. I have given plenary presentations at the National Youth Science Forum, The Questacon National Invention Convention, the University of the Third Age, and National Science Week.
Research
Grants
(all dollar amounts in AUD, rounded to nearest thousand dollars)
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2024 Transdisciplinary Capability in Undergraduate Learning ANU Strategic Learning and Teaching Grant with Jessamy Perriam, Matthew Holt and Sungyeon Hong ($29k)
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2024 The Future of Creativity: Long-term Relationships with Generative AI Google Artists and Machine Intelligence Research Award with Jess Herrington ($33k)
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2020–2022 Reimagine Fellowship: the c/c/c studio ($100k)
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2019 The Augmented Web: CSIRO Collaborative Research Project with Henry Gardner & Charles Martin ($20k)
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2019 ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching and Learning Fellowship 2019 with Solène Inceoglu, Bernardo Pereira Nunes, and Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller ($10k)
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2018 Research School of the Humanities & Arts (RSHA) Interdisciplinary/Cross-College Collaborative Research Scheme grant with Greta Hawes, Mitchell Whitelaw, Geoff Hinchliffe, Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller and Katrina Grant ($15k)
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2018 Google Cloud Platform Research Grant: Dynamic display server for live code in musical performance ($5k)
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2018 The ANU School of Music Sound Recording App with Sam Bennett and Mark Opitz ($17k)
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2017 ANU Vice Chancellor’s College Visiting Artist Fellowship with Kit Devine ($5k)
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2016 Google Summer of Code ($7k)
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2016 ANU Vice Chancellor’s College Visiting Artist Fellowship with Tony Curran ($5k)
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2015 New Colombo Plan: “Internet of Things” Program at Beijing Institute of Technology ($132k) (this was a joint grant application between ANU, Swinburne and UTS)
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2014 Visiting Fellowship at the UCLA Institute for Digital Research and Education ($8k)
Peer-reviewed publications
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2007
2022
Having a Ball: A Linked Data Approach to Fancy Dress in Colonial Australia (2022)
by
, , andin DH '22: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations
Automatic Gloss Dictionary for Sign Language Learners (2022)
by
, , , andin Proceedings of the 60th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics: System Demonstrations (pdf)
2021
Spatial Anchor Based Indoor Asset Tracking (2021)
by
, , , andin IEEE VR '21: Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR) (pdf)
by
, , , , , , , andin Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 9() (pdf)
2020
Disruption and Creativity in Live Coding (2020)
by
, , andin VL/HCC '20: IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (pdf)
Camera Adversaria (2020)
by
, andin CHI '20: Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Eating Computers Considered Harmful (2020)
by
, andin Alt.CHI '20: Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Enacting Collective Ownership Economies within Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (2020)
by
andin Proceedings of "Worker-Centered Design: Expanding HCI Methods for Supporting Labor" Workshop at CHI'20 (pdf)
by
andin () (pdf)
Artists and Master-Coders in the Consensual Domain (2020)
by
, andin Proceedings of "Where Art Meets Technology: Integrating Tangible and Intelligent Tools in Creative Processes" Workshop at CHI'20 (pdf)
TSPNet: Hierarchical Feature Learning via Temporal Semantic Pyramid for Sign Language Translation (2020)
by
, , , , , andin NeurIPS '20: Poster Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (pdf)
Analysis and Visualisation of Complex Familial Relationships in Greek Mythology (2020)
by
, andin DH '20: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (Peer-Reviewed Poster)
Introduction to Music-Making in Extempore (Workshop) (2020)
by
in ICLC'20: Proceedings of the 2020 International Conference on Live Coding (pdf)
2019
Reducing Latency in a Collaborative Augmented Reality Service (2019)
by
, , , andin VRCAI '19: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Virtual-Reality Continuum and Its Applications in Industry (pdf)
Two Perspectives on Rebooting Computer Music Education: Composition and Computer Science (2019)
by
, andin ACMC '19: Proceedings of the 2019 Australasian Computer Music Conference (pdf)
Analysis and Visualization of Narrative in Shanhaijing Using Linked Data (2019)
by
, andin DH '19: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (pdf)
2018
Critical Challenges for the Visual Representation of Deep Neural Networks (2018)
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, andin Human and Machine Learning: Visible, Explainable, Trustworthy and Transparent (Springer International Publishing) (pdf)
The Other Side: Algorithm As Ritual in Artificial Intelligence (2018)
by
andin Alt.CHI '18: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Thoughts on an ANU Laptop Ensemble: Where Do New Media Creators Fit in the Modern University? (2018)
by
andin Code2k18: A Media Conference of Platforms, Devices and Screens
2017
by
, , andin 67th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (pdf)
2016
InfiniCloud 2.0: Distributing High Performance Computing across Continents. (2016)
by
, , , , , , andin Supercomputing Frontiers and Innovations 3(2) (pdf)
doi: 10.14529/jsfi160204
by
, , andin CHI '16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Live Programming in Scientific Simulation (2016)
by
, , , andin Supercomputing Frontiers and Innovations 2(4) (pdf)
doi: 10.14529/jsfi150401
2015
Music of 18 Performances: Evaluating Apps and Agents with Free Improvisation (2015)
by
, , andin ACMC '15: Proceedings of the 2015 Australasian Computer Music Conference (pdf)
Tracking Ensemble Performance on Touch-Screens with Gesture Classification and Transition Matrices (2015)
by
, andin NIME '15: Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (pdf)
by
, andin Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 18(9) (pdf)
2014
Exploring Percussive Gesture on iPads with Ensemble Metatone (2014)
by
, andin CHI '14: Proceedings of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Metatravels and Metalonsdale: Ipad Apps for Percussive Improvisation (2014)
by
, andin CHI '14: Extended Abstracts of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Visualising a Live Coding Arts Process (2014)
by
, andin OZCHI '14: Proceedings of the 26th Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction (pdf)
The Many Meanings of Live Coding (2014)
by
, andin Computer Music Journal 38(1) (pdf)
doi: 10.1162/COMJ_a_00230
Coding Livecoding (2014)
by
, , andin CHI '14: Proceedings of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
Networked Livecoding at VL/HCC 2013 (2014)
by
, andin VL/HCC '14: IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (pdf)
2013
Chasing a Feeling: Experience in Computer Supported Jamming (2013)
by
in Music and Human-Computer Interaction (Springer London) (pdf)
Visual Code Annotations for Cyberphysical Programming (2013)
by
, , andin LIVE '13: 1st International Workshop on Live Programming at ICSE (pdf)
2012
Becoming-Sound: Affect and Assemblage in Improvisational Digital Music Making (2012)
by
in CHI '12: Proceedings of the 2012 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pdf)
The Design of a Smartphone-Based Digital Musical Instrument for Jamming (2012)
by
in ANU Library Open Research PhD dissertations() (pdf)
2011
A Chasing After the Wind: Experience in Computer-supported Group Musicmaking (2011)
by
, andin Proceedings of "When Words Fail: What Can Music Interaction Tell Us about HCI?" Workshop at British HCI (pdf)
2010
Engagement Networks in Social Music-making (2010)
by
, andin OZCHI '10: Proceedings of the 22nd Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction (pdf)
2009
Distributed Performance in Live Coding (2009)
by
, andin ACMC '09: Proceedings of the 2009 Australasian Computer Music Conference (pdf)
2007
Mind-Modulated Music in the Mind Attention Interface (2007)
by
, , andin OZCHI '07: Proceedings of the 19th Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction (pdf)
Invited talks
See https://benswift.me/talks/ for a full list of invited talks.
Curated/invited livecoding performances
2024 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2009 | 2008
2024
Coloring Code - Live Drawing and Coding (2024)
featuring
, and , curated by and31 May '24 @ Shanghai Concert Hall, China
2022
ACMC'22 Evening Concert #1 (2022)
featuring
and , curated by31 Aug '22 @ Ahumairangi, Block 1, Massey University, Wellington NZ
OzCHI '22 Connected Creativity Algorave (2022)
featuring
and , curated by01 Dec '22 @ Ainslie Arts Centre
2021
ACMC'21 Evening Concert #1 (2021)
featuring
and , curated by and21 Aug '21 @ Australian Institute of Music (video)
2020
smoke (2020)
featuring
, and , curated by30 Jan '20 @ PK Big Band Room, ANU School of Music (video)
ICLC'20 Algorave (2020)
featuring
and , curated by and07 Feb '20 @ https://www.flannerysbar.ie (video)
2019
Colour Coded (2019)
featuring
, and , curated by and02 Aug '19 @ Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra (video)
2018
National Invention Convention '18 Closing Ceremony (2018)
featuring
, curated by19 Jan '18 @ Questacon, Canberra
Soundscapes Concert Series #21 (2018)
featuring
, curated by03 May '18 @ Smiths Alternative Bookshop, Canberra (video)
National Science Week '18 ACT Launch Event (2018)
featuring
and , curated by10 Aug '18 @ Molo Bar, Australian National University (video)
Shirty Science Season 3 launch party (2018)
featuring
and , curated by13 Aug '18 @ Doughnut Dept., Canberra
2017
National Science Week '17 ACT Launch Event (2017)
featuring
, curated by11 Aug '17 @ National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra
2015
Innovation ACT 2015 Launch (2015)
featuring
, curated by12 Aug '15 @ John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra
Collected Resonances: Session 2 (2015)
featuring
, curated by26 Aug '15 @ ANU School of Music, Canberra (video)
2014
"Art, Not Apart" Festival (2014)
featuring
and , curated by15 Mar '14 @ Kendall Lane Theatre, New Acton, Canberra
"You Are Here" Festival - in case of sound: round one (2014)
featuring
, curated by15 Mar '14 @ Canberra Museum and Gallery
John Hosking Farewell Reception (2014)
featuring
, curated by28 May '14 @ Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra (video)
ACMC '14: Australasian Computer Music Conference (2014)
featuring
and , curated by10 Jul '14 @ Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
2013
Musical Metacreation (MuMe) Algorave at ISEA 2013: International Symposium on Electronic Art (2013)
featuring
and , curated by15 Jun '13 @ 107 Projects, Redfern, NSW, Australia (video)
Revenant Media: Theremin '75 Exhibition (2013)
featuring
, curated by25 Oct '13 @ ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra (video)
ICOMOS 2013: International Council on Monuments and Sites (2013)
featuring
, curated by02 Nov '13 @ Mt Stromlo Observatory, Canberra
2009
ACMC '09: Australasian Computer Music Conference (2009)
featuring
, curated by03 Jul '09 @ Queensland University of Technology
Beginning-Middle-End Festival (2009)
featuring
, curated by24 Sep '09 @ ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra (video)