Dr Michael Shirrefs (PhD Hist.)
Professional
2021-present
Adjunct Research Fellow—Department of Archaeology & History—La Trobe University, Melbourne
2021-present
Composer and Sound Designer—Independent theatre and dance productions
2017
Guest Lecturer—Media & Communications faculty at the Hochschule Ansbach in Bavaria, Germany
2015-present
Producer—Squawk Studios
1993-2015—ABC Radio National
2013-2015
Features Producer—Into The Music, 360 Documentaries & Hindsight
2012
Presenter & Series Producer—Creative Instinct
2009-2011
Features Producer—Artworks
2008-2009
Features Producer—Hindsight
2005-2008
Executive Producer/Creator—The Book Show
2004-2005
A/Executive Producer—ABC RN’s Arts Talk Unit
1993-2005
Producing Radio National programs: The Europeans, Sightings, Sports Factor, Media Report, Law Report, Arts National, Arts Talk, Sunday Morning Arts, Arts Today, Deep End, Books & Writing
1990-1993—Based in London
Kensington Palace State Apartments and Court Dress Collection
Building digital catalogue for museum’s collection
Editor of an 11 volume set of books—The History of Kensington Palace & Gardens
Technical support in the installation of exhibitions
VideoVox—audio & video production company
Audio production of talking books & language tapes for companies like Usborne Publishing
Sound production for location audio & video productions
1984-1990—Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Radio Operations—3LO, Classic FM, Radio National, Radio Australia
Audio engineering and sound design for music, drama & voice productions
Technical production for live broadcasts
Transmission supervision for all networks
1979-1984—The Age newspaper—John Fairfax & Sons
Admin and clerical
Education
2016-2021
PhD (History)—La Trobe University, Melbourne
2019-present
Training for BPL—Balloon Pilot Licence
2017-present
Training for PPL—Fixed-Wing Pilot’s Licence—Lilydale Flying School
2016-2017
Gained Recreational Pilot’s Licence (RPL)
2013-2015
Studying German language at the Goethe-Institut
1995-1998
BA Fine Art (Printmaking)—RMIT University—Melbourne
1990-1993
Fine Art / Printmaking—Morley College—London
1984-1986
Radio Operations Training—Australian Broadcasting Corporation—Melbourne
Selected Radio Features
2019
Walter Benjamin: Multimedia prototype?— radio feature, The Philosopher’s Zone
2018
The fate of the Common Good—radio feature, The Philosopher’s Zone
2016
Crisis & Creativity—4-part radio feature, Earshot
2015
Requiems for the 21st Century—radio feature, Earshot
2014
Monolingual in a Multilingual World—radio feature, 360documentaries, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
Hungary: Democracy Distorted—radio feature, The Law Report, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
A Place Called Morley—radio feature, Into The Music, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
2013
Remotely Connected—radio feature, 360documentaries, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
Acoustic Architecture—radio feature, Into The Music, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
Green Tights and Camomile Tea—radio feature, 360documentaries, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
Gaspard de la Nuit—radio feature, Into The Music, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
2012
Who Is Germany?—3 part radio feature, Creative Instinct, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
Potters Re-Caste—radio feature, Creative Instinct, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
Antoni Tàpies—radio feature, Creative Instinct, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
2011
The Art of Being Europe—inaugural RMIT EU Centre annual lecture
presented by Dr Lyn Gallacher & Michael Shirrefs
The Worlds of Tove Jansson—radio feature, Artworks, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
Brussels & the Art of the Graphic Novel—radio feature, Artworks, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
2009
Joy, terror and the calling the unknown—radio feature, The Night Air, ABC RN
produced by Michael Shirrefs
Truganini : Bushranger—radio feature, Hindsight, ABC RN
produced & presented by Michael Shirrefs
Writing & Talks
2021
History in the making: How long-form journalism frames contemporary histories, building mosaics out of ruins, fragments and ephemera—PhD Thesis, La Trobe University, 2021
2018
Germany: Globally-minded from birth? The pianoforte example—chapter for edited book German-Australian Encounters and Cultural Transfers: Global Dynamics in Transnational Lands, Publ. Springer, 2018
Memory of a Basque Future—article for The Identity Papers website
The Random Power of Fear—article for The Identity Papers website
Don’t Call Europe Tribal!—article for The Identity Papers website
2016
The Reckoning: Truth & Illusion with Borders—article for The Identity Papers website
2015
The Low Moral High-Ground— article for The Identity Papers website
2014
Collected Works: Inside Museums & Libraries—panelist for Melbourne Writers’ Festival event
The Lost Cities of Paris and Melbourne—panelist for State Library of Victoria event,
as part of their Victor Hugo Les Miserables: from Page to Stage exhibition
2013
European-Australian Relations Today—talk delivered to the Europe in the 21st century: Power, leadership & crisis Summer school for secondary school teachers—a collaboration of the Monash European and EU Centre, the ANU Centre for European Studies, the European Union Centre at RMIT and the National Centre for Research on Europe in New Zealand, with support of the European Commission and the Delegation of the EU to Australia.
2012
Asia+Europe=Australia—public forum at North Melbourne Art House—also broadcast on Big Ideas, ABC RN
H.E. David Daly (EU Ambassador to Australia), H.E. Patrick Renault (Belgian Ambassador to Australia), Lesley Alway (Director, Asialink Arts Program), David Pledger (Artistic Director of Not Yet It’s Difficult), chaired by Michael Shirrefs
Art and Culture in France and Australia—Melbourne Salon at Alliance Française
David Pledger (Artistic Director of Not Yet It’s Difficult) in conversation with Michael Shirrefs
2010
Adventures with an Atlas—article in Explorations No 48, June 2010—the journal of ISFAR
written by Michael Shirrefs
2000
Revisualising von Guerard’s Tower Hill—paper to Visualization Committee of the International Cartographic Association, presented by Michael Shirrefs
Arts Output
2023
Wild Woods, (it’s no) drama theatre production, Lyric Theatre, Leongatha—Composer & Sound Designer
Front Foot|Back Beat, community dance theatre production, Fish Creek Hall—Composer & Musician
2022
Solastalgia & Tomorrow, group exhibition, Climarte Gallery, Richmond, Melbourne—sound design collaboration with Bridget Nicholson
Action Station, community dance theatre production, Fish Creek Hall—Composer & Musician
2021
Fill The Void, community dance theatre production, Meeniyan Hall—Composer & Musician
2013
Radio Yak Yak, sound installation, part of Yak Yak,International group show at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, highlighting the rise of transnational rural arts networks—Artist
2010
Paris to Melbourne with an Atlas, celebrating 120 years of Alliance Française de Melbourne—Artist & Curator
2006-present
Music and sound design for radio documentaries—Composer & Musician
2000
Unravelling Morandi, artist book (edition of 4), purchased by Banyule Art Collection, Geelong Art Gallery & two private collections—Artist
Korean/Australian Cultural Exchange Print Exhibition, Melbourne—Artist
1999
Geelong Art Prize Exhibition, Geelong—Artist
1998
Formally Known As Prints, Gallery 101, Melbourne—Artist
Shell Fremantle Print Award Exhibition, Fremantle—Artist
1994
Swan Street Spectacle, Dimmeys Department Store, Melbourne—Artist
1984-1989
Five Lose Timmy, Melbourne-based indie band—Musician & Composer
Awards
2016-2020
Australian Postgraduate Award
2012
German Grant for Journalism 2012
2009-2010
Creative Fellowship, State Library of Victoria
1998
Highly Commended, Shell Fremantle Print Award
Travel
2018
USA—San Francisco and Berkeley—travelling and recording interviews for a radio program The Fate of the Common Good
2017
Europe—UK & Germany—travelling in the UK, recording interviews in Scotland & guest lecturing at Hochschule Ansbach in Bavaria
Europe—Germany, Austria, Estonia, Spain & France—researching for PhD on Europe and recording material for a 4 part radio series, supported by La Trobe University
2016
Europe—Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy & UK—collecting material for the radio series Crisis & Creativity, supported by the RMIT EU Centre
2015
Europe—Ireland, Switzerland & Germany—travelling and collecting material for a series on borders and refugees
2014-2015
USA—New York and Pennsylvania—travelling and recording interviews for a radio program on the Moravian Brethren, and a program on the fate of the common good
2013-2014
Europe—Belgium, Germany & Czech Republic—recording interviews for a radio feature Hungary: Democracy distorted?, undertaking a German language intensive at the Goethe-Institut in Berlin and travelling
2012
Europe—Germany & Belgium—collecting material for the radio series Who is Germany?
sponsored by the Goethe-Institut, the German Government & the European Union
India—collecting material for the a series of features on Creative Instinct on ABC RN,
sponsored by the Australia-India Council to celebrate the AIC’s 20th anniversary
2010-2011
Europe—Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Estonia, France & the UK—working on a radio series The Art of Being Europe, plus researching French archives for State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowship project
2009-2010
France & Armenia—researching French archives for State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowship project, plus researching radio project in Armenia
1999-2000
Europe—UK, France and Spain—travelling
1990-1993
Europe—Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, UK & Egypt—living in London, working and travelling
1981
United Kingdom—travelling
Other
2022-present
Executive Secretary—Manna Gum Community House—Foster, Victoria
2021-present
Committee Member—Manna Gum Community House—Foster, Victoria
2020-2022
Committee Member—Balloon Association of Victoria Executive
2013-2019
Member of the State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowships Judging Committee
2011-2017
Member of ISFAR—Institute for the Study of French-Australian Relations
2006-present
Writer Full Member of APRA—Australian Performing Right Association