
A collaborative problem-solving space at the core of the faculty. What problem would you like us to solve?
The Innovation Hub is an interdisciplinary problem-solving initiative at the heart of UNSW’s most diverse faculty, the faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA). Established in 2021, the ADA Innovation Hub brings together our unique mix of expert knowledge from across six schools, six research centres, and multiple other labs, studios and galleries to solve problems, respond to opportunities and facilitate positive change.
Each year, the Innovation Hub, led by Dr Carly Vickers, undertakes a selection of projects proposed by our students, staff, industry or community partners. Through carefully curated interdisciplinary teams of ADA staff and students, we work inclusively and collaboratively to find creative solutions to the diverse and complex issues of our time.
A curated program of creative arts based interventions designed to enhance the wellbeing of hospital staff after the workplace pressures and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic - drawing on the talents of performing artists, designers, researchers, and creatives spaces from across UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture.
From 2022-2025 the ADA Innovation Hub is partnering with designers Bruce Mau and Aiyemobisi (Bisi) Williams and their Massive Change Network on a collaborative project focusing on the areas of Power, Health, Climate & Translation, and in doing so will accelerate our ADA2051 commitment to seek and solve problems to improve life on earth.
An immersive two-day workshop and design sprint designed to empower students from all disciplines as levers of change in a circular economy. Sixty students from 12 schools were challenged to think differently, to work creatively, and problem solve by collaborating in diverse, interdisciplinary teams.
2022 was a big and exciting year for the Innovation Hub, culminating in our annual Showcase which featured five out of our six current projects highlighting the amazing work achieved throughout the year by over 220 members of the ADA community.
The co-design and delivery of an immersive production taking the audience through an experience of their five senses. Written and directed by Bruce Mau of Massive Change Network, with original music, digital media design, choreography, graphic design, and production design by an ADA creative team brought together by the Innovation Hub.
My First Day: An Empathy Project is a co-produced creative collaboration between the ADA Innovation Hub and the office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Education and Student Experience.
The ADA Innovation Hub has welcomed over 300 project alumni since March 2021! If you would like to join our growing list of project alumni please contact us to find out how.
Project Management Team
Claire Annesley, Dean
David Cami, Faculty Executive Director
Carly Vickers, Innovation Hub
Michaela Turner, Innovation Hub
Rogaya Alkaff, Innovation Hub
Joanne Chiang, Innovation Hub
Emma Mills, School of Art & Design
Trea Murphy, Division of External Engagement
Emma Snowden, Division of External Engagement
Cheyenne Bardos, Division of External Engagement
Nicolle Fierro, Dean's Unit
Colleen Nash, Dean's Unit
Acceleration Team
Claire Annesley, Dean, Arts, Design & Architecture
John Carr, School of Humanities & Languages
Chloe Cassidy, School of Art & Design
Matthias Haeusler, School of Built Environment
Timothy Heffernan, School of Built Environment
Clair Hill, School of Humanities & Languages
Paul Matthews, Creative Practice Lab
Rickie-Lee McLaurin-Smith, School of Social Sciences
Tema Milstein, School of Humanities & Languages
Vanessa Traynor, Arts, Design & Architecture
Michaela Turner, Dean's Unit
Carly Vickers, School of Art & Design
Climate Team
Jane Cameron, School of Art & Design
Melody Framp, Arts, Design & Architecture
Rebecca Green, School of Art & Design
Matthias Haeusler, School of Built Environment
Tony Loughland, School of Education
Paul Matthews, Creative Practice Lab
Rickie-Lee McLaurin-Smith, School of Social Sciences
Carmel O'Connor, Arts, Design & Architecture
Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard, School of Built Environment
Emma Peters, School of Art & Design
Christina Silk, School of Built Environment
Dean Utian, Arts, Design & Architecture
Health Team
Jill Bennett, National Institute for Experimental Arts
Katherine Bond, School of Art & Design
Chloe Cassidy, School of Art & Design
Clair Hill, School of Humanities & Languages
Reside Oya Demirbilek, School of Built Environment
Mariano Ramirez, School of Built Environment
Vanessa Traynor, Arts, Design & Architecture
Power Team
Srinjoy Bose, School of Social Sciences
John Carr, School of Humanities & Languages
Nicole Crouch, School of Art & Design
Uros Cvoro, Arts, Design & Architecture
Farnaz Fattahi, School of Built Environment
Paola Favaro, School of Built Environment
Timothy Heffernan, School of Built Environment
Melody Li, School of Art & Design
Damien March, Arts, Design & Architecture
Tema Milstein, School of Humanities & Languages
Trea Murphy, Arts, Design & Architecture
Chanah Wainer, School of Education
Translation Team
Emma Mills (Lead), School of Art & Design
Charlotte Adams, School of Art & Design
Josh Anstee, School of Art & Design
Virginie Aubard, School of Built Environment
Max Booker, School of Art & Design
Sam Carman, School of Art & Design
Hannah Carthew, School of Art & Design
Josephine Seri Collins, School of Built Environment
Bronte Contador-Kelsall, School of Art & Design
Leah Guo, School of Art & Design
Olivia Halmarick, School of Art & Design
Mark Isichei, School of Art & Design
Jiaying (Nina) Lai, School of Built Environment
Kyah Lawson, School of Art & Design
Jordan Lewis, School of Art & Design
Sarah Liu, School of Art & Design
Amy Munns, School of Art & Design
Ciara O'Reilly, School of Art & Design
Jiaying Qian, School of Art & Design
Alexianna Stephenson, School of Art & Design
Narnia Tanious, School of Art & Design
Maria Thaddea, School of Art & Design
Hana Thomson, School of Art & Design
Oliver van den Bogaerde, School of Art & Design
Alina Wirtz, School of Art & Design
Lisiqi Zhang, School of Built Environment
Visual Comms Facilitators
Baron Chau, School of Art & Design
Vivien Sung, School of Art & Design
Michael Donahue, School of Art & Design
A collaborative performance by Massive Change Network and UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture
Written and Directed by Bruce Mau
Executive Producers
Claire Annesley, UNSW
David Cami, UNSW
Aiyemobisi Williams, MCN
Producers
Carly Vickers, UNSW
Paul Matthews, UNSW
Amaris Galea-Orbe, MCN
Script Writer
Cathy DeRonne, MCN
Composer
Alister Spence, UNSW
Musicians, UNSW
Alistair Johnston tenor saxophone
Ben Phipps double bass
Blaize Calavera Sivis baritone saxophone
Emma Korell soprano, alto saxophone
Fergus Spencer electric bass
Hayden White violin
Lara Van Den Holder viola
Madeline Maher voice
Michael Brady electric guitar, voice
Xinghan Feng clarinet
Visual Design and Animation Team
Melody Li, UNSW (Lead)
Anna Tow, UNSW (Lead)
Jacob Rendina, UNSW
Wenjie Wang, UNSW
Choreography
Paul Matthews, UNSW
Graphic Design
Briedy Mahar, UNSW
Michail Vlasopoulos, MCN
Mask Production
Design Futures Lab, UNSW
Event Manager
Emma Snowden, UNSW
Communications Strategy
Trea Murphy, UNSW
Production Team
Nicolle Fierro, UNSW
Joanne Chiang, UNSW
Maria Thaddea, UNSW
Joe Eyre, UNSW
Zhuoya Wang, UNSW
Gretchen Gsceidle, MCN
Jessica Fenner, MCN
Brea Graber, MCN
Special Thanks
Roundhouse Theatre, UNSW
Big Picture
Indigigrow
Benji & Jono Bergmann
Itamar Kubovy
Carbon8
Academic Lead
Ramaswami Harindranath
Theme Leadership
Andrew Brooks
Astrid Lorange
Katherine Thompson
Mengistu Amberber
Rose Amazan
Srinjoy Bose
Advisory Board
Andrea Durbach
BJ Newton
Stephen Loo
Anna Munster
Project Participants
Amjid Ali Khan
Md Badiuzzaman
Monika Barthwal-Datta
Keiko Bostwick
Helen Caple
Jose Da Silva
Keren David
Jamilla de Jonge
Tanja Dreher
Awni Etaywe
Roanna Gonsalves
Ruby Hamad
Finnegan Hassey
Bianca Hester
Chi Chi Huang
Amani Kasherwa
Ilan Katz
Diana Kreemers
Sujith Kumar
Jung-Sook Lee
Scarlett Li-Williams
Damien March
Tierney Marey
Mohammad Mojtahedi
Aneshka Mora
Bonaventure Munganga
Maimuna Musarrat
Sylvester Okeke
Aves Parsemain
James Perez
Shima Saniei
Mitchell Whitehead
Joyce Wu
Xiaxia Zhang
Anthony Zwi
Collaborators
Dakota Smith
Project Sponsors:
Associate Professor Simon McIntyre (Director, Educational Innovation, PVCESE)
Dr. Carly Vickers (Academic Lead, ADA Innovation Hub)
Based on a Concept by:
Patience Loh (UNSW Alumni and Industry Designer)
Director and Academic Lead:
Dr. Amin Palangi (Lecturer, School of Arts and Media)
Writers:
Yasmin Malak (Undergraduate student, School of Arts and Media)
David Curzon (MPhil Student, Script Writer and Director, Sessional Academic - School of Arts and Media)
Producer:
David Curzon
Project Manager:
Melody Framp (ADA Innovation Hub)
Technical Producer:
Graham Hannah (Manager, Immersive technologies, PVCESE)
Technical Team and Editors:
Brian Landrigan (Manager, Educational Media and Immersive Technologies)
Dr. Xueqing Lu (Immersive Technology Specialist)
Music and Sound Design:
Dr. Adam Hulbert (Senior Lecturer, School of Arts and Media)
Graphic Design:
Baron Chau (Sessional Academic, School of Art and Design)
Project Administrative Support:
Rogaya Alkaff (ADA Innovation Hub)
National Institute Dramatic Arts - Actors:
Nickin Alexander
Alec Dalzeil
Arvin Bhattacharya
Attu Ngor
Elodie Westhoff
Hugo Liu
Sarabi Gristwood Sponza
Sovanarry Chan
Swanika Ramkumar
Tawanda Muzenda
Project Lead
Scott Brown, School of Art & Design
Research Lab Directors
John McGhee, Director, 3DVAL & EPICentre
Mari Velonaki, Director, Creative Robotics Lab
Tomasz Bednardz, Past Director, EPICentre
XR Dance Studio
Matt Cabanag, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
Shiya Lu, ADA Student
Robert Lawther, Technical Advisor
Facility:
EPICentre Lab
Object Image Making
Bic Tieu, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
Penny Zhang, ADA Student
Ethan Jones, Technical Advisor
Facility:
3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab
Virtual Characters Vs Social Robots
Eduardo Sandoval, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
Max Tintner, ADA Student
Benjamin Bailey, Technical Advisor
Facilities:
3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab
Creative Robotics Lab
Heightened Perceptions
Haider Akmal, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
Jonathan Shaw (Zeyu Xiao), ADA Student
Sarita Herse, Technical Advisor
Facility:
Creative Robotics Lab
UCE2030 Future Users and Generators of Clean Energy
Stephen Loo, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
Ilpo Koskinen, Academic Mentor, School of Engineering
Van-Andrew Nguyen, ADA Student
Sofia Honcoote, ADA Student
Conan Bourke, Technical Advisor
Robert Lawther, Technical Advisor
Facility:
EPICentre Lab
Project Participants
Christy Newman (ADA, Associate Dean Engagement & Impact)
Jennifer Biddle (ADA, Associate Dean Engagement & Impact)
Robert Lawther (Senior Software Designer, EPICentre)
Carly Vickers (ADA Innovation Hub)
Michaela Turner (ADA Innovation Hub)
Rogaya Alkaff (ADA Innovation Hub)
Breathe
Staff
Oliver Bown (Project Lead), Kate Dunn, Katherine Bond, Adam Hulbert, Nichola Jephcott, Simon Trevaks, Madi King, Charlotte Firth, Daniel Yu, Alex Tohidi
Students
Darcy Altavilla, Joanne Chiang, Marco Rinaldi, Ailish Power, Arno Zhang
Collaborators
mili mili (consultation on a schedule for Indigenous community consultation and engagement), Kurt Mikolajczyk (audio system programming), Mitch Allen, Neelam Gopalani and Rebecca Cadorin (Arup)
Health Equity and Literacy Media Space (HELMS)
Staff
Anthony Zwi (Project Lead), Hani Abdile, Valentina Baú, Dean Utian
Students
Keren David, Kayla Lochner, Loc Nguyen
Collaborators:
Justin Koonin (ACON)
Symbolic Roots
Staff
Karen Kriss (Project Lead), Oya Demirbilek (Project Lead), Ant Banister (Sound Consultant), Danielah Martinez (Lead Designer)
Students
Thomas Bowman, Jungwon Eom, Nguyen Vy Luong, Olivia Spurling
Collaborators
Tilt Industrial Design (Industry Partner), Mighty Nice (Animation Consultant), 22MILES (Wayfinding, App & Website Consultant), Scott Brown (Well-being Hub & Sensory Garden Consultant), Min Kong (Wayfinding Strategic Consultant), Aunty Maxine Ryan (First Nations Consulatant and local Dharawal woman from La Perouse), Joshua Yasserie (First Nations Consulatant and Wiradjuri man, Graphic Artist and Animator)
Moment-us
Staff
Paul Osmond (Project Lead), Kate Bishop, Linda Corkery, Rebecca Green, John McGhee, Felicity Rawlings-Sanaei, Cathy Sherry
Students
Latham Brook
Collaborators
Majed Abuseif (Griffith University), Hekmat Hozilah (Industry), Homa Rahmat (Industry)
Site first: site-specific and site-responsive art for HTH
Staff
Allan Giddy (Project Lead), Anikó Hatoss, Michael Kempson, Damien March
Students
Jack Poppert, Amelia van der Laan de Vries