Kate Foy BA MLitt PhD
I am a freelance creative artist, voice and dialect coach, and research-practitioner. Until my recent retirement from full-time employment, I was Associate Professor (Voice) and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts, University of Southern Queensland. I currently hold the position of Honorary Professor within the Faculty of Arts, USQ.
My academic research areas lie in Australian theatre history, acting, and voice and text studies for the actor.
Beginning in 2001, I developed an interest in the potential for developing e-learning assets for use in the creative arts. I integrated several of these technologies into several of my theoretical and practical university courses. Entries in my blog chart this experimentation with online technologies in e-learning and in the creative arts … using the Mac computing platform.
In July 2008 I co-founded Expressive Plus, an Australian-based consultancy focussed on the art, craft, and science of personal presentation.
I have worked professionally as an actor as Kate Wilson since 1971. Since then, I have continued to work as a freelance voice artist, coach, director and performer. Here is a comprehensive biography of my production work.
I am currently represented by KAM Voices and am a member of Brisvo, a collective of Brisbane-based voice artists.
I have been a member of Actors Equity, a division of the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance (MEAA), Australia since 1973.
Podcast: Your Story Ep 50 Kate’s Story: acting a theatrical life – in conversation with Ian Kath, March 2010.
Curriculum Vitae
Career focus has been on performance and education, with over 20 years in the Australian higher education sector. I have served as a member of the University Council, as Department Head (Theatre), Director of the USQ Performance Centre, and until September 2008, I held the position of Deputy Dean Faculty of Arts.
As an acknowledged specialist in voice and text in performance, I serve as an occasional editorial consultant for the VASTA Voice Review. I have also contributed as an Associate Editor to the International Dialects of English Archive. Prior professional experience was as a classroom teacher (1966-68) and as a professional actor and director principally with Queensland Theatre Company, and New England Theatre Company (1971-86). I am currently Chairman Queensland Theatre Company (2001-), and a board member Empire Theatres Inc., Toowoomba (2003-). I am also a Trustee for the Empire Theatres Foundation (2009 -.
I am listed in “Who’s Who in Queensland.”
Performance research practitioner
Publications and presentations at national and international conferences (VASTA: Glasgow 2005; Voice Review: 2001; 2003; 2005) on voice in the outdoor theatre, voice training, the development of community theatre, and Shakespeare in actor training.
New technologies research practitioner
I have a developing national profile in the use of Mac-based e-learning in higher education (AUC Wheels for the Mind Autumn 2007). In 2001, I undertook one of the first trials of the first generation iPod as a learning tool for actors’ voice studies. Between 2001 and the present, I have integrated wikis, websites, blogging and podcasting into creative arts theory and practice courses.
In 2007 I presented and published on the use of e-learning technologies at several national conferences: AUC Conference, Gold Coast Australia; 3rd International Pedagogies and Learning Conference, Springfield Australia; Create World 2007, Griffith University Australia. You can listen and view some of these podcasts taken from a theatre history course, and one of my publications taken from the AUC 2007 Conference Proceedings.
In December 2008 and 2009, I worked as a conference podcaster and presenter for AUC Create World held at Griffith University Brisbane Australia. You may view the 2008 panel discussion here. I designed the conference blog hub and social networks utilised during 2009 AUC Create World.
In June 2009 I was a long-distance presenter for the Arts and Technology Conference Shift Happens 2.0 June 29-30. I appeared ‘onstage’ via live Skype video feed at the Theatre Royal, York UK.
My current interests in new media lie in the development and use of social networking media in the performing arts, and in formal and informal learning.
Lecturer and Course Organiser
University of New England (1981-1986) Tutor in Voice
University of Southern Queensland (1987-2008) voice, speech and text studies in professional actor-training program; theatre and drama history; theatre practice; professional development for the actor.
Research and Professional Development
Inaugural producer of USQ’s Shakespeare in Queen’s Park Festival Toowoomba, Australia (2004-2007). Devised and developed an outdoor, community-focussed and supported 10 day festival dedicated to the works of Shakespeare, and incorporating students in training from USQ alongside staff and industry professional artists and creatives. Received $30 000 in ‘seeding’ grants from Toowoomba City Council (2005-07) and $25 000 grant from QERDP (state government) to assist in development (2006). In 6 years, the Festival has grown its audience base, box office returns, financial and in-kind sponsorship from government and corporate sectors, and developed as a leading event in the cultural life of the city. You can read the story of the development of the Festival on this blog developed by me during the first 4 years of the SiQP Festival history.
Education
PhD University of Hawaii at Manoa (1999)
Dissertation: The formation of Australian national identity: the contribution of modern women’s, immigrant and aboriginal theatre and drama. December 1999. xi, 312 leaves. (Theatre). Call no. UH Mänoa Hawaiian Collection AC1 .H3 no.3871, Microfiche 38878. Also available online in pdf format at Bell & Howell: UMI no. 9951185. “December 1999.” Includes bibliographical references (pp: 286-312) Microfiche. Ann Arbor, Mich.
MLitt University of New England (1987)
BA University of New England (1987)
Toynbee School of Drama (1968-1971)
TCert Kedron Park Teachers College (1965)
Personal
I was born in Brisbane and received my primary and secondary education at Sacred Heart College, Sandgate.
I have two children and enjoy travel, photography, gardening and learning – the world’s a wonderful place!
