Alison Wotherspoon

BA, Dip Ed, Hons (University of NSW), Producing AFTRS, currently completing PhD (Flinders University)

Senior Lecturer in Screen Studies, Screen Production Coordinator, Department of Screen and Media 

Alison graduated from the University of NSW with a BA, Dip Ed, Hons in drama and film. After travelling throughout England and Europe, she began her career in television and film at the BBC in Birmingham UK. On her return to Australia she worked at Film Australia, the ABC, and SBS. In 1991 Alison gained a place in the Producing Extension course at the Australian Television and Radio School and went on to produce a number of independent films and videos. Alison left Sydney in 1997 to teach Screen Production in the Screen studies department of Flinders University. She continues to maintain strong links with the film and television industry throughout Australia and to produce, write and direct.

Alison was the recipient of a C.A.S.S fellowship that allowed her to study women in film and television in Beijing under the guidance of Professor Bu Wei in 2007, and in 2008 was invited to Butler University in Indianapolis to teach and give a public lecture Contemporary Australian Cinema or beyond the cringe as part of the Howard Schrott Media Arts Lecture Series.

Alison is Vice President of ASPERA (Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association, Secretary of CAPA (CILECT Asia Pacific Association) and a corresponding member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision).

Teaching:

SCRN1070: Production Techniques and Script Analysis - Part 1 (topic co-ordinator)
SCRN2050: Screen Production Techniques 1 (topic co-ordinator)
SCRN2071/3051: Screen Production Techniques 3 (topic co-ordinator)
SCRN8026: Natural History Film Making Industry Partnership (topic co-ordinator)
SCRN7050C: Project in Screen Production (Part 2) (topic co-ordinator)

Research interests:

• Producing
• Screen production pedagogy 
• Documentary
• Women in the screen industries
• China’s screen industries
• Production of educational  DVDs and resources
• Bullying and aggression in schools
• Autism spectrum disorder,  in particular Aspergers syndrome,
• Coping with bullying
• Dementia and Alzheimers

Select publications:

De Bellis, A., Bradley, S.L., Wotherspoon, A., Walter, B., Guerin, P., Cecchin, M., Paterson, J., Come Into My World: Interacting with a Person who has Dementia: An educational resource for undergraduate healthcare students on person-centred care, Flinders University Press, 2009

Wotherspoon, A. Producer, writer, director, Coping with School Bullying, a 4 part series on DVD. Flinders University, 2008

Wotherspoon, A. Producer, writer, director Reducing Bullying in Schools:  evidence based strategies for schools, a 7 part series on DVD produced for the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) 2007.

Cox, G., Newbold, P., Owens, L., Shute, R., Slee, P.T., Wight., S. &  Wotherspoon, A. Reducing Bullying in Schools:  evidence based strategies for schools, resource kit produced  for the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) (2007).

Both the Reducing Bullying and Coping resources are available from the CAPER website.

Slee, P.T. , Shute, R.,  Wotherspoon, A. ‘Very Mixed Emotions’ A discussion about bullying and young children. Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department. Canberra. 30 minute video (2002).

Work currently in production:

Come Into My World: Interacting with a Person who has Dementia: An educational resource for undergraduate healthcare students on person-centred care, a series of 7 educational videos, five of which are docudramas.  To be launched early 2009.

A seven part series on Bullying and Aspergers Syndrome as part of Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation Grant: Developing Inclusive school communities: Reducing victimization and bullying in mainstream education for students with an Autism Spectrum disorder. Awarded to Bottroff, V & Slee, P.T. Due to be completed mid 2009.

Supervisory interests:

Producing
Documentary
Screen Production, filmmaking
Australian screen industry
Bullying and aggression