Frances Barbe

Frances Barbe is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Performance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Edith Cowan University. She teaches within the Bachelor of Performing Arts and Bachelor of Arts (Acting) courses and serves as a postgraduate research supervisor. Her academic career spans over two decades, including previous positions at the University of Kent (2001-2010) and as a guest teacher at prominent UK institutions including Central School of Speech and Drama, Exeter University, and Birkbeck University.

Her educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy (2012, England) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (2007, England). Prior to her academic career, Barbe was an active performance practitioner, serving as a member of Tadashi Endo's Butoh Mamu Dance Theatre (Germany 1997-2008), establishing Fran Barbe Dance Theatre (London, 2000-2010), and founding Theatre Training Initiative (London 1999-2010), which curated two international butoh festivals in 2005 and 2009.

Frances Barbe's research focuses on performer training methodologies, particularly examining the intersection of Western and Eastern performance traditions. Her work emphasizes movement, creative process, devising, and directing contemporary performance, with special attention to Butoh dance, intercultural performance practices, and Japanese theatre forms. She approaches performer training as a site of cultural exchange and innovation, exploring how traditional forms can be adapted and transformed in contemporary contexts while maintaining their essential philosophies.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory from practical exploration of Butoh and Suzuki methodologies toward broader investigations of intercultural performance, pandemic impacts on the arts, and the therapeutic potential of creative practices. The evolution of her work shows increasing engagement with mental health applications of performance, community-based artistic practices, and cross-disciplinary collaborations that bridge academic research with professional artistic production.

• Vice Chancellor's Staff Award 2018 for Engagement in Learning & Teaching for 'Inspirational teaching and visionary approach in developing a new course, the Bachelor of Performing Arts course.'

Barbe has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students across diverse research areas including butoh-based performer training, intercultural performance, site-specific work, and the integration of meditation practices with performance. Her significant research grants include the $100,000 Mental Health – Role of the creative arts project funded by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (2020-2023), and 'The Big Sea' Creative Development grant ($14,995) from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (2021). She has established collaborative networks with institutions including the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore, where she serves on the Academic Board.

Through her creative works such as Exquisite: An intercultural encounter with grief and inConversation exhibition, Barbe has developed interdisciplinary teams that integrate performers, designers, composers, and community participants. Her approach emphasizes collaborative creation processes that draw on diverse artistic traditions while addressing contemporary social and emotional themes. Her work consistently bridges academic research with professional artistic practice, creating spaces for dialogue between different performance traditions and exploring the transformative potential of embodied practices.