Lou Bennett

Dr Lou Bennett is a Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung academic and artist, currently serving as the McKenzie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Her work focuses on Sovereign Language Repatriation (SLR), integrating Indigenous research methods and practice-led approaches to language retrieval through song composition and community engagement. Bennett’s research emphasizes decolonizing linguistic systems by centering Indigenous epistemologies and pedagogies.

Bennett holds a PhD (2015) from RMIT University, Melbourne, where she explored language retrieval’s role in community health through artistic and academic frameworks. Her career spans 29 years in the arts, including co-founding the Black Arm Band (2006–2014), a major Indigenous performing arts company, and global performances as part of the trio Tiddas (1990–2000).

Her research addresses cross-cultural and intergenerational challenges in language revitalization, particularly through songwriting and on-country practices. She advocates for Indigenous knowledge systems as vital to cultural sovereignty and wellbeing.

Bennett’s contributions have been recognized with the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll (2017). Her work bridges artistic practice, academic research, and community empowerment, prioritizing Indigenous-led methodologies.