Helena Bezzina

Dr Helena Bezzina serves as an Honorary Lecturer and Casual Academic at the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences within the College of Human and Social Futures at the University of Newcastle. With over 20 years of international experience, she has held pivotal roles including Director of Undergraduate Studies at Lasalle College of the Arts (Singapore), Assistant Manager of Programming at Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum, and positions across major institutions like the National Museum of Australia and Newcastle Art Gallery.

Her educational credentials include:

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales (2014)
• Master of Art and Design Education

Bezzina's research investigates how museums shape national identity through cultural heritage, particularly focusing on Singapore's Peranakan community, while pioneering studies on art's therapeutic role in combating social isolation. Her work bridges museum curation with community wellbeing, informed by direct experience facilitating programs for seniors with Alzheimer's and youth with mental health challenges. This dual focus manifests in publications spanning nation-building discourse and art-based health interventions, reflecting her unique practitioner-academic perspective.

Analysis of her publications reveals consistent evolution from early digital learning frameworks (2000) toward contemporary examinations of cultural representation, with the Peranakan narrative serving as a through-line connecting her Singaporean museum work to current wellbeing research. Her output demonstrates deep integration of Bourdieusian theory with practical museum programming.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Best Paper Award at the Museums Australia Conference (2006) for 'Peranakan: The Role of Collections in Nation Building'

Bezzina's advisory impact emerges through exhibition curation and academic mentorship, notably directing the National Youth Self Portrait Prize and co-curating major programs like JUST DRAW (2016). While specific grant histories aren't detailed, her decade-spanning projects at institutions including the Asian Civilisations Museum and Newcastle Art Gallery indicate sustained engagement with competitive funding mechanisms for cultural initiatives.

Her professional trajectory shows continuous movement between gallery programming teams and academic settings, with current focus centered on developing museum-based wellbeing frameworks through the University of Newcastle's creative industries network.