performance ︎︎︎ pedagogy ︎︎︎ affinity
CLASS ACTIONS (co-directed by Gadigal/Bidgigal/Yuin Elder Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor; Kaz Therese; and James Hazel) is a non-disciplinary pedagogical collective exploring what ‘social class’ means in contemporary Australia across social, urban, rural ecologies drawing from the three members experiences living in social-housing across three generations.
Having developed work with CEMENTA Festival, Carriageworks, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Liquid Architecture, and The Ethics Centre, CLASS ACTIONS continues to develop workshops and experiences for communities throughout so-called Australia.
Having developed work with CEMENTA Festival, Carriageworks, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Liquid Architecture, and The Ethics Centre, CLASS ACTIONS continues to develop workshops and experiences for communities throughout so-called Australia.
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CLASS ACTIONS acknowledges the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and work. Land that was never ceded. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend our acknowledgment to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as their unique cultures, histories, and connections to the land.
co︎︎︎founders
Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor is a 70-year-old Gadigal/Bidgigal/Yuin Elder and Traditional Descendant from
the Sydney (Warrane) and saltwater basin and the South Coast of NSW. She is the daughter of First
Nations activist and advocate, Dr Charles “Chicka” Dixon, who was an MUA union activist and our
family are also proud lifelong members. Dixon is an Academic currently in the 2nd year of her Masters at UTS ‘How to study respectfully on
Gadigal/Bidgigal land and Protocols’ where she has lectured for the past four years This Creative Research Masters will be developed into an Education Module. Dixon is a compassionate advocate in the fields of social and environmental justice and human rights self-
determination, decolonisation, self-governance, community strengthening and cultural revitalisation for the
future generations. In her capacity as the Elder in Residence at AFTRS Dixon draws on the many years of her cultural,
political, historical knowledge and advocacy.
Kaz Therese (they/them) grew up on Darug land in Mt Druitt, Western Sydney. They are an interdisciplinary artist and cultural leader with a practice grounded in performance, activism and community building. Their work is inspired by place and narrative from working class & underclass settings. From 2013- 2020 they were the Artistic Director of PYT Fairfield. Kaz directed the Helpmann nominated PLAYLIST (premiered 2018), UnWrapped, Sydney Opera House (2019) Other works include TRIBUNAL presented at Griffin Theatre, ArtsHouse Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival; WOMEN OF FAIRFIELD with MCA C3West and STARTTS, winning the Sydney Myer Arts & Cultural Award for Best Arts Program (2016).Kaz is founder of FUNPARK ,Mt Druitt (Sydney Festival 2014) and a graduate of the 2019 Australia Council Cultural Leadership program.
James Hazel is an artist, composer, educator, and researcher working on the unceded Gadigal Lands of the Eora Nation who currently lectures at the University of Sydney. As someone who was born in Western Sydney, and lived in social-housing for 15 years, James’s sound-oriented work draws upon lived and authentic working and under-class experiences, vocalities, and utterences to explore and ‘work though’ what it means to listen, love, live, and labour in a world that is increasingly characterised by economic instability, automation, and social inequality - via a politics of labour, trauma and care. In recognition of solid work in the experimental sound community, Hazel was awarded the APRA-AMCOS Art-Music Award (Experimental Category) in 2022, and in 2021, was selected as an ABC Top 5 Researcher (Arts), for his class-based research, a program supported by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Council for the Arts. James’ research and praxis includes projects for Liquid Architecture; ADSR Zine; City of Sydney; Firstdraft; Act Journal; Australian Humanities Review; Acoustic Ecology Forum; Resonate Journal; and Limelight Magazine.
Kaz Therese (they/them) grew up on Darug land in Mt Druitt, Western Sydney. They are an interdisciplinary artist and cultural leader with a practice grounded in performance, activism and community building. Their work is inspired by place and narrative from working class & underclass settings. From 2013- 2020 they were the Artistic Director of PYT Fairfield. Kaz directed the Helpmann nominated PLAYLIST (premiered 2018), UnWrapped, Sydney Opera House (2019) Other works include TRIBUNAL presented at Griffin Theatre, ArtsHouse Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival; WOMEN OF FAIRFIELD with MCA C3West and STARTTS, winning the Sydney Myer Arts & Cultural Award for Best Arts Program (2016).Kaz is founder of FUNPARK ,Mt Druitt (Sydney Festival 2014) and a graduate of the 2019 Australia Council Cultural Leadership program.
James Hazel is an artist, composer, educator, and researcher working on the unceded Gadigal Lands of the Eora Nation who currently lectures at the University of Sydney. As someone who was born in Western Sydney, and lived in social-housing for 15 years, James’s sound-oriented work draws upon lived and authentic working and under-class experiences, vocalities, and utterences to explore and ‘work though’ what it means to listen, love, live, and labour in a world that is increasingly characterised by economic instability, automation, and social inequality - via a politics of labour, trauma and care. In recognition of solid work in the experimental sound community, Hazel was awarded the APRA-AMCOS Art-Music Award (Experimental Category) in 2022, and in 2021, was selected as an ABC Top 5 Researcher (Arts), for his class-based research, a program supported by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Council for the Arts. James’ research and praxis includes projects for Liquid Architecture; ADSR Zine; City of Sydney; Firstdraft; Act Journal; Australian Humanities Review; Acoustic Ecology Forum; Resonate Journal; and Limelight Magazine.
All materials are the intellectual property are the copyright of Class Actions members, except where indicated individual or otherwise.
© Class Actions Collective 2023