The Ingrid Burkett Story

Ingrid’s passion for creating creative communities stems from her background. Because of her mother’s experiences as a refugee, Ingrid grew up with stories of dislocation and poverty. As a child she experienced migration and a bilingual education and describes her life as ‘living on the borderlands’.

In 1990 Ingrid completed her Honours degree in Social Work and worked as a social worker and trauma counselor in a major hospital and in the community sector. In 1992 she returned to study, completing her Masters in Communications Management and working as a researcher. In 1994 she began work on her PhD which examined the connection between globalization and the impacts at the local community level. As part of this research, she visited community development workers in 14 countries to conduct in-depth interviews. In 1998 Ingrid received her doctorate and began working fulltime as an academic in the field of international and community development.

Ingrid’s continuing research has focused on developing deeper and more holistic understandings of community processes. Ingrid has become well known for her multidisciplinary approach, working in fields as disparate as social work, forestry, disability, communications technology, water supply and sanitation, urban planning, rural development, environmental sustainability and international development. As a result she has become a popular presenter at local and international conferences.

However, Dr. Ingrid Burkett is not just an academic. She is also an experienced practitioner. She has played a key role in the ongoing management of community development organizations such as The Global Learning Centre and the Brisbane East Timor Association for Development Cooperation. She has also been a lead trainer for the Community Aid Abroad Community Leadership Program, taking teams of Australians to India and Bangladesh to learn first-hand about the issues facing these countries and training people to make connections between these issues and community work in the Australian context. Her work has been labeled as inspiring, challenging, thought-provoking and provocative. Her workshops are characterized by a participatory and open approach to learning and social experimentation.

Because Ingrid believes that all creativity comes from the ‘borderlands’, she deliberately chooses to live in the borderlands between the world of academia and the world of practice. As an artist she also finds herself caught between the world of reason and the world of emotions expressed through the creative arts.

Together with David Engwicht, Ingrid has developed a complex understanding of the creative process and how this relates to both individuals and whole communities. Her passion is to inspire creativity in others, particularly related to community development. In 2001, Ingrid and David established Creative Communities International to fulfill this dream.