👋 Helllooo! It’s great that you’re here.
I’m Christy Dena (pronounced Dee-na, she/they), and I’m a narrative design activist. When I say ‘we,’ I mean all the folks reading this who think this way, too, and all those not here but do this work in the past, present, and future. It’s not a ‘royal we’ but a ‘solidarity we’!
I’ve worked in games, feature films and short films, television series and commercials, radio, literature, and theatre. I’ve judged awards around the world (such as the Emmys, AWGIES, and Cartoons on the Bay), and I’ve won awards for my (interactive) screenwriting (Aust Writers’ Guild, WA Premier’s Prize) and had international nominations. I’ve taught around the world at institutions (such as Griffith Film School, Norwegian Film School, & UMEA University) and specialist schools (such as AFTRS, CalArts, & SAE). I’ve mentored at labs around the world (such as the Cross-Over Lab, Power to the Pixel, & Creative Australia), and I’ve run (and co-run) labs (such as Forward Slash Story, Extended Experiences Lab, and Crafting Intangibles). I’ve spoken at industry events (such as Slamdance, Whistler Film Festival, & GDC). I’ve assessed arts funding across Australia, and artistic research grants in Norway and Austria. I’ve successfully acquitted over 20 arts & events grants. I’m a certified workplace trainer and assessor, and I’ve also won a teaching award. I’ve worked with kind, open, and creative colleagues as well as manipulative, vindictive, and afraid colleagues. I have a PhD in transmedia practice (Syd Uni), a post-graduate diploma in creative writing (Melb Uni), and a degree in visual and performing arts (Monash Uni). This isn’t all of me, either. I live and work on unceded Boonwurrung Country with my kitty daughter, Kirrip. When I create stories that are set locally, I consult with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.