Biography

 

Sonia Ward

 

I was born in Adelaide, lived in several states with my husband and four children, who was in the Defence Force at the time, before settling in Townsville 16 years ago, which I now call home.

 

My early interests I recall were history and science, they were sparked by my father who had similar passions. He was also an avid reader, an interest he shared by reading me books at bedtime or by creating his own imaginative stories.

 

After raising a family and finally settling in Townsville the passing of my father was an experience that pushed me to return to study, a passion I had forgotten while raising a family and moving town every few years. An exciting difference for me when compared with research processes in the early 80’s, [when you pulled out a draw, read a card, wrote down a number that then lead you to a shelf of books] has been the advent of computer technology as a research tool.

 

 Presently in my fourth year at Tafe studying for an Advanced Diploma, I have been presented with the opportunity to combine history, analytical, theoretical practice, and curiosity about human behaviour, aided by accessible data thanks to advancing technology.

 

As a parent and grandparent I have experienced the challenges of parenting a teen in a social media environment.   Recently exploring the correlation between theatre as a form of entertainment and social media has been a way to develop an understanding of the motivations that drive social media use, while addressing my concerns about personal content becoming increasingly available

 

 While  remembering the child who  looked through a microscope,  technology coupled with  creative practice  has presented me a way to experiment like a scientist while  realizing  my childhood ambitions to become a research scientist or storyteller . Visual Arts has become a way for me to tell this story of discovery.