OLIVIA J. BENNETT


Hello! I’m an arts writer, researcher and critic based in Brisbane, Australia. 

I've reviewed and written about art, film, music, and digital culture in Australian and international publications. I’ve also played a pivotal role in the programming, digital production, and successful delivery of numerous projects within Australia’s film and music industry.

I'm fascinated by how global trends intertwine with personal stories, revealing the impact of cultural issues on our daily lives. In my work, I prefer to experiment with non-linear storytelling, multiple perspectives, and mixed media to capture the intricacy of modern cultural tensions.

I’ve been honoured to participate in Gertrude Contemporary’s Emerging Writers Program and the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Critics Campus.

I'm also a freelance copywriter, content writer, and strategist whose work is driven by principles of complexity and interconnectedness.

With five years of freelancing, three years in agency environments, and two years navigating Melbourne's strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, I've faced real tests of resilience and adaptability in my career. This experience has enriched my ability to develop copywriting, content, and strategy for various sectors, including tech, health, lifestyle, retail, design, construction, hospitality and (of course) the arts.

I completed a Bachelor of Art History and Curating at Monash University, majoring in Film Studies. For my BA Honours thesis in Screen and Cultural Studies at Melbourne University, I argued that the documentary films of Harvard University’s Sensory Ethnography Lab are hyperobjects. Applying Timothy Morton’s concept through poetics, I explored their capacity to provoke a transgressive experience of ecological thought and feeling.

On a personal note, I'm on track to pass the DELF B2 French exam in 2025, and I am currently working on launching new business ventures that will further leverage my expertise and passions.

Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!

BRAT

Charli XCX




With over a decade under her belt, the people’s party princess Charli XCX’s Brat has firmly secured her position in pop’s hall of fame. Rallying a 19-piece girl gang of pop culture’s off-kilter elite for the launch of headline track "360," Charli defines a unique vision of womanhood. Not one to mince words, the album captures the silly, sad, sexy, and sensational feelings of being a girl while delicately reinventing genre-worn tropes. Featuring nasty synths, electro-disco beats, frenetic bass, and 00s earworms, all supported by producer A.G. Cook, it’s a masterclass in modern pop. From the anxieties of missing out on motherhood in “I think about it all the time” (I think I might run out of time / But I finally met my baby / And a baby might be mine), to “Girl, so confusing” exploring the compassionate competitiveness of female friendships, to “So I” paying a painfully honest tribute to late collaborator SOPHIE, and “Guess” exploiting the playful power dynamics of desire, Charli struck untouched chords with this decade-defining album.