About

Local mavens Christine Bottrell and Margie Gleeson are the founders of Breaking New Ground. We identify opportunities, activate ethical partnerships and create awesome projects.

Each began her career teaching in the creative arts and between them have decades of education experience with very young people through to adults; having taught at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels in diverse environments. After numerous and long discussions over the years we decided early in 2016 what was needed was for us to physically commit to a project that has the arts, sustainable living and a love of learning at the centre. We noticed a gap in the learning environment which includes not only schools and educators but also community collaborations and challenges.

From our combined individual profiles below, you will identify the breadth of experience Breaking New Ground has to offer, not just in the arts and education, but in community engagement, project management and leadership. United we provide a strong sense of purpose and ethical management which ensures all voices contribute to the planning, design and implementation stages, and that projects and events develop without sacrificing quality.

OUR VISION

By engaging in the creative process, people develop an enduring love of learning. As individuals and groups discover their ability for creative thinking and problem-posing and solving, they can blossom, become self-motivated, gain knowledge, confidence and stretch themselves.

OUR MISSION

Breaking New Ground (BNG) can lead you or your organisation to identify and reflect on situations related to learning, mentoring, community engagement and arts based practice. Research and evaluation are an integral part of the BNG philosophy. We engage people by providing bespoke, sustainable and creative professional learning, from early years through to adult, large corporates as well as small enterprises. BNG works alongside educators, schools and community groups to match experts with specific requirements.

Margie Gleeson

Margie Gleeson arrived in Albury with partner Don Cameron in 1984. She has been an active member of the Albury community ever since and is now making a mark on the community of Yackandandah. Margie has taught at all three major high schools in Albury, Riverina TAFE and Charles Sturt University. She received the Director General’s Award for Service to Public Education in 2007 and has held positions on Murray Arts Board, Friends of the Albury Regional Gallery (now MAMA), Border Music Camp Inc, ADFAS, Yackandandah Arts and Hothouse Theatre.

For six years she and partner Don Cameron ran one of Albury’s most innovative restaurants which began a lifelong interest in food, its origins, cooking and healthy sustainable living. While Visual Arts is her first area of study, she has over the years taught English, History and Drama to secondary students and has retired from full time teaching at the end of 2015.

As convener of Riverina Drama Camp for 10 years Margie has seen the power of an environment of play and experimentation in project-based learning (PBL). In all schools where she has taught Margie has created events and performances that have brought together different age groups, cross curriculum strands and community members. These events have resulted in and encouraged a growth in resilience and confidence in, and for, those involved. For those who wish to take part in the evidence-based benefits of intensives in Creative and Performing Arts, Margie has extensive experience to share. It is with this experience she eagerly joined Chris with a view to contributing positively to making a difference in the community.

Christine Bottrell

Christine Bottrell is a Doctor of Philosophy, has a Masters of Education by research and for the past twenty years has been working primarily in research methodology and postgraduate education. Christine weaves a philosophy of arts based thinking through quantitative data analysis, community & curriculum development, social policy and ethical leadership. In 2012 she left the university sector and founded her freelance research, evaluation and development business, REDthreads. Christine continues to work with established and new contacts in corporate, government and not for profit sectors with a focus on creative learning environments, education as change, people development and ethical leadership.

Over three decades of experience in the public and private sectors, Christine has consolidated her career nationally working in all states and territories, but particularly NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory. She has worked with students and educational leaders, communities from remote Australia to community centres in the western suburbs of Sydney, corporates and not for profits; navigating challenging issues, identifying, celebrating and building on capacity. She has a reputation as an advocate and mentor, enabling individuals and communities through active participation. The arts and storytelling are a powerful forum for conversations about how we live and Christine’s experiences in social justice initiatives and equity inform these.

Together with Margie, Christine advocates the power of community capacity and supports organisations and individuals to sustain their best performances whilst broadening their connection with, and in, communities.