Belinda Mason is a Sydney-based human rights social documentarian whose career commenced at News Ltd in the 1980s. Covering federal election campaigns, natural disasters, royal visits, Grand Prixs and celebrities, Belinda built a strong foundation for her career as a business owner and social documentarian. Her commercial photography assignments for government, corporate, NGOs, advertising agencies and public relations companies from 1990 to 2010 included the building of the ANZAC Bridge, fashion for Chanel, Fantastic Furniture catalogues, sport and tourism. During this period her media clients included Fairfax, ACP Magazines and News Limited.
Since 2000, she has conceptualised, produced and presented high quality socio-cultural engaging multimedia projects for national and international audiences which focus on the topics of sexuality, disability, identity and violence. Belinda collaborates with individuals, governments and organisations to create a focal point for conversations which support social change. On any given day during the past 20 years, one or more of her multimedia exhibitions are on display in an institution somewhere in the world. Belinda has recorded the stories of over a thousand Australians and in doing so has captured the social and political history of Australia’s marginalised communities. Her approach provides a platform for them to express their thoughts and feelings without judgment and in an unquestioning way. Belinda is completing a Bachelor of Communications, Journalism and Creative Writing and is currently studying a Master of Human Rights at Curtin University.
Two books, which include the portraits and stories of the participants of the Unfinished Business and Breaking Silent Codes projects have been published with the support of stakeholders including City of Sydney, NSW Create and Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. These books are held in the collection of the National Library of Australia along with the catalogues from the exhibitions Silent Tears, Taken and Intimate Encounters. The projects Unfinished Business, Outing Disability, One Life and Silent Tears all include an app to enable people with learning, sensory and cognitive impairments to access the content of the projects. The short films from Unfinished Business Belinda directed for Dieter and Liam Knierim were broadcast on NITV. Belinda also directed the short film Intimate Encounters – 20 years on, for Knierim Productions which was included in the 2018 Sydney Film Festival.
“Without stories, there is silence.
Without our stories told, we are voiceless.
Without our stories heard, we are invisible.
It is even harder, when the stories are hard to hear and impossible to imagine”.
– Belinda Mason 2001