Dr. Justin O’Connor is Professor in the Creative Industries Faculty,
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Until September 2008
he was Professor of Cultural Industries at the School of Performance and
Cultural Industries, University of Leeds, where he led an MA in Culture,
Creativity and Entrepreneurship. His main areas of interests are contemporary
urban cultures, cultural and creative industries, cultural policy and urban
regeneration.
Between 1995 and 2006 Prof. O’Connor was Director of Manchester Institute for
Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research led to the
establishment of Manchester’s Creative Industries Development Service
(www.cids.co.uk)) the UK’s first dedicated local economic development agencies
for the creative industries. Dr. O’Connor was also lead academic advisor to
Manchester’s Urbis museum of the contemporary city (www.urbis.org.uk).
Prof. O’Connor also led a partnership project between Manchester, Helsinki and
St Petersburg to develop a creative industries strategy for the Russian city.
His interest in the developing agenda for the creative industries outside
Europe has seen him speak in China, South Korea and Taiwan. He is currently
preparing a co-edited book based on the conference Creative Economies,
Creative Cities – Asian and European Perspectives held in Shanghai, October
2006. He has written a vision paper for Yorkshire Regional Development Agency
on contemporary challenges for cities and culture; just completed a critical
bibliography on creative industries for The Arts Council England
(http://www.creative-partnerships.com/CP_LitRev4.pdf); and will publish a book
Cultural Industries and the City, with Sage next year.