Olga Kolokytha, PhD MA

Course Director

Dr. Olga Kolokytha holds a PhD in Cultural Institutions Studies (Kulturbetriebslehre) awarded with Distinction by the University of Music and the Performing Arts Vienna; an MA in Arts Management (City University London); and a BA in Musicology and Music Education (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). She is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal City, Culture and Society and an elected member of the Board of the Research Network Sociology of the Arts of the European Sociological Association. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, cultural institutions (tangible and intangible), cultural policy, culture in times of crises, and cultural diplomacy. She speaks English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. 

She is the lead researcher for the University of Vienna of the Horizon 2020 project Creative Industries Cultural Economy Production Network – CICERONE (project leaders: University of Amsterdam) as well as leader of one of the project's work packages. She has taught at university level (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greek Open University, University of Vienna, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg) and worked extensively as cultural projects manager and consultant around Europe. She has worked with the European Opera Centre as Projects Manager since 2003. Her research monograph Artistic Development of Young Professional Singers (2013) explores the notion of Artistic Development multiperspectively and focuses on issues of industry, career and professional development. She is regularly invited to give lectures for cultural organisations. In December 2016 she received the Best Publication Award, given to the best published PhD research for the years 2013-2015 by the University of Music and the Performing Arts of Vienna. In February 2018 she was among the key experts invited by the European Commission to the consultation on the future of the European Agenda for Culture.

Research Areas:

• Cultural and creative industries
• Cultural policy
• Cultural management
• Sociology of culture
• Cultural heritage and cultural memory

Memberschips & Affiliations: 

1. Member of the Editorial Board of the journal City, Culture and Society (since 2021)
2. Elected member of the Board of the European Sociological Association Research Network Sociology of the Arts (since 2019).
3. Member of the Scientific Committee of the 2nd Dance Days Chania conference "Dance: the art of communication. Concept- action- extroversion?", Centre of Mediterranean Architecture, Chania 27-28 July 2019.
4. Member of the Scientific Committee of the 1st Dance Days Chania conference "Borders, boundaries and margins in contemporary dance", Centre of Mediterranean Architecture, Chania 21-22 July 2018
5. Among the key experts invited by the European Commission to the consultation on the future of the European Agenda for Culture on 19th February 2018.
6. Member of the European Sociological Association since 2017.
7. One of the 35 representatives of the cultural sector invited by European Commission to participate at the Audience Development via Digital Means Brainstorming Session (part of the European Commission structured dialogue scheme) in Amsterdam (June 2015) and Brussels (October 2015).
8. Member of the European Association of Cultural Researchers (ECURES) since 2012 (after invitation).
9. Ranked 7th in Europe for the Cultural Policy Research Award 2006, awarded by the European Cultural Foundation and the Bank of Sweden.
10. Member of the Editorial Board of the e-journal Cultural Policy, Criticism and Management of the Department of Cultural Policy and Management, School of Arts, City University London (2003-2004).
11. Affiliate member of the International Society of Music Education 2001-2004.
12. Member of the Editorial Board of "Music Education" Journal (the Journal of the Greek Society of Music Education) from 2000 until 2002.