Colin Mercer

Colin Mercer was the UK’s first Professor of Cultural Policy and Director of the Cultural Policy and Planning Research Unit at the Nottingham Trent University from 1999-2003. Prior to that he was Director of the Institute for Cultural Policy Studies at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia and establishment Chief Executive Officer of QANTM Australia Co-operative Multimedia Centre. In Australia, and subsequently internationally, he developed and applied the principles and practice of cultural mapping and cultural planning on more than 40 projects at local, municipal, regional, national and international levels.

He has published, presented and consulted widely in the areas of cultural mapping, planning, policy and new media in Asia, the Americas, Australasia, Europe and Oceania and his work has been translated into seven languages. His book, Towards Cultural Citizenship: tools for cultural policy and development, was published by Gidlunds Forlag in 2002. Now based in the UK but working mostly overseas, he is a freelance research consultant operating across the cultural sector and specialising in creative industries, digital new media, and cultural mapping and planning. He is currently an Expert advisor for the European Commission’s Culture Programme, a Thematic Expert for its URBACT II Programme and a member of the European Expert Network on Culture (EENC). He has also recently become a member of the Council of Europe/Compendium Expert Group on Cultural Participation Issues.

A full profile with downloadable publications is available at :

http://www.connectcp.org/profiles/profile.php?profileid=22