Dr Dave O'Brien
Lecturer
Centre for Cultural Policy & Management
T: +44 (0)20 7040 8756
Overview and research interests
Dr O'Brien is a Lecturer in Cultural and Creative Industries at City University London. He specialises in cultural value and urban cultural policy issues and has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Liverpool. His undergraduate degree is in history and politics, and his MA is in philosophy.
His work on cultural value includes a recent secondment and report to the UK's Department for Culture Media and Sport, along with several conference papers and forthcoming research articles.
His work on urban cultural policy can be found in his PhD from the University of Liverpool, which explored the governance of the European Capital of Culture programme and cultural policy in Liverpool and NewcastleGateshead. He has published several papers on this topic.
His first book 'Cultural Policy Management, Value & Modernity in the Creative Industries' will be published by Routledge in 2013.
He is currently part of several ongoing research projects including a major AHRC Funded Connected Communities project on Cultural Intermediation.
Dr O'Brien is a member of the editorial board of the journal Cultural Trends and has recently joined the advisory board for the AHRC's cultural value project.
Teaching
- Research methods
- Contemporary UK cultural policy
Dr O'Brien has taught a range of subjects in the past, including cultural theory, research methods, politics and sociology at University of Liverpool, John Moores University, Bangor University and Leeds Metropolitan University.
Publications
Book chapters
O'Brien, D (2013) 'Public value: perspectives and prospects from the UK' in Scott, C. (ed) Museums and public value London: Ashgate
O'Brien, D. and Durrer, V. (2013) 'Arts promotion' in McGuire, J. and Matthews, J. (Eds) The Cultural Intermediaries reader London: Sage
Journal articles
O'Brien, D. (2012) 'Shaping cultural policy around practical utopianism' Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events
O'Brien, D. (2012) 'The Culture and Sport Evidence Programme: New forms of evidence and new questions for cultural policy' 21(4)
O'Brien, D. (2012) 'Drowning the deadweight: what free swimming tells us about the policy process', Public Administration
O'Brien, D. and Cox, T. (2011) 'The "Scouse Wedding" and other myths and legends: Reflections on the evolution of a "Liverpool model" for culture-led regeneration', Cultural Trends
O'Brien, D. (2011) 'Who is in charge? Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008 and the governance of cultural planning', Town Planning Review 82(1)
O'Brien, D. (2010) Measuring the value of culture: A report to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
O'Brien, D. (2010) 'Counting and costing culture: Review of A textbook of cultural economics', Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events 2(3)
O'Brien, D. (2010) 'No cultural policy to speak of: Liverpool 2008', Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events 2(2) 113-128
O'Brien, D. and Miles, S. (2010) 'Cultural policy as rhetoric and reality: a comparative analysis of policy-making in the peripheral north', Cultural Trends 19(1-2) p3-13
O'Brien, D. (2010) 'Liverpool on the map again' Liverpool stakeholders' reflections on Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008', Research report for Impacts08 available from http://www.liv.ac.uk/impacts08/
O'Brien, D. (2008) 'Who pays the piper?' Research findings for Impacts08 available from http://www.liv.ac.uk/impacts08/
O'Brien, D. (2008) 'The limits of critical approaches' (book review), City 12(1), 126-127
O'Brien, D. (2007) 'Judging the built environment in theory and practice' (book review), City 11(2), 242-244
O'Brien, D. (2006) 'The politics of Publishing' (book review), City 10(3), 372-374
Guest edited journals
Cultural Trends (2012) Beyond the CASE programme Vol 21 Issue 4
Media and online publications
"Its not your impact, its your value" 17/1/2011
"The arts and cultural sector faces 'apocalyptic' cuts in austere Britain. But new ways of looking at economic value can help to make the case for culture" 31/1/2011
"Book review: Good and Plenty: the creative success of American arts funding" 3/4/2011
"Book review: The public value of the humanities" 29/5/2011
"It isn't philistine to judge art economically" 13/7/2011
Funded research projects
- 2011-2012 AHRC Network development grant 'Connecting Communities via Culture-led Regeneration - exploring incentive and momentum with UK City of Culture 2013 shortlisted cities'
- 2011 AHRC Connected Communities development funding Co-investigator, 'Cultural intermediaries in the city'
- 2010 AHRC/ESRC Placement Fellow 'Measuring Cultural Value' placement at the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- 2009- 2012 Legacy Trust NE Generation evaluation
- 2006- 2010 Impacts 08
- 2006 TiC 'Solid Futures'