Lia Ghilardi (director)
Over the past fifteen years, Lia Ghilardi has built up an extensive portfolio of cultural planning and cultural research projects both in the UK and in Europe. After working with Charles Landry's Comedia Consultancy in the early 1990s, she set up Noema Research and Planning in 1999.
Lia's background is in urban sociology (Trento University, Italy), she has an MA with Distinction in Arts Criticism from City University (London) and a Diploma in Creative Thinking Skills from the De Bono Seminars Programme (Malta). She is Honorary Research Associate at the International Cultural Planning Research Unit of De Montfort University (Leicester), and Leader of the Policy Making Module at City University, Department of Arts Policy and Management.
Between 1994 and 1999, Lia has worked as external advisor and cultural expert for DG XVI of the European Commission, where she was in charge of selecting projects concerning the regeneration of cities through cultural initiatives. Currently she advises EU programme URBACT II projects in her capacity as an expert in urban cultural development.
She also works as cultural planner in residence for European cities in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and Italy.
Lia is a member of the Institute of Directors (London branch), member of the UK Urban Design Group, and member of the British Sociological Association (BSA).
Lia's work and academic interests include the role of culture in place-shaping, and the benefits of cultural diversity for urban economies. As well as writing consultancy reports and policy documents, she has published extensively:
Culture and Neighbourhoods: A Comparative Report, co-written with Franco Bianchini for the Council of Europe (1997); 'Why Cities Need To Be Creative' in Creative Thinking: Towards Broader Horizons, (Malta University Press, 1998); 'Cultural Planning and Cultural Diversity', in Differing Diversities, Cultural Policy and Cultural Diversity (Tony Bennett, ed., Council of Europe, 2001); 'The Culture of Neighbourhoods' (with Franco Bianchini) in Cities of Quarters (eds. Bell and Jayne, Ashgate, 2004); 'Thinking Culturally about Diversity' in Navigating Difference: Cultural Diversity and Audience Development (Arts Council England, 2005) and 'Rethinking Small Places - Urban and Cultural Creativity beyond the Metropolis' (with T. Fleming and K. Napier) in Small Cities: Urban Experience Beyond The Metropolis (eds. Bell and Jayne, Routledge, 2006); 'Identity by Invocation or by Design? How planning is Conjuring up a New Identity for Malmö' in Godela Weiss-Sussex with Franco Bianchini, (eds.) Urban Mindscapes of Europe (Rodopi, 2006); 'The Contribution of Outsiders to Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Cities: The UK Case' in Phil Wood, Charles Landry and Jude Bloomfield (eds.) Cultural Diversity in Britain: a toolkit for cross-cultural co-operation (J. Rowntree Foundation, 2006).
Noema Associates
Noema associates work with arts and cultural organisations, local authorities, government departments, regional and national agencies, and public/private partnerships in the fields of urban regeneration, economic development, tourism, place marketing, urban and social innovation.
Karina Berzins
As well as being a Visiting Research Fellow with the London East Research Institute, University of East London, Karina is a highly experienced research consultant working for more than a decade in the field of Regeneration, Culture and Arts planning. Her qualitative research skills include research design, in-depth ethnographic work, working with interviews and focus groups, as well as secondary and statistical data analysis. Recently, Karina has worked with Lia Ghilardi on two evaluation projects and on an assessment of the policy implications of the Scottish Culture Commission's Report.
Franco Bianchini
Franco started in October 2007 in his post as Professor of Cultural Policy and Planning in the Faculty of Arts and Society at Leeds Metropolitan. Previously he was Reader in Cultural Planning and Policy and Course Leader for the MA in European Cultural Planning at De Montfort University in Leicester (1992-2007). His books include Planning for the Intercultural City (with J. Bloomfield, Bournes Green, Comedia, 2004), Culture and Neighbourhoods: A Comparative Report (with Lia Ghilardi, Strasbourg, Council of Europe, 1997), The Creative City (with C. Landry, London, Demos, 1995), Cultural Policy and Urban Regeneration: the West European Experience (with M. Parkinson, Manchester University Press, 1993) and City Centres, City Cultures (with M. Fisher et al, Manchester, CLES, 1988).
Over the past twenty years Franco has acted as advisor and researcher on cultural planning strategies and projects in various European countries, on behalf of organizations including the Arts Council of England, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Task Force on Culture and Development. He has lectured on urban cultural policy and planning issues in various countries, including Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Australia, Colombia, China and Japan. Franco has worked with Noema for more than six years advising on research methods and cultural mapping for city branding.
Thomas Chen-Hao Shih
Thomas has an MA in Arts Management from City University (London). He is a researcher on Cultural Planning, creative economy and sustainable urban development. His current work involves examining culture-led urban regeneration and place marketing strategies in Taiwan. Thomas is also working closely with The Taiwan Culture Research Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London.
Aleks Sierz
Aleks is a well-known journalist, broadcaster and theatre critic. He is author of the bestselling In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today (Faber & Faber, 2001), and hosts a website devoted to cutting-edge British theatre. He is currently Visiting Research Fellow at Rose Bruford College. He has been a Noema associate since 1999, and has worked on a range of projects, especially those concerned with the relationship between creativity and cultural institutions, as well as research on alternative forms of cultural funding.
Testbedstudio
A leading practice of architects and cultural planners based in Malmo and Stockholm, Testbed have been working for more than five years with Noema on a number of cultural mapping and place checks for public art projects and place marketing in Sweden and Europe. Testbed directors Fredrik Magnusson and Anders Johansson have received prizes and recognition for their contribution to urban innovation schemes in Sweden.
Occasional Associates
Tom Fleming
Tom is the Director of Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy. His key areas of specialism include creative industries investment, local and regional creative industries strategies, cluster development, and establishing targeted support mechanisms for the creative industries sector that include approaches to finance, investment, business advice, skills/training, property feasibility, and network and supply chain development. Tom has worked for more than five years with Noema on a number of high-profile projects including: the evaluation of the social impacts of Arts Council South West Participate programme; an appraisal of the East Kent Cultural Consortium; a mapping of Southwark's creative links with schools and education; and the development of a cultural planning toolkit for the Thames Gateway South Essex sub-region.
Collaborations with other consultancies
Noema also works in partnership with other consultancies as part of project-based teams. Recently, Noema has worked with: Arup, Comedia Consultancy, Creative Cultures, Fablevision, Gehl Architects, Andrew and Melanie Kelly, and The Prince's Foundation.