Dr Louise Mullagh
Lecturer in Arts ManagementProfile
Louise Mullagh is a researcher and lecturer exploring the intersections of data, place, and cultural institutions. Her work challenges data-driven understandings of the world, advocating for situated, lived experiences to be integrated into digital knowledge systems. Her research explores the concept of “more-than-data”, which critiques algorithmic representations of place and proposes walking and research through design as methods for embodied data inquiry.
Louise’s research and teaching spans Critical Data Studies, digital curation, and participatory design, with a particular focus on how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping cultural institutions and governance. She has used design fiction and speculative methods to engage policymakers in rethinking data-driven decision-making.
Currently, she is investigating the relationship between data-driven and situated understandings of place, decentralised knowledge curation and AI’s role in creative industries. Her work contributes to rethinking data activism, participatory governance, and the future of cultural knowledge systems in an increasingly algorithmic world.
Current Teaching
LICA417 - Personal Development (Module Convenor)
LICA420 - Research Methods
LICA412 - Strategic Thinking in Creative and Cultural Industries (Module Convenor)
LICA405 - Research Dissertation supervision
Career Details
Prior to becoming Lecturer in Arts Management, I was Senior Research Associate in Imagination Lancaster (Population and Policy). I was also Research Associate on the AHRC funded Living Design and Located Making projects at Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University. (December 2017 - December 2019).
I have over a decade of experience of working as an arts manager in museums, and hold an MA in Museum Studies (Manchester) ; MRes in Digital Innovation (EPSRC funded, Lancaster); BA (hons) Fine Art: Practice and Theory (Lancaster) and PhD (EPSRC funded) in Digital Innovation (Lancaster).
Supporting ‘Good’ Adoption of Generative AI
13/01/2025 → 31/03/2025
Research
The Future of AI in Creative and Cultural Industries
29/11/2024 → …
Research
DSI: Equity for the Older: Beyond Digital Access
01/10/2022 → 31/08/2025
Research
Imagination Networks: Designing Place Based Policy
14/03/2022 → 31/05/2022
Research
Participatory Policies for IoT (at the Edge) Ethics
03/05/2021 → 29/10/2021
Research
Design Fusion Consultancy
01/03/2021 → 31/07/2021
Consultancy
Revealing the Mill Race: Exploring More-than-Data in the city
31/07/2018 → 31/08/2019
Research
IASDR 2023 (Event)
Publication peer-review
AI Futures
Symposium
6th International Conference of Public Policy
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
‘More-than-design’ for policy making: an opportunity for engaging creative methods for future policies
Oral presentation
DRS 2022 Bilbao (Event)
Publication peer-review
DRS 2022 Bilbao
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Design in Place Based Policy Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Policy Design and Practice Journal (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Evidence and Policy : A Journal of Research Debate and Practice (Journal)
Publication peer-review
DRS Bilbao 2022 - Track Co-chair
Other
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Editorial activity
The Design Journal (Journal)
Publication peer-review
PPITEE Policy prototyping workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
PPITEE Project poster presentation
Oral presentation
Urban Health and Wellbeing: A Systems Approach
Invited talk
UHWB Conference 2021: Cities under COVID-19: a Systems Perspective
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
PPITEE Walking Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Design for Policy workshop series with UNU-IIGH
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
International Research Society for Public Management
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
International Research Society for Public Management
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Policy Design or Design for Policy or Something Else? Defining the Relationship Between Policy and Design
Oral presentation
Fifteenth International Conference on Design Principles and Practices
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
The Design Research Society (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Co-Design (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Policy and Governance Special Interest Group (Design Research Society) - Chair for Research
Other
Living Design: Design for Sustainability in Local Maker Enterprises
Invited talk
Sensing Place: Walking as an exploration of located knowledge
Invited talk
Revealing the Mill Race
Other
Living Design: Design for Sustainability in Local Maker Enterprises
Invited talk
Essence of Place - A Syros Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Data Publics: Investigating the formation and representation of crowds, groups and clusters in digital economies
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Data Publics: Investigating the formation and representation of crowds, groups and clusters in digital economies
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Data Publics: Investigating the formation and representation of crowds, groups and clusters in digital economies
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Data Publics: Investigating the formation and representation of crowds, groups and clusters in digital economies
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Walk and Talk: Sunderland Point
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Walking and talking
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Green Food Technology, Ubicomp 2013
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
- Cultures
- Imagination Lancaster