Suzy O’Hara is a researcher and curator working at the nexus of art, technology and innovation. Her research explores critical and interdisciplinary modes of art-making that challenge perceived distinctions between sites of artistic, economic and knowledge production by brokering new, direct ways of working between them. Thereby reframing traditional understandings of the creative processes, research and outputs generated by art-making as central, rather than peripheral to securing the future cultural and social, as well as economic prosperity and sustainability of global ‘creative’ economies.
Her practice-led examination of interdisciplinary and cross-industry curatorial models initiated in her doctoral research, has produced a diverse portfolio of artistic projects, product prototyp
more...Suzy O’Hara is a researcher and curator working at the nexus of art, technology and innovation. Her research explores critical and interdisciplinary modes of art-making that challenge perceived distinctions between sites of artistic, economic and knowledge production by brokering new, direct ways of working between them. Thereby reframing traditional understandings of the creative processes, research and outputs generated by art-making as central, rather than peripheral to securing the future cultural and social, as well as economic prosperity and sustainability of global ‘creative’ economies.
Her practice-led examination of interdisciplinary and cross-industry curatorial models initiated in her doctoral research, has produced a diverse portfolio of artistic projects, product prototypes and an artist led start-up that employ novel ways of working and have generated national and global impact: Thinking Digital (Binaudios (2014), Banistonica (2017)), Rewriting the Hack (2015), Little Inventors (2016 - ongoing), Sunderland 10x10 (2016), Recoding the Wall (2018) and Wonderlooper (2018).
Her co-edited published volume, entitled Art Hack Practice, (forthcoming 2019-2020, Routledge) investigates global art hacking practices employed by individuals and groups who are working within, around or against the phenomenon known as ‘maker culture’ as artists, designers, curators and historians. This book presents a range of voices from ten countries across four continents that represent diverse perspectives emerging within a fast moving, dynamic arts ecology.
In December 2018, as Research Fellow for Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries Suzy instigated Co/Lab Sunderland, an aspirational, interdisciplinary, cross faculty commissioning programme, devised and delivered by the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries in collaboration with partner faculties. Co/Lab aims to provide a mechanism that will foster new opportunities for academic staff to; critically engage with cross disciplinary perspectives, explore their creative processes, take risks, innovate new ways of working together and challenge the ways in which their field is understood and experienced through arts and creative practice.
She was identified as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the successful Creative Fuse North East bid (AHRC, ERD, ACE) for University of Sunderland. The aim of role as Creative Innovation Development Specialist was to explore the ways in which ideas and approaches from creative practice (drawn from across the Creative, Digital and IT sector) can stimulate innovation in many other sectors while enriching the quality of life, stimulating a sense of place, identify and wellbeing and supporting social cohesion. CFNE drew upon the combined expertise of the five North East universities and SMEs, micro-businesses and freelancers across the region, to explore these issues with a focus upon ‘fusion’ of creativity, culture and digital technology in North East England.
Finally, Suzy is Chief Curator of Little Inventors, founded by artist Dominic Wilcox. Little inventors combine curatorial research, educational and business expertise to successfully turn an artistic method seeded and developed within a creative (art and design) practice, into a born global, creative brand.
