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Dr Louise Todd

Post Nominals BA (Hons), MPhil, PhD, PGCE, FRAI, FRSA, FHEA
Biography Dr Louise Todd is an Associate Professor of Festival and Event Management in the Tourism and Languages Subject Group and Deputy Lead of the Tourism Research Centre (TRC) at Edinburgh Napier University, UK. Louise is currently Interim Head of the Tourism and Languages Subject Group (from May 2024). She is also Public Engagement Lead for the Business School and works across the school to support researchers in their PE initiatives. Louise leads the Visual Methods and Ethnography (VM&E) in Interdisciplinary Research Group.

As an interdisciplinary researcher, Louise’s interests lie in arts and cultural tourism, festivals, and events. In these settings specifically, she is concerned with stakeholder, public, and community engagement, visual culture, visual research methods, visual art, and design. Louise is particularly interested in the critical potential of festivals to engage different groups of stakeholders. She has published her research in journal articles, book chapters, and presented at international conferences. Louise is an experienced editor and reviewer. She is an Associate Editor of Event Management Journal; a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Creative Research Methods and at present she is Guest Editor for three themed Special Issues of academic journals.

Louise is currently leading on a Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Small Research Grant funded project titled: ‘Staycations, localisation, community and place-making: Edinburgh as a destination in tourism recovery’ (2024).

She was Principal Investigator of the cross-university UKRI funded ‘Seven Kingdoms of Wester Hailes’ project, which Edinburgh Napier’s Public Engagement Forum led, working with a series of community partners (2020-2021). She continues to collaborate with community partners in Wester Hailes on research and public engagement initiatives.

Louise has previously been involved in further research projects as a Co-investigator and has managed a large-scale international project in her earlier role as the Research Assistant attached to the externally funded 'Generation Y in Asia' project (from 2011-2012).

Louise is a practicing visual artist. Having studied visual art at Undergraduate (BA Hons), and art and design at Postgraduate (M Phil), level at the Glasgow School of Art, she continues to use her creative practice to inform her research, and her research interests complement her art practice. Louise has curatorial experience in visual art exhibitions. She has successfully had her research-informed artwork selected for, curated, and exhibited in international exhibitions, including the Royal Scottish Academy's (RSA) 197th annual exhibition and Then and Now: 100 years of Visual Arts Scotland exhibitions. Her artwork has been purchased by galleries, private collectors and has featured in visual art publications.

Louise is experienced in designing and delivering public engagement events and activities on a national and international basis. She has designed, produced, and delivered creative public engagement with research initiatives around the theme of festival cities at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Science Festival, Soundwalk September International Festival, and Explorathon: European Researchers Festival. Louise has also designed and developed Knowledge Exchange and CPD activities, including an externally funded Executive Programme she co-delivered in Singapore to members of the Tourism industry. The content of this was informed by her published research.

In terms of teaching activity and Programme Leadership, Louise was responsible for the MSc International Festival and Event Management programme from 2015 until 2021. She has developed two research-informed Postgraduate modules at PG level: Experience Design and Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events and Contemporary Issues in Festivals and Events. Louise leads the Tourism, Society and Visual Culture module at Postgraduate level. She has designed and currently leads a research-informed Undergraduate module: Festival and Event Design and Delivery; and previously designed and developed the Event Management UG module.

Louise is an experienced Postgraduate Research supervisor and examiner of PhD and DBA projects. She has supervised a series of studies to completion and is currently supervising four PhD students. Louise was previously responsible for the coordination of MSc dissertations in the Tourism subject area and contributes regularly to PGT and PGR modules, with her own research and expertise in research philosophy and methods.

Before working in Higher Education, Louise’s background and higher education was in visual art, media, and festivals. She worked in marketing and communications management roles and was responsible for the design, management and marketing of arts, festivals, media, entertainment, and educational events, within organisational and festival contexts.

Louise is currently an elected Non-executive Director and Member of the Board of Trustees for Edinburgh Printmakers, international centre for printmaking and the visual arts (2021-present). In this role, she supports and advises on EP’s artistic and business strategies.

Research Interests:

Arts festivals and events; cultural tourism; hallmark event tourism; festival cities;
Visual art; visual culture and visual/creative methods including semiotics, and photo-elicitation; arts-based methods;
Stakeholder and community engagement; public engagement; place-making; walking methodologies;
Tourism and event brand image; brand relationships; experience design; design and aesthetics.

Teaching and Learning:

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Programme Leader: MSc International Festival and Event Management
Personal Development Tutor: MSc International Festival and Event Management
Postgraduate Research Student Training: Delivery of specialist research sessions in Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (Semiotics and Visual Methods - Photo elicitation); Research Philosophies (Social Constructivism)
Module Leader: Experience Design and Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events (PG)
Module Leader: Festival and Event Design and Delivery (UG)
Module Leader: Tourism, Society and Visual Culture (PG)
Coordinator: MSc Dissertations in Tourism subjects (PG)
Industry Project Supervisor: Live Project supervision directing students' work with Industry to undertake research projects, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, Historic Environment Scotland, and Charity organisations
Work Based Learning: Supervisor of students undertaking industry work placements
Research Interests Arts festivals and events; cultural tourism; hallmark event tourism; festival cities;
Visual art; visual culture and methods including semiotics, and photo-elicitation;
Stakeholder and community engagement; public engagement; place-making;
Tourism and event brand image; brand relationships; experience design; design and aesthetics; storytelling
Teaching and Learning Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Programme Leader: MSc International Festival and Event Management

Personal Development Tutor: MSc International Festival and Event Management

Postgraduate Research Student Training: Delivery of specialist research sessions in Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (Semiotics and Visual Methods - Photo elicitation); Research Philosophies (Social Constructivism)

Module Leader: Experience Design and Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events (PG)

Module Leader: Festival and Event Design and Delivery (UG)

Coordinator: MSc Dissertations in Tourism subjects (PG)

Industry Project Supervisor: Live Project supervision directing students' work with Industry to undertake research projects, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, Historic Environment Scotland, and Charity organisations

Work Based Learning: Supervisor of students undertaking industry work placements
PhD Supervision Availability Yes
PhD Topics Arts festivals and events; cultural tourism; hallmark event tourism; festival cities; tourism and event marketing and communications; brand image; brand relationships; experience design and management; design and aesthetics; visual art; visual culture and methods including semiotics, and photo-elicitation; public engagement