Dr Aristea Fotopoulou is an academic who researches new technologies and what they mean for society and culture. Her recent projects focus on creativity, health and well being and have a strong element of community engagement. Dr Fotopoulou is based at the University of Brighton, School of Art + Media (Reader in Digital communication, culture & society), where she leads the University’s research theme Creative Futures.

In 2021 Dr Fotopoulou led the research project ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Arts and Health charities’, funded by UKRI Research England’s Quality-related Research Strategic Priorities Funding (QR SPF) 2020-21), working closely with the HERA Partnership in Brighton (Healing Expressive and Recovery Arts Project).

Between 2019-2021 she was UKRI Innovation Leadership Fellow and led the interdisciplinary research project ART/ DATA/ HEALTH: Data as creative material for health and wellbeing, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project built a bridge between the data, creativity and experiential stories. In workshops, online and offline meetings, a community of artists, service workers, academics and people living in Brighton and Hove used a combination of creative media, storytelling and data analytics to explore evidence around health and wellbeing. Working with key partners (NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, Public Health sector of the Brighton & Hove City Council, Digital Festival, Brighton Fringe, RISE) we delivered workshops that introduced to data science principles, data visualisation and visual communication for health and wellbeing advocacy to participants from 13 community organisations. The project produced numerous outputs, including free online resources and artwork.

Dr Fotopoulou has written numerous academic articles and research reports. She is editor of two academic journal special issues: in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies with Dr Helen Thornham (2020), which follows the DCC ECREA conference Digital Culture Meets Data: Critical Perspectives (November 2017, University of Brighton). And the Special Issue in Ada: Journal of Gender, New Media and Technology (Issue no.5, 2014). Dr Fotopoulou is the author of the book monograph “FEMINIST ACTIVISM AND DIGITAL NETWORKS: Between Empowerment and Vulnerability”, published in 2017 by Palgrave Macmillan. Her new book “Feminist Data Studies: big data, critique and social justice” (SAGE Publications, forthcoming, under contract).

She serves as member of several academic and journal boards, including the the UK Research Councils ESRC and AHRC, as well as regular peer-reviewer for academic publishers such as MIT Press, Ashagate Publications, Routledge, SAGE Publications, and journals European Journal of Cultural Studies; New Media & Society; Information, Communication & Society; Big Data & Society, and others.

To connect: University of Brighton profile, Academia.edu ,  Twitter and Linkedin