Dr Oonagh Murphy

Dr Oonagh Murphy is an arts manager, writer and lecturer her research has taken her around the world to explore international best practice on the scalability of emerging technologies for cultural organisations. In August 2017 she joined Goldsmiths, University of London as Lecturer in Arts Management. Prior to joining Goldsmiths she was Associate Professor of Visual Arts Management and Curating at Richmond the American International University in London. 

Academic Qualifications

Oonagh is Principal Investigator and cofounder of the Museums + AI Network, which is funded through an AHRC Network Grant. The Network has been established collaboratively with Pratt Institute (New York), National Gallery (London) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), in early 2019.

Alongside writing for The Guardian, Arts Professional and the Museums Journal she has presented at key international conferences including Museums and The Web (Portland, OR), and Museum Next (Amsterdam) and spent summer 2012 in New York researching digital engagement as a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow.

Oonagh has worked with a wide range of clients on both a short term and ongoing basis in an arts management and consultancy capacity including Creative United, The Frieze Art Fair, Blick studios, British Council, Ulster University, Queen’s University, Museums Computer Group, Culture Night, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Audiences NI, Irish Museums Association, CultureTech, Arts & Business NI and Young at Art.

Professional Activities

Alongside writing for The Guardian, Arts Professional and the Museums Jounal she has presented at key international conferences including Museums and The Web (Portland, OR), and Museum Next (Amsterdam) and spent summer 2012 in New York researching digital engagement as a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow.

Oonagh has worked with a wide range of clients on both a short term and ongoing basis in an arts management and consultancy capacity including Creative United, The Frieze Art Fair, Blick studios, British Council, Ulster University, Queen’s University, Museums Computer Group, Culture Night, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Audiences NI, Irish Museums Association, CultureTech, Arts & Business NI and Young at Art.

A full list of professional projects can be found at www.oonaghmurphy.com

Teaching

At Goldsmiths Oonagh teaches on the BA (Hons) Arts Management and leads on the Audiences in Theory and Practice module and the Principles of Fundraising module. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and regularly writes about emerging forms of pedagogy within the creative industries.

Select list of speaking engagements:

• Hacking the Museum: Appropriation, Reproduction and Digital Culture – Celebrating Reproductions: Past, Present and Future – V&A – London – January 2019
• Hacking the Museum: Digital Culture, Content and Visitor Appropriation of Museum Collections - The Art Museum in the Digital Age – Belvedere - Vienna – January 2019
• Relative peace: Museum policy and Practice a Northern Ireland perspective – Social Theory, Politics & the Arts Conference – Manchester, 1st – 3rd November 2018
• Can Beyoncé Save Art History? – ResFest Courtauld Institute X Ulster Museum – Belfast, 25th October 2018.
• Creative Legacies: Collaborative Practices for Digital Cultural Heritage – Digital Research in the Arts and Humanities – Malta – 9th -12th September 2018.
• Rising to the Challenge: Digital Innovation in Museums – Plateforme 10 – Lausanne, Switzerland – TBC April 2018
• Social Media and The Arts – National Theatre – 18th January 2018
• Taking a skills-led approach to your museum career. Moving Up: Building a Dynamic Career – Museums Association – Cardiff – 26th February 2018. Booking Link.
• Crowdfunding Workshop – We Are Museums – Latvia – 11th June 2017
• Conference Host – Culture Geek – London – 19th May 2017
• Working in the Art World: Professional Practice Reimagined – GLAD Conference – Manchester – 6th April 2017
• We Are Museums, Latvia – June 2017, “Crowdfunding workshop”
• Culture Geek, London – May 2017 – Conference Host
• GLAD Conference, Manchester – April 2017 “Working in the art world: Professional practice reimagined”
• Westminster Media Forum – April 2017 “The Culture White Paper in Context”
• Middlesex University, Guest lecture – February 2017 “Crowdfunding research and practice”
• Art Rooms, Art Fair – January 2017 “Developing your Digital Footprint: A workshop for emerging artists”
• Canterbury University– October 2016 “Digital networking for research and career development”
• A.T.E LAB, This is Antwerp – March 2016 “What makes a city creative?”
• Harnessing Creativity, Leitrim – March 2015 “Creative Economy”
• Arts & Business NI – Oct 2014: “Crowdfunding Masterclass”
• NICVA – Oct 2014: “How to raise your profile and fundraise online”
• Audiences NI Digital Day, Belfast – Sept 2013 -“How to create awesome digital content for under a fiver”
• CultureTech, Derry – Sept 2013: “Remix the Museum”
• MuseumNext, Amsterdam – May 2013 -“R&D on a Shoestring: What’s now, what’s next and what’s within your budget?"
• Museums and the Web, Portland – April 2013 - “This is Our Playground: Recognising the Value of Students as Innovators”
• Engaging Visitors through Play, Belfast – May 2013 - “Learning to Play: Hack days, rapid prototyping and digitally mediated solutions”
• CHArt, London – Nov 2012 “Hacking Arts History”

Media and Professional Articles:

• “How to Make the Most of an Art Fair….” Arts Professional, 6th October 2016
• “Dialogue, Collaboration and Exchange: What Makes a City Creative?” It’s Nice That, 21stMarch 2016
• Murphy, Oonagh. “Hunger Strikes and Teenage Angst – The World of @NrnIrnGirl1981” Irish Times, 29th February 2016
• “What Can Crowdfunding Offer the Arts Beyond Money” Guardian Culture Professionals, 5th February 2015
• “Crowdfunding for the Great and Small” Arts Professional 19th March 2015
• “Digital Pro Bono” Guardian Culture Professionals Network 22nd March 2013
• “From Virtual to Reality” Arts Professional 11th April 2011
• “Metropolitan Museum of Art, US” Museum Practice August 2013
• “Museums and Digital Engagement: A New York Perspective” Winston Churchill Memorial Trust September 2012