Colin Mercer is a leading international expert in cultural mapping and cultural planning. Having introduced the concepts and practice into Australia in 1990 he was responsible for the Brisbane Cultural Development Strategy in 1991, the Joondalup Cultural Plan in 1992 and many related initiatives in smaller municipal areas as well as a range of publications, conference presentations, and short professional development courses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Colin contributed two chapters to Rediscovering the Wealth of Places: “A Global View: Urban Planning Takes a Cultural Turn” offers an international perspective on cultural mapping and cultural planning; “Cultural Indicators: From Data to Information to Knowledge to Wisdom” that examines leading thinking and practice in the use of measures and indicators to assess cultural outcomes in planning and economic development.

Since returning to the UK in 1998 he has advocated and developed the principles and practice in local, regional and national contexts and these core principles underpin his book Towards Cultural Citizenship: tools for cultural policy and development published in 2002. His work in this area and the wider field of cultural policy has now been published in seven languages.

Colin was Deputy Director then Director of the Institute for Cultural Policy Studies at Griffith University (1987-1995) and, from 1999, was the UK’s first full Professor of Cultural Policy and Director of the Cultural Policy and Planning Research Unit at The Nottingham Trent University (1999-2003). Since then has been freelancing.

Contact:
c.mercer@btinternet.com
p. 44 (0)7530 151858
w. http://sites.google.com/site/colinmercer52