George Zifkos

Position
Staff
Job title
Teaching Fellow (Economics and Business Management), Lifelong Learning Centre

Contact

Areas of expertise 

  • Cultural and creative industries
  • Innovation and creativity management
  • Festivals
  • Sustainable communities
  • Creativity and sustainable development
  • Event management
  • Business ethics

My role

I am an economist, creative practitioner and researcher specialising in the area of cultural and creative economy.

Research interests

My fascination with the creative arts, culture, entrepreneurship and ethics have always guided my life, and taken me in some interesting directions. I have developed bids for cultural and educational organisations and consulted on public policy projects focusing on the areas of Cultural Policy, Place Branding and Sustainable Development.

I am inspired by an interest, first, in how business models of cultural organisations can be beneficially applied to other sectors of the economy, and, second, in exploring the potential of creativity to affect sustainable development, social prosperity and well-being, and international relations.  

As well as a practicing musician, I am a composer and have produced a number of songs and instrumental pieces, some of which have served as incidental music for theatrical performances. 

Qualifications

  • MA in Culture, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship from the University of Leeds
  • BA in Economics from the University of Thessaly
  • Diploma in Music Performance (piano) from the Hellenic Conservatory
  • Diploma in Music Direction
  • PhD, completed in 2017, explored discourses of ‘sustainability’ within the arts and culture sector.

Publications 

Zifkos, G. 2015. Sustainability Everywhere: Problematising the “Sustainable Festival” Phenomenon. Tourism Planning & Development, 12(1), pp. 6-19.  DOI: 10.1080/21568316.2014.960600