Watch a sample episode now
What is the role of an artist in today’s world? In this Subject Spotlight, Dr. Suzy O’Hara, Lecturer in Digital Arts and Enterprise at the University of Sunderland, takes you on a journey through the history, impact, and future of fine art—showing how artists shape society, technology, and even crisis response. If you love art, creativity, or just want to see how artists influence the world around us, this series is for you!
Dr Suzy O’HaraUniversity of SunderlandArt
All episodes
1. What is fine art, and why does it matter? Fine art in society
2. When art meets technology
3. Art with a purpose – the Sea Scapes Collab
4. The artist in a crisis – what can you create?
About the university
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is a top 50 UK university (Guardian University Guide 2024) and a global institution which offers life-changing opportunities for over 20,000 students across its four campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong. With over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, placement opportunities and the option to study full or part-time, there’s something for everyone at Sunderland. The University of Sunderland has also received five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and is in the top 10 UK universities for social inclusion (The Times Good University Guide 2024).
University of Sunderland profile →Meet the academic
Dr Suzy O’Hara
Dr Suzy O’Hara is a Lecturer in Digital Arts and Enterprise in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries at the University of Sunderland. Suzy is a curator, educator and practice-led researcher exploring emerging models of cross-sector collaboration between Art, Innovation and Society. Suzy’s research explores critical and interdisciplinary modes of art-making that challenge perceived distinctions between sites of artistic, economic and knowledge production by brokering new, direct ways of working between them. Thereby Suzy reframes traditional understandings of the creative processes, research and outputs generated by art-making as central to securing social, economic and environmental justice within society. She is co-founder and research lead for Co/Lab Sunderland, an arts-led research platform designed to broker connections between diverse ecologies of knowledge and practice between researchers, cross-sector partners and stakeholders, and diverse local communities to drive creative innovation. Her research-led curatorial projects facilitate interdisciplinary contexts that foreground creative experimentation, knowledge generation, and collaborative creative production that generate outcomes that have societal value and positive impact in the world. In her current position as Lecturer in Digital Arts and Enterprise in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, Suzy designs, delivers, and assesses the Collaborative Creativity module across Artist, Designer, Maker (Glass & Ceramics), Fine Art, and Photography, Video and Digital Imaging), is module lead for the Dissertation and Application module (Fine Art) and co-teaches within the Fine Art Methodologies module and the MA Visual Practice. She also supervises PhDs by practice-led research and by existent publication or creative works.
In every Subject Spotlight you’ll find
On-demand interactive video content
Sign up, log in and access a wide range of potentially life-changing Subject Spotlight experiences that will help you make informed decisions about your university future.
Remarkable & relatable academics
Learn from some of the UK’s finest and most decorated academics as they give you a genuine, insightful and engaging experience of studying their courses at their universities.
Interactive quizzes and activities
Have a go at fascinating interactive quizzes and activities, then get meaningful and intuitive feedback from the academics to see how you’ve done.
Content to enhance students’ personal statements
Hear direct from the academics what’s expected of you in your personal statements, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!
Certificate of completion
You’ll receive a certificate of completion to evidence your learning - why not add this to your CV and university applications to show your dedication to your future pathway!