Vanessa Arias Bujía

Profile

My AHRC funded research is established as a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with Tate and the University of Leeds, focused on bridging access to digital dimensions for audiences at Tate. 

The impetus for this project is grounded in my existing research which aligns with a societal need for museums and galleries to act as facilitators of positive change, and I seek to conduct an investigation that addresses the barriers to democratised access to art which digital audiences face, developing audience engagement methods that confront and tackle these challenges.

My aims for this research are firmly rooted in a strong belief that there is a need to not only acknowledge underrepresented audiences within the arts and cultural sector, but that organisations have a responsibility to develop a thorough understanding of what a carefully considered digital visitor journey through the online art dimension feels like for those who experience it. Where Tate defines access to art as a universal human right, I will conduct research that addresses the organisation’s desire to lead positive change and social impact in this area, and will ultimately inform and facilitate further diversified and expanded accessibility across Tate’s digital realm. 

As a photographer and visual artist/designer, I use digital techniques to shape and disseminate multi-sensory form across a variety of mediums. I have developed and led art and wellness workshops internationally since 2014, working with children and teachers from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou school in Napier, New Zealand, and co-curated with local communities across Maui, Honolulu, Hong Kong and Galicia, in addition to creating an online platform to deliver accessible classes and talks globally.

I have also curated virtual photography-based exhibitions with the Rijkmuseum, Tony Harrison and West Yorkshire Playhouse physical and digital archives. 

Research interests

• digital audiences
• audience engagement and experience
• inclusive UX Design 
• minoritised, migrant and diaspora art and heritage connections
• multisensory art experiences 
• photography/videography and digital eco-art

Qualifications

• MA Arts Management and Heritage Studies (University of Leeds)
• BA Classical Civilisation (University of Leeds)