dr. EMMP (Ellen) Loots

Biography

I am an Associate Professor of Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship at Erasmus University Rotterdam. My work explores two interconnected questions about the role of arts and culture in transformation. 

First, how are arts, cultural and creative sectors transforming? I examine how entrepreneurship, finance and policy can enable cultural organisations and creative sectors to adapt, innovate and develop new ways of creating and capturing value. This includes questions around new organisational and collaborative business models and the conditions that allow cultural initiatives to flourish. I explore these questions across different parts of the cultural and creative economy, from the performing arts and cultural heritage to fashion and the game industry.

Second, how can arts and culture contribute to broader societal transformations? Here, I look beyond the cultural sector itself: at how cultural practices and forms of value can contribute to transitions such as sustainability and the circular economy, and digitalisation. This means understanding how culture can connect with other sectors, and how cross-sector partnerships and collaborative models can create new possibilities for addressing complex societal challenges.

Across both directions, I move from understanding transformation to contributing to it — connecting research, education and collaboration with societal partners to develop and realise new ideas, practices and forms of value.

Shaping transformation in practice

I put these perspectives into practice in different ways. In research, I lead the ViCE (Value in the Creative Economy) research cluster at Erasmus University, have chaired the Arts and Culture in Transformation track within the Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group at EURAM for several years, and was academic organiser of the 23rd ACEI Cultural Economics Conference at Erasmus University.

In education, I currently coordinate the Erasmus Mundus Master's programme MAGMa (Managing Art and Cultural Heritage in Global Markets – with Filip Vermeylen) and, together with Marjelle Vermeulen of Impact Centre Erasmus, developed an interactive course on the societal impact of arts and culture.

My work also extends into wider society and policy. I previously served as a member of the Dutch Council for Culture (Raad voor Cultuur), advising on cultural finance, and have contributed as a validator to EKIP, a European project on policy innovation. I am also a collaborator in EXCENTRIC, a Horizon Europe project led by Erasmus University.

Selected recognition

My work has received recognition in both academic and professional contexts, often in collaboration with co-authors and colleagues. This includes Best Paper Awards from Creativity and Innovation Management (2025) and EURAM (2024), as well as a nomination for the Best Paper Award of the European Conference on Alternative Finance (ECAF, 2026). Other recognitions include the Sharon T. Alpi Award for an innovative arts entrepreneurship initiative and the Prijs voor Cultuurmanagement Best Thesis Award (2015).

PhD supervision

I supervise and co-supervise PhD research across cultural economics, entrepreneurship, arts and cultural organisations, and the wider societal role of culture. The projects span topics including cultural and creative entrepreneurship, audience engagement, cultural policy, creative collaboration, value creation and the social impact of arts and culture.

Current PhD supervision

Zeynep Birsel, Pascale Fischer-Beker, Alessia Gebauer, Yoonjung Kang, Miguel Neiva, Yingting Peng, Virgo Sillamaa, Joke Tacoma, Irene Tsitse, Peiyi Wang

Waar ik voor sta

Ik wil ondernemerschap in kunst en cultuur bevorderen en bijdragen aan een sector die zich kan blijven vernieuwen en tegelijkertijd maatschappelijke waarde creëert. Daarbij vind ik duurzaamheid, samenwerking en gemeenschap belangrijk. Ik zoek graag naar verbindingen tussen creativiteit, ondernemerschap en maatschappelijke impact. Meer lezen over mijn ideeën over waarde en systeemverandering in de kunsten. 

Contact

I welcome conversations and collaborations with people and organisations interested in the role of arts and culture in shaping transformation. If you see an opportunity to connect, please reach out.