Nina Luostarinen

Dr. Nina Luostarinen is Principal Researcher in the Resilient Societies Research Programme at Humak University of Applied Sciences in Finland, where she holds a Doctorate in Arts from the University of Lapland. She specialises in participatory art and arts-based research methodologies that connect creative practice with environmental and social innovation. She works to integrate social sciences, arts and humanities (SSAH) into research and innovation consortia from the design stage.

She has 20 years of experience in EU-funded project development and management, with competencies spanning consortium building, work package leadership, method development, and impact assessment. In consortia her work spans dissemination and communication, the social and gender dimension, stakeholder and citizen engagement, and the uptake and sustainability of results. She has applied creative methodologies across sectors, including maritime and metal industries, the experience economy, and tourism, which supports the integration of SSAH across different research fields.

Her methodological work is rooted in artistic thinking and practice-based inquiry, including metamorphosis thinking, a/r/tography, ecocultural animation, and playful interventions. She has developed participatory methods such as light painting for place attachment, participatory photoplay, emotional mapping, and ecosomatic learning, arts-based approaches that support community resilience, environmental awareness, and place-based connection.

Publications

Nina has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in international journals, including the International Journal of Education Through Art, Visual Studies, and the International Journal of Play. She maintains an active international research network through artist residencies in Japan, Italy, France, and Benin, and through regular participation in European conferences on sustainable futures and socially engaged art.