Xiao Lu PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr Xiao Lu (aka Lucia) is Assistant Professor in the School of Cultural Technology at XJTLU Entrepreneur College. Lucia's research and teaching focus, broadly speaking, lies in arts management and management for the cultural and creative industries. Along with her previous research in the music and theatre sectors, Lucia's current research is focused on the digital transformation of cultural production and consumption with a particular interest in the online game industry. Since 2017, Lucia has worked as a lecturer for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Goldsmiths, Middlesex University, and UCA Business School for the Creative Industries. In addition to her academic career, Lucia has had the experience of working in a range of creative and cultural organisations in China and the UK, including China National Centre for the Performing Arts, Ogilvy & Mather, Battersea Arts Centre, APAX Group, and Asia House Arts & Learning. In 2022, she was an invited speaker to talk about noteworthy women in Chinese cinema for The China Project.


  • PhD in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths, University of London
  • Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Creative Education, University for the Creative Arts
  • MA in Media and Advertising, University of Leicester
  • BA in Drama, Film, TV and Literature, National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts


  • Sociology of cultural production and consumption
  • Content innovation and digitalisation of culture
  • Technoculture and technopreneurship (e.g. AI in the cultural and creative sectors)
  • Arts education, arts marketing, audience development and digital engagement
  • National and local policy on creative and cultural industries


  • Lu, X. (2023) Hollywood Genre, Cultural Hybridity and Musical Films in 1950s Hong Kong, 12(6): 237, Arts. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12060237
  • Lu, X. (2023) Arts and Cultural Management: Sense and Sensibilities in the State of the Field, International Journal of Cultural Policy, DOI: 10.1080/10286632.2023.2177644.
  • Lu, X. (2023) Bringing Kunqu Opera into Global Cultural Trends, Social Sciences Weekly. http://shekebao.com.cn/detail/20/24613
  • James, R., Lu, X., Holme, L., Katsinas, V., Porter, J., and Amey, R. (2021) Decolonising Assessment Toolkit, Journal of Useful Investigations in Creative Education.
  • Lu, X. (2021) Musicals need to be localised in China, Vol. 6, Social Sciences Weekly.
  • Lu, X. (2020) Music Practices across Borders: (E)Valuating Space, Diversity and Exchange, Arts Management Network.
  • Lu, X. (2020) A Compressed Social Space during the Time of Lockdown, CCVA Lockdown Diary. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/diABfncwSCoCM4_HM53Iaw
  • Lu, X. (2020) The Disappearing Product: Marketing and Market in the Creative Industries, 3(29), pp.256-258, Cultural Trends.
  • Lu, X. (2018) Cultural industries in Shanghai: Policy and planning inside a global city, 5(27), pp.395-397, Cultural Trends.


  • Lu, X. (2023) Digital Games, Virtual Idols, and Market Success: Genshin Impact and Yun Jin. Digital Entertainment Series, SAGE Business Cases. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071915806
  • Lu, X. (2023) Music Festivals and Edutainment in a Digital Age, In: Rossetti, G., Wyatt, B, and Ali-Knight, J. (ed.) Festivals and Edutainment. The Routledge Critical Event Studies Research Series. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003305415
  • Lu, X. (2022) Streaming the national ballet of China's Nutcracker on Youtube: Chinese New Year events and celebrations during Covid-19. Digital Entertainment & Events Management Series, SAGE Business Cases. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529793161.


  • Lu, X. 2022. “China’s Cultural Diplomacy and Nation Branding" In the Centre for Chinese Visual Arts Annual Conference at Birmingham City University.
  • Lu, X. 2022. "Making and marketing Chinese traditional opera in the digital age" In: The Art of Rethinking: New Era for Arts Management Conference at the University of the Arts Helsinki. Online
  • Holme, L., Lu, X., Hawes, E., Scott, J., Brook, D. and Paton, R. 2021. "What impact, if any, has teaching online had on course learning communities?" In: VOICE 2021 Conference. UK
  • Lu, X. 2019. “Post-performance experiences of musical theatre: A study of Chinese audiences’ online reviews” presentation & poster. In: Audience Research in the Arts Conference. UK
  • Lu, X. 2018. “Creative clusters for the performing arts industry: A case study of Beijing”. In: The 10th International Conference on Cultural Policy Research. Estonia
  • Lu, X. 2017. “Branding musical theatre across cultures: An audience perspective”. In: The 14th International Conference on Arts and Cultural Management. China


  • 2024-2025 Heritage and Communication Project Seed Fund
  • 2022-2024 Principle Investigator, XJTLU Research Development Fund
  • 2022-2023 Co-investigator, Research on Hengqin-Guangdong-Macao Deep Collaboration Zone's Cultural Development Policy, Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance Project. 财政部国库司编制项目《横琴粤澳深度合作区文化发展扶持政策研究》
  • 2022 Communication University of China Media Convergence and Intelligent Communication Workshop Grant
  • 2019 Goldsmiths Graduate School Conference Grant
  • 2017 University of Kent ESRC funded Advanced Research Methods Training Grant
  • 2017 “Creative Economy” CREATe, University of Glasgow Research Development Camp Grant
  • 2016 AHRC Creative Humanities Postgraduate Annual Conference Grant


  • Funding Competition Assessor for Creative Industries Fund for Fast Start Business Growth Pilot, Innovate UK


  • MSc Cultural and Creative Industries
  • BA Arts Technology and Entertainment with Contemporary Entrepreneurialism


  • Member of Heritage and Communication Group in XJTLU's Centre for Culture, Communication and Society
  • Honorary Member of ENCATC, the European Network on Cultural Management and Policy
  • Federation Member of Creative UK
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), UK
  • Trained External Examiner at Advance HE, UK
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), UK


  • Goldsmiths PhD Student Bursary (£1,400)
  • Climate-KIC Sustainability and Entrepreneurship Summer School Scholarship (€6,000)
  • Full PhD Scholarship from China Scholarship Council
  • First Prize China National Scholarship (¥5,000)
Xiao Lu