Our team - BSBI

Our team

Dr. Benedetta Piccio

Dr Benedetta Piccio is a feminist researcher who obtained her PhD from Edinburgh Napier University in 2024. Her doctoral research focused on women’s leadership, gender equality, and working conditions at the Edinburgh Festivals.

Overview

Dr Benedetta Piccio is a feminist researcher who obtained her PhD from Edinburgh Napier University in 2024. Her doctoral research focused on women’s leadership, gender equality, and working conditions at the Edinburgh Festivals.

She spent four years at Edinburgh Napier University working as a tutor, guest lecturer, and research assistant on several projects. Her research explored the future of festivals and the impact of technology on them, as well as festival spaces and cycle tourism in the Scottish Borders. Recently, she has been part of a team at Edinburgh Napier University commissioned by Counterculture Partnership LLP to evaluate the Good Work Programme for Screen, a project funded by the British Film Institute (BFI). This initiative aims to support the UK screen sector in becoming more equitable and fair while achieving its sustainability and EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) goals.

Previously, Dr Piccio worked for two years at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, as a tutor and researcher.

She has a passion for teaching and learning and holds the Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). In addition to her academic work, Dr Piccio serves as the Editorial Assistant of the International Journal of Festival and Event Management and is affiliated with the Tourism Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University.

With an international background, Dr Piccio has a deep interest in tourism, hospitality, and events. She frequently volunteers at festivals, reflecting her commitment to engaging directly with the communities and cultural environments she researches.

Areas of expertise

  • Gender Equality
  • Festivals
  • Event Management
  • Tourism
  • Leadership
  • Women’s Leadership
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

Research interests

  • Festivals and EDI
  • Leadership and Collective Leadership
  • Gender Equality
  • Events and Accessibility

Publications

• Piccio, B., Todd, L., & Robertson, M. (2024). The festival industry and gender inequality: The case of Edinburgh, the world’s leading festival city. Tourism Management Perspectives, 54, 101317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101317

• Dencer-Brown, A., Carlson-Webster, T., Piccio, B., Anderson, C., Adewale, O., & Taylor, S. (2023). Co-creating the Learning and Teaching Journey with Postgraduate Research Students Who Teach. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 11(3), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.56433/jpaap.v11i3.588

• Piccio, B., Helgason, I., Elsden, C., & Terras, M. (2022). A hefty dose of lemons: The importance of rituals for audiences and performers at the online Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2020. International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, 18(1), 154–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794713.2022.2036489

• Research support for “FestForward Magazine” (2022): https://www.festforward.org/#about

• Elsden, C., Piccio, B., Helgason, I., Yu, D., & Terras, M. (2021). Learning from the 2020 Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Recommendations for Festivals and Performing Arts in New Digital Contexts. Creative Informatics Research Report. https://zenodo.org/record/4775363#.YNTAhy2r2uU

• Elsden, C., Yu, D., Piccio, B., Helgason, I., & Terras, M. (2021). Recorded Performance as Digital Content: Perspectives from Fringe 2020. In Bissell, L. & Weir, L. (Eds.), Performance in a Pandemic (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003165644-10

Conferences, Talks, and Speaking Engagements

  • UPAEP (Universidad Popular Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico) – Hospitality and Tourism Faculty Conference Day:
    • The impacts of COVID-19 on Edinburgh Festival attendees and performers (October 2020)
    • The future of festivals and festival leadership in the post-COVID era (November 2022)
  • IIS Bachelet High School, Abbiategrasso (Milan, Italy):
    • Discussion on women’s leadership issues to engage students in activities related to gender equality and the importance of International Women’s Day (8 March 2022)
  • Conferences:
    • ENclusion Conference – Edinburgh Napier University – May 2025
    • Celebrate Women in Festivals and Events – TU Dublin School of Tourism and Hospitality – March 2025
    • The INC Conference – Limassol, Cyprus – June 2022
    • CHME Conference – Edinburgh, Scotland – May 2022
    • CAUTHE Conference – Online – February 2021
    • Beyond Conference – Online – February 2021
    • Graduate Women Scotland – Online – October 2020