Mari Torvik Heian is a sociologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Bergen with the dissertation Artists in Norway. Inequality in income, work and attitudes. She works with cultural policy and cultural sociology issues related to cultural working life and art and culture for children and youth.

Heian has participated in and led a number of large and small research projects, evaluations and studies. Heian was central in the implementation of two nationwide artist surveys that Telemarksforsking carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Culture in 2007/08 and 2014. She has been project manager for the three-year project “Mentoring, networks and co-location. Public strategies for value creation in the cultural industries” funded by the Oslofjord Fund (RFF). Heian has also worked on a number of research projects on art for children and youth, including an evaluation of the Norwegian Arts Council’s initiative on art for children and youth, Kunstløftet, as well as a knowledge base for the School of Music and Performing Arts, commissioned by the Directorate for Education and Training.