Theatre Studies

Theatre Studies, which also includes Dance Studies and Performance Studies, is an active and internationally oriented research environment.

The following four aspects characterize our research and teaching at Stockholm University.

The relationship between the performing arts and society: As researchers, we approach theatre, dance and performance as an event, which means that the performing arts should be understood in relation to their specific social and cultural contexts. This event-oriented understanding involves a dynamic approach to the interaction and communication between the stage and the auditorium that takes into account the audience’s different experiences, but also the material, organisational and cultural policy aspects that enable the events that our researchers analyse.

A broad and inclusive understanding of theatre: Theatre scholars use an expanded and non-discriminating notion of theatre and our research focuses on amateur theatre, artivism, ballet and contemporary dance, children’s and youth theatre, burlesque, circus, feminist performance, independent ensembles, diva cult, puppet theatre, immersive theatre, Japanese Noh theatre, costume history, musicals, opera, performance art, political demonstrations, political theatre, popular culture, post-dramatic theatre, queer performing arts, performing arts criticism, spoken drama and Indigenous performing arts and performances, as well as theatrical events in the public space. This broad understanding of theatre is inspired by developments in the contemporary performing arts and is often positively highlighted by our international exchange students.

Bodies: The performing arts involve bodily practices. For theatre scholars, this means that our interest focuses on bodies and embodied actions in different spaces. Bodies express themselves in different ways; they age and are differently abled, perform a variety of gendered expressions and sexualities, have different class backgrounds, or might have technological implants, to name just a few. Bodies are also treated differently and are often subjected to violence and discrimination. To do justice to the complexity of bodies and bodily practices, our researchers use critical and interdisciplinary perspectives such as gender and queer theory, postcolonial studies and perspectives from children and youth culture in their projects.

A cosmopolitan research environment: Theatre Studies, Dance Studies and Performance Studies as research areas constitute a cosmopolitan research environment. We have an internationally composed faculty body that speaks twelve different languages and actively uses these in their research.