Dr. Sigrid Merx is Associate Professor of Theatre Studies and Director of Education at the Department of Media and Culture Studies. She has been appointed Senior Fellow at the Utrecht Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning as of September 2025.
Trained as a theatre scholar and with a practical background as a writer and dramaturg in participatory art projects, she brings concepts and approaches from theatre and dramaturgy into contexts beyond the stage. This is reflected in her interest in the value of performative and creative methods within academic education and research, as well as in her exploration of performances in, and the performativity of, urban public space. Recurring themes in her work include the role of performance and art in negotiating frictions and differences, whether in education or in society at large.
As co-lead of the UU research platform , she investigates how situated art and performance can serve as productive sites for engaging with contemporary tensions, concerns, and debates in and about urban public spaces. As work package lead for the Comenius Leadership Project (2023鈥�2026), she has co-developed creative tools to foster dialogue in higher education at a time of growing polarization both inside and outside the classroom. For her Senior Fellow project (2025鈥�2029), she explores the relationship between creativity and collaboration, focusing on training educators in creative methods that enhance collaborative and interdisciplinary learning environments.
Sigrid is also a core member of the Creative Humanities Academy, a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange between professionals and makers in the cultural and creative sector and humanities researchers. In addition, she is actively involved in the UU Special Interest Group on Creative Research Methods.