Kelly Freebody

Professor Kelly Freebody is a leading academic in Drama Education and Social Justice within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at The University of Sydney. She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and has extensive experience in teacher education, curriculum development, and applied theatre. Her research focuses on the intersection of drama, creativity, and social change in educational contexts. Currently serving as Head of School for Education and Social Work, she leads initiatives bridging theory and practice in education.

Her educational background includes a BArts (Drama) from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), a BEd (Secondary) with Honours from QUT, and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies from the University of Sydney. These qualifications underpin her expertise in both theoretical and applied aspects of education.

Research interests include drama-based pedagogy for social justice, participatory theatre methodologies, and the role of creativity in fostering equity. Notable projects address prison theatre, decolonial citizenship education, and teacher training reforms. Her work often employs critical policy studies and ethnomethodology to analyze educational practices.

Recent grants include collaborations on theatre and wellbeing (2023), international partnerships with the University of Toronto (2024), and advocacy for applied theatre in youth contexts (2023). She has supervised numerous research students and authored influential books such as Higher Education, Pedagogy and Social Justice (2019) and Drama and Social Justice (2016).

Professor Freebody’s leadership extends to editorial roles in academic journals and advisory roles in educational policy. Her work is part of interdisciplinary teams focused on transforming education through arts integration and community engagement.