Maaike Bleeker

Prof. Dr. Maaike Bleeker is a Full Professor at the Department of Media and Culture Studies, Utrecht University, and leads the interdisciplinary research group Transmission in Motion. Her work bridges Theatre and Performance Studies with Philosophy of Technology, Cognitive Science, and Robotics, focusing on human-non-human interactions in performance and daily life.

• Current research examines: (1) contemporary theatre/dance dramaturgy, (2) technology as performer, and (3) corporeal literacy in human-technology co-evolution
• Key projects: Acting Like a Robot (NWO-funded), Performing Robots, Rock/Body (AHRC Network), and SPECTACULAR ASTRONOMY

Her publications include monographs Visuality in the Theatre (2008), Doing Dramaturgy (2023), and co-edited volumes Performance and Phenomenology (2015), Transmission in Motion (2016). She collaborates with technical universities, artists, and institutions like Buitenplaats Doornburgh.

Scientific Awards:

• NWO Smart Culture grant (2020) for Komt een robot in het theater

She supervises interdisciplinary research and has pioneered methods connecting performance practices with scientific inquiry. Her Transmission in Motion group hosts international collaborations and public events.