Meike WagnerView profile
Professor
Meike Wagner serves as a Professor in Theatre Studies at Stockholm University, where she is affiliated with the Department of Culture and Aesthetics. She previously held a position in Theatre Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich before joining Stockholm University. Professor Wagner also holds the distinguished position of Secretary General of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), demonstrating her significant standing in the international academic community. Her research expertise spans multiple interconnected domains within theatre studies, with particular emphasis on mediality and theatre, performative bodies, performance art and contemporary theatre practices. She has made substantial contributions to reception theories, theatre theories, and the historical analysis of 19th century theatre. Her work frequently examines the relationship between theatre and revolution, exploring how theatrical practices both reflect and shape political consciousness and social transformation. Professor Wagner's interdisciplinary approach bridges historical scholarship with contemporary theoretical concerns, making her work relevant across multiple humanities disciplines. Professor Wagner has secured significant research funding, most notably an ERC Advanced Grant in 2020 for her project "Performing Citizenship. Social and Political Agency in Non-Professional Theatre Practice in Germany, France, Britain, Sweden and Switzerland (1780-1850)." This project investigates how amateur theatre around 1800 helped individuals develop their understanding of citizenship in emerging democracies. She previously led the "Performing Premodernity. Exploring Cultural Heritage through the Drottningholm Court Theatre" research project from 2013 to 2017, demonstrating her sustained commitment to historical theatre practices and their contemporary relevance. ERC Advanced Grant 2020 for "Performing Citizenship" research project Project leader for "Performing Premodernity" (2013-2017) Secretary General of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) As Secretary General of IFTR, Professor Wagner plays a pivotal role in shaping international theatre research agendas and facilitating global scholarly exchange. Her ERC-funded project represents a significant contribution to understanding the relationship between theatrical practice and civic identity formation during a critical historical period. Her leadership in these substantial research initiatives demonstrates her capacity to direct complex, multinational scholarly collaborations that bridge historical and contemporary concerns in theatre studies.