Carolien Hermans

Carolien Hermans is a lecturer at the Faculty of Art and Economics, University of the Arts Utrecht (HKU), and a teacher at the Music in Education study programme of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Amsterdam University of the Arts). Her professional roles combine research and teaching in arts education, focusing on inclusive practices for children with disabilities. She holds a Master’s in Choreography (specialisation New Media) from the Amsterdam University of the Arts and graduated cum laude in Educational Therapy from Radboud University in Nijmegen, where she previously worked as a junior lecturer and researcher for four years. Since 2010, she has been conducting doctoral research into dance education for special target groups within the Arts Education Research Group at AHK.

Her research interests center on multimodal pedagogy, particularly integrating sensory modalities (gestures, body movements, sound, etc.) to enhance musical interaction for disabled children. She collaborates with Vincent Lamers and Marlies Bremmer to bridge practical teaching methods with theoretical frameworks in inclusive education. Carolien’s publications highlight innovative approaches in arts education, such as using dance to improve communication for autistic children and multimodal strategies for severe disabilities.

While no formal scientific awards are listed, her academic excellence is reflected in her cum laude degree. She actively engages in educational initiatives through training courses, workshops, and conferences, promoting accessible arts education. Her advising activities are tied to her doctoral research, though specific students are not named. She is part of the Research Group Arts Education and the 'Wicked Arts Education' initiative, addressing challenges in arts education through interdisciplinary collaboration.