Dorota Sosnowska

Dorota Sosnowska is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Theater and Performance within the Faculty of Polish Studies at the University of Warsaw's Institute of Polish Culture (IKP). A cultural studies scholar specializing in theatre and performance, as well as the history of 20th-century Polish culture, she teaches media in contemporary culture within cultural studies and social arts programs while leading seminars related to her research interests.

Her research focuses on the history of Polish theatre during the communist era, sources and archives in theatre studies, and performances of otherness in Polish culture during political transformation. She has led significant projects including Misfits: Performances of Otherness in the Polish Culture of Transformation (2022-2025), winner of the NCN OPUS-21 competition, and contributed to international projects like Performances of Memory and The Mask in Contemporary European Culture.

Her publications reveal a consistent engagement with how cultural forms represent political transformation, with special attention to gender, sexuality, and marginalization. Her recent work examines HIV/AIDS in post-communist Poland, theatrical representations of political change, and the performative aspects of masks and other cultural objects. Her research demonstrates how artistic practices document and shape social transformation, particularly during Poland's transition from communism.

• Editor of View. Theories and Practices of Visual Culture
• Co-coordinator of the Historiography working group within the International Federation for Theater Research
• Winner of NCN OPUS-21 competition for her project on performances of otherness

Dr. Sosnowska's work bridges historical analysis with contemporary cultural theory, particularly examining how pre-queer concepts emerged in Polish culture before being conceptualized within modern identity politics frameworks. Her scholarship connects performance studies with broader social transformations, revealing how artistic practices document and participate in cultural change during periods of political upheaval.