Jonathan Bollen

Jonathan Bollen is an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His academic career spans theatre studies with a focus on performance, mobility and desire across the Asia-Pacific region.

Education:

• PhD (University of Western Sydney) - 2000
• BA Hons (University of Sydney) - 1994

Professor Bollen's research centers on theatre and performance studies, with particular expertise in popular culture, digital humanities, and queer studies. His work examines the intersections of performance, mobility, and desire, with significant contributions to understanding theatrical traditions across the Asia-Pacific region. He has developed innovative approaches to visualizing lost theatres through virtual praxis and has conducted extensive research on Ibsen's global influence, particularly in Australian contexts. His scholarship also explores masculinities in Australian theatre since the 1950s, contributing to both national and international discourse on gender representation in performance.

Scientific Awards:

• Rob Jordan Prize (2022) for best book in drama/theatre studies
• Flinders University AusStage prize (2021)
• John Barrett Award for Australian Studies (2010)
• Marlis Thiersch Award (2006)
• UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (2020)

Professor Bollen has secured significant research funding as Chief Investigator on multiple ARC projects, including two Discovery Projects totaling over $400,000 and four ARC LIEF projects for the AusStage database totaling over $1.4 million. His research has resulted in four major monographs and numerous scholarly publications that have shaped contemporary understanding of theatre history and performance studies in the Asia-Pacific region.