Laura Kallenbach

Laura Kallenbach is a PhD researcher at the University of Hildesheim, affiliated with the DFG-Graduiertenkolleg 2477 - Ästhetische Praxis (Research Training Group on Aesthetic Practice). Since 2018, she has taught courses in theatre pedagogy, gender studies, and performance studies at the University’s Faculty of Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Communication. Her research focuses on gender roles in theatre education, examining how aesthetic practices construct and deconstruct identity norms.

She holds a degree in Theatre and Film Studies from Freie Universität Berlin and a specialization in Theatre from the University of Hildesheim. Kallenbach is a founding member of the performance collective CHICKS*, serving as dramaturg for their productions. Previously, she worked as an assistant director at Theater an der Parkaue in Berlin (2010–2013).

Her research interests bridge queer feminist theory, performance studies, and educational practices. Recent publications analyze gender as an aesthetic category in theatre pedagogy, queer-feminist models in cultural education, and youth participation in performance. She has presented work at international conferences, including the Society for Theatre Studies and the ASSITEJ World Congress.

Active in academic networks, Kallenbach co-organized conferences such as the KRITIK_PRAXIS_ÄSTHETIK research day and served as spokesperson for the Society for Theatre Studies’ doctoral network (2021–2022).