Maria Bastianes

Dr. Maria Bastianes is a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Leeds' School of Languages, Cultures and Societies within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Her research focuses on European cultural exchange, Spanish theatre history, and performance studies, particularly the iconic work La Celestina. She holds a PhD from Complutense University of Madrid and completed postdoctoral fellowships in Spain and Italy. Her current project, EStages UK, explores Spanish theatre's presence in the UK through collaborations with scholars and practitioners.

Education:

• PhD (2016) – Complutense University of Madrid
• Master in Spanish Literature (2011) – University of Salamanca
• Bachelor’s in Hispanic Languages (2009) – University of Salamanca

Research Interests:

• Historical performance of 16th-century Spanish classics
• Cultural policies and theatre censorship
• Transnational theatre exchanges (UK-Spain-Italy)
• Adaptation strategies of La Celestina

Grants & Awards:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (€163k, 2019–2021)
• Complutense University PhD Prize (2017)
• Spanish National Graduate Prize (2011)
• Multiple research grants including Cini Foundation (Italy) and Santander Bank

Supervision & Outreach: Supervised 3 master’s students and created pedagogical materials for A-level theatre education. Delivered public lectures on Lorca’s reception in the UK and theatre censorship in Spain.

Key Projects: Editorial board member of Celestinesca, director of International Writers at Leeds, and co-editor of Routledge monograph series on Spanish performance studies.