Sandra Gattenhof

Sandra Gattenhof is a Professor and Academic Lead for Learning and Teaching in the School of Creative Arts at Queensland University of Technology's Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice (CIESJ). She previously served as Discipline Leader for Dance, Drama, and Music. Her career spans academic leadership, creative practice, and significant contributions to arts education policy development at national levels.

Professor Gattenhof holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts from Queensland University of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland, and a Diploma of Teaching from Brisbane College of Advanced Education. Her educational background reflects her deep commitment to both scholarly research and practical teaching applications in the creative arts.

Gattenhof's research centers on cultural evaluation and understanding the social impact arising from arts engagement and creative community consultation. She is recognized as a leader in arts and creative learning with expertise spanning arts education, cultural evaluation, contemporary performance, and drama education. Her work particularly focuses on theatre for children and young people and the development of new media/interactive teaching environments. She has been at the forefront of developing Australia's national arts curriculum as an Advisory Group Member for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on measuring the social impact of creative arts, particularly in regional Australia. Through projects like the ARC Linkage Project 'The Role of the Creative Arts in Regional Australia: a social impact model' and 'Valuing the Arts Australia and New Zealand,' she has developed robust evaluation frameworks that capture the nuanced ways arts engagement transforms communities. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications for cultural organizations across Australia and the Pacific region.

• Drama Queensland Life Membership (2012)
• Drama Australia President's Award (2021)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) Excellence in Research Award
• QUT Creative Industries Faculty Dean's Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation
• Vice-Chancellor's Performance Award
• Carrick Awards Citation Nominee for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
• 2006 QUT Creative Industries Faculty Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence (Early Career)

Professor Gattenhof has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students on diverse topics including audience research, evaluation models in community arts, gender in physical comedy, scenographic practice, and embodied learning. She has led major research projects including the ARC Linkage Project (2019-2022), Social Impact Research and Evaluation Strategy for the Puuya Foundation (2021-2023), and Valuing the Arts Australia and New Zealand (2020). Her work has secured significant funding for arts impact research and evaluation across Australian cultural organizations.

Beyond her university role, Gattenhof chairs the board for the award-winning Dead Puppets Society, serves on the advisory group for the Education Program at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and is a board member for the Council of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS). She also serves on the board of technology-led performance company Counterpilot and acts as an observer on National Advocates for Arts Education, having previously represented Drama Australia for ten years.