Ola Johansson

I have developed my professional profile over the past twenty-five years as academic and artistic researcher, pedagogue and cultural diplomat. Currently I am Director of Studies at the Theatre Academy in Malmö, where I have engaged in three strands of education: first, in operational management of quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation procedures as well as equality policies; second, in capacity building of freestanding courses (fristående kurser) and commissioned educational provisions (uppdragsutbildningar); and, third, as lecturer of the course Contemporary International Performing Arts (Samtida internationell scenkonst). In previous functions I have taught devised performance/collaborative creation, applied theatre, performance analysis, drama analysis, theatre history, postcolonial sudies, community mediation and conflict negotiation.

In the past fifteen years I have carried out artistic research projects alongside management roles with programme, staff and budget responsibilities in higher education institutions and at a diplomatic mission. Besides being artistic director for theatre productions, art exhibitions, public events and workshops for civil society organisations, I have published three books and a large number of peer-reviewed chapters and articles in performance studies.

I served as Counsellor for Cultural Affairs at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing (2020-2023), with strategic oversight of cultural projects and exchanges as well as public diplomacy.

Moreover, I have conducted consultancies in international contexts with civil society organisations with special foci on interactive community mediation, conflict negotiation and peaceful reconciliation.

I have also worked as a cultural journalist and theatre critic for Svenska Dagbladet (2000-2005) and made a short documentary film about community theatre as HIV prevention for CNN.