Esa Kirkkopelto

I work as a professor of theatre art at the ITC Faculty, in the unit of Communication Sciences. My work focuses on research and its development in the field of performing arts, in collaboration with other disciplines at the University of Tampere. 

I am responsible for researcher training in my field and teach in the acting degree program. 

I am an expert in artistic research, performance philosophy, performer training, and continental philosophy. In the field of performing arts, I have worked as a professional dramaturg, director, performer, convener, facilitator and teacher.

Professional artistic work in the performing arts since 1987

Founding member of the Toisissa tiloissa (The Other Spaces) live art group (since 2004)

Establishment and development of the Performing Arts Research Center (Tutke) at the Theater Academy, Uniarts Helsinki, 2007–2017

Actor´s Art in Modern Times, collaborative research project, Theater Academy, 2008–2011

SA-AR, Summer Academy for Artistic Research, creation and development of a medium for joint Nordic doctoral training in artistic research, since 2011

Founding member of the International Platform for Performer Training (IPPT) network, since 2014

Core convener of the Performance Philosophy network, 2010–2022

Organization of the Performance Philosophy conference at the University of the Arts, 2022

Creation of a doctoral program in artistic research and development of a research culture, Malmö Theatre Academy, Lund University, 2020–2022