Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett to teach Contemporary Theatre at Oxford

Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett has been appointed as a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford, where she will teach contemporary theatre at St Catherine's College during the 2026-27 academic year.

The two-time Academy Award winner joins a distinguished list of artists who have held the prestigious position since it was established in 1990. Previous visiting professors include Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Diana Rigg, and Dame Myra Syal.

Commenting on her appointment, Blanchett said: "Art breaks down the borders and boundaries of our imagination; it poses questions, and playing with and dissecting it expands and challenges our present



reality. My years of creative practice have granted me the opportunity of sharpening feelings into ideas and offered pathways to insight," as reported by the University of Oxford.

"The visiting professorship is an electrifying opportunity for me to be in direct, robust creative dialogue with the next generation of thinkers and creative doers. I look forward to beginning this creative rumpus."

During her tenure, Blanchett will contribute to a programme of lectures, conversations, and student engagement activities, continuing the professorship's long-standing tradition of connecting contemporary artistic practice with academic enquiry and public life.