Cate Blanchett has been appointed as the new Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at the University of Oxford, where she will teach during the 2026/27 academic year. The two-time Oscar-winning actress will take up the role at St Catherine's College, continuing a tradition established in 1990.
Previous Professors
Previous holders of the visiting professorship have included Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Diana Rigg and Dame Meera Syal.
Blanchett's Excitement
Blanchett said she was eager to begin working with students and the wider university community. "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," she said.
The Australian actress added, "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."
She also described the appointment as a chance to continue exploring ideas developed throughout her career. "My years of creative practice have granted me the opportunity of sharpening feelings into ideas and offered pathways to insight," Blanchett said. "I'm looking forward to beginning this creative rumpus."
Career Highlights
Blanchett is one of the most recognised performers of her generation. She won her first Academy Award for portraying Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and later received a second Oscar for her performance in Blue Jasmine. Alongside her screen career, Blanchett has maintained a strong presence in theatre, performing on stages in both the West End and Broadway.
Mackintosh's Welcome
Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the producer who established the visiting professorship, welcomed the appointment. "I know that her incredible career, both as an actor and producer across stage, screen and television, will be a major inspiration to Oxford's students," he said.
