Rate My Professor Ian Maxwell

Ian Maxwell is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, serving as Chair of the Discipline of Theatre and Performance Studies and Chair of Discipline (Film Studies). He trained as a theatre director, graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts School of Drama with a Diploma of Arts in Dramatic Arts (DADA), where he majored in Directing. He also holds a BA (Hons) and a PhD in Performance Studies from the University of Sydney. His doctoral research examined hip hop culture through an ethnographic lens in the thesis titled 'Phat Beats, Dope Rhymes: Hip Hop as Ethnographic Text'. Maxwell's academic career at the University of Sydney includes leadership roles such as Chair of the Department of Performance Studies since 2002, Pro-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, and Chair of the University's Human Research Ethics Committee.

Maxwell's research specializations include theatre and performance studies, film studies, actor training and wellbeing, cultural politics in popular music, and ethnography of performance practices. His key publications feature 'Parallel Evolution: Performance Studies at the University of Sydney' (2006) in TDR: The Drama Review, 'Hip Hop Aesthetics and the Will to Culture' (1997), 'Oriental Exoticism in 1920s Australian Popular Music' (2015) in Perfect Beat, and 'Psychological Well-Being of Australian Actors and Performing Artists' (2022) co-authored with Mitchell L. Cunningham. In 2008, he was awarded the Marlis Thiersch Prize for excellence in research published in an English-language article in the field of theatre and performance studies. Maxwell contributes to public discourse through theatre reviews on the University of Sydney website, such as those on The Lewis Trilogy (2024) and Into the Shimmering World (2024), and has led scholarly efforts in recreating historical productions like the Dunera Boys' Sergeant Snow White musical for its 81st anniversary (2024). He co-authored the Australian Actors' Wellbeing Study and serves as editor of Platform, the University of Sydney's journal on drama, theatre, and performance studies.