Dr Katja Frimberger
Senior Lecturer
一本道 Institute of Education
Personal statement
I am currently Senior Lecturer in Education Studies at the 一本道 Institute of Education in Glasgow, Scotland, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy听and co-lead of the Research Group.
My research centres on the philosophy of arts and aesthetic education, exploring how theatre and film shape human formation. Drawing on continental pedagogy, philosophy/theology and aesthetics - I am curious to understand the mimetic artforms' formative nature, purpose and practice.听
My most recent publications look at the poetic virtue of film (see ); explore the German concept of education as 'Bildung' (self/formation) through the French film 'Des Hommes Et Des Dieux' (Of Gods and Men) and medieval theologian Meister Eckhart's Bild-based theology (read ); explore philosophers Hans-Georg Gadamer's and Jacques Maritain's understanding of the formative nature of art/film-reception and making (read ); investigate German theatre maker Bertolt Brecht鈥檚 philosophising theatre pedagogy of estrangement (read ); and look at Latvian director and actor Asja L膩cis' 'porous' educational philosophy in her proletarian children's theatre in post-WWI Russia (read ).
As performer, producer and educator, I regularly participate in film projects in collaboration with non-academic stakeholders in the creative and charity sector. I am currently PI on the ESRC (IAA account) funded impact project (partnered with Glasgow Life; Grosvenor Cinema, filmmaker Simon Bishopp) "Film as Public Public Pedagogy", which delivers film screenings and to enhance film production literacy (for young people aged 15-25).
The Science Fiction Short Film was an (acting) collaboration with filmmaker Simon Bishopp. The short was exhibited at Bafta-qualifying film festivals, selected for the BFI's "shorts in support scheme"听 and can be watched on Alex Proyas (director of The Crow, Dark City, I-Robot, Gods of Egypt)
The Sci-Fi feature film (Dir. Simon Bishopp), in which I collaborated as performer and producer, was nominated for the Heimspiel award at BIFF (Braunschweig International Film Festival, Germany).
Our film-making and digital animation education projects听for care-experienced children and young people in Scotland (; UAnimate and听) received funding through Creative Scotland, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
Previously Lecturer in Theatre at Brunel University London, I taught Applied Theatre, Performance Theory & Directing for the BA Theatre.
In my role as Research Associate at the University of Glasgow for the 3-year, Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded, 拢2 mill. large grant project 'Researching Multilingually at the Borders of the Body, Language, Law & the State', I theorised the role of arts-based research methods in multilingual settings.
I was awarded a fully funded 3-year PhD research scholarship in the area of aesthetic/intercultural education (focus: applied theatre) from the College of Social Sciences/School of Education at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.听
My PhD project explored international students' lived experiences of 'interculturality' through a performance-based research pedagogy, based on German theatre maker Bertolt Brecht's theatre/actor training theory and practice. I passed my viva voce in May 2013.
Prior to my academic career, I worked as a language (English, German) and drama educator in secondary, adult & community education, in Germany, Venezuela, Ireland and Scotland.
Prize And Awards
- Recipient
- 11/2024
- Recipient
- 7/2024
- Recipient
- 2023
- Recipient
- 2018
- Recipient
- 2018
- Recipient
- 2018
Qualifications
PhD University of Glasgow in Scotland/UK for a thesis entitled: Towards a Brechtian Research Pedagogy for Intercultural Education: Cultivating Intercultural Spaces of Experiment through Drama.
M.A. Theatre Studies, University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland.
M.Ed. Education, with English & German, Universit盲t Hildesheim in Germany
Teacher Training Qualification (secondary) for German & English in the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany.
Publications
- 20th International Network of Philosophers of Education Conference (2026)
- New Blackfriars Vol 107, pp. 158-178 (2026)
- The Theatricality of Pedagogy An Exploration of the Open and Hidden Connections between Theatre and Pedagogy (2026) (2026)
- ,
- The Theatricality of Pedagogy Exploring the open and hidden connections between theatre and pedagogy (2026) (2026)
- ,
- Paedagogica Paedagogica (2026)
- North American Association for Philosophy and Education (2025)
Research Interests
Research Interests:
- Aesthetic and cultural education/philosophy of education听
Memberships:
- The Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB)
- The International Network of Philosophers of Education (INPE)
- The North American Association for Philosophy of Education (NAAPE/APOE)
- The Scottish Educational Research Association (Theory and Philosophy of Education Network), SERA
Professional Activities
- Chair
- 15/6/2026
- Speaker
- 14/5/2026
- Speaker
- 13/3/2026
- Speaker
- 1/7/2025
- Organiser
- 23/6/2025
- Speaker
- 28/3/2025
Projects
- Frimberger, Katja (Principal Investigator)
- 03-Jan-2026 - 31-Jan-2027
- Lewin, David (Principal Investigator) Frimberger, Katja (Co-investigator) Kenklies, Karsten (Co-investigator) Robertson, Nicola (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2028
- Lewin, David (Principal Investigator) Frimberger, Katja (Principal Investigator) Kenklies, Karsten (Co-investigator) Robertson, Nicola (Co-investigator)
- The PESGB Summer School offers an opportunity for undergraduate and postgraduate students to learn more about philosophy of education through a range of activities led by philosophers of education in a university campus setting and alternates between the two groups of students. The Undergraduate Summer School (around 40-50 students) normally involves three days of lectures, seminar discussions and social activities around a theme proposed and organised by the hosts. The Postgraduate Summer School (around 12-15 students) normally runs for five days and is typically led by one philosopher in discussion with others around a particular theme. The Summer School is free to attend and the Society funds all meals and accommodation. Participants are responsible for their own travel costs but a limited number of travel bursaries are available for applicants who are able to demonstrate financial need.
- 31-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2028
- Frimberger, Katja (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2028
- Frimberger, Katja (Principal Investigator) Bishopp, Simon (Co-investigator)
- UAnimate created a digital animation education programme of 10 animated learningfilms, in the style of current children's cartoons, with accompanying illustrated PDFworksheets and 15 animation-creation workshop sessions, that supported childrenthrough the process of making their first fully-animated short film. The programmewas tested with partner Harmeny Education Trust.
- 01-Jan-2020 - 06-Jan-2021
- Frimberger, Katja (Visiting Academic)
- 鈥淐reative multilingualism: From practice to research to education鈥�, under the Principal Investigator, Professor George Androulakis, Director of the Greek Language and Multilingualism Laboratory, Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly, is a project funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation (HFRI) under the Call "1st Call for proposals for research projects for the support of Faculty members and Researchers working in the Greek Universities and Research Centers I participated as an expert for the implementation of the project, according to the tasks described in the project鈥檚 proposal.
- 02-Jan-2020 - 09-Jan-2022
Contact
Dr
Katja
Frimberger
Senior Lecturer
一本道 Institute of Education
Email: katja.frimberger@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted