Cate Blanchett is heading back to the classroom – this time as the teacher.
The Oscar-winning actress has been appointed as a visiting professor at Oxford University, where she will spend a year encouraging students to get involved in theatre and the performing arts.
Cate Blanchett. DFree, Shutterstock
Blanchett is set to take up the prestigious Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship of Contemporary Theatre at St Catherine's College this autumn.
As part of the role, she will take part in a programme of lectures, conversations and events, engaging with both students and the wider university community.
Speaking about the appointment, Blanchett said she hopes to cause a "creative rumpus" during her time at the university.
While Oxford does not offer a dedicated theatre studies degree, it has a long-standing reputation for its vibrant student theatre scene.
The university is home to numerous student-run theatre groups, many of which stage productions to a professional standard and have helped launch the careers of actors, writers and directors.
Blanchett joins an impressive list of previous holders of the position.
Sir Ian McKellen is pictured attending Manchester's Pride Parade. Stefano Bolognini, Shutterstock
The visiting professorship was established in 1990 and has previously been held by some of Britain's most celebrated performers, including Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Meera Syal and the late Dame Diana Rigg.
Widely regarded as one of the finest actors of her generation, Blanchett has won two Academy Awards and starred in films including The Aviator, Blue Jasmine, Tár and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Her appointment is expected to bring fresh insight and inspiration to Oxford's thriving theatre community, with students set to benefit from the experience of one of the world's most acclaimed performers.
