02 : CV

 

Leo Rafolt was born on December 13th 1979 in Zagreb.

He graduated Comparative Literature and Croatian Language and Literature on the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities University of Zagreb. There he finished his PhD studies in Comparative Literature and received his PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies in 2006. He also finished his second PhD study program in Kinesiology at the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb in 2016.

 

He finished his postdoctoral studies in Cultural Theory, Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Tokyo and Osaka.

He worked as a junior and senior researcher, assistant, assistant professor and associate professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (2006-2017).

From 2017 he works as an associate professor and from 2019 as a full profesdor at The Academy of Arts on Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Department for Theatre, where he is currently leading a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Sciences. He teaches on different PhD programs in Split, Osijek and Zagreb, as well as abroad, in Poland, France, Italy, Slovenia, USA, Norway, Finland, UK and Japan.

On more than several occasions he has been a visiting fellow on many universities, such as University of Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo, Sorbonne, La Sapienza, University of Ljubljana, University of Krakow, Warsaw, Katowice and Sosnowiec, Washington University, etc. He was also a deputy director of Zagreb School of Slavic Studies (2004-2006).

For his work he received several awards, among others – Republic of Croatia State Award (2008), Judith Award (2009), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Award (2009), and Zvane Črnja Award (2020).

He has participated on many congress meetings, workshops and international conferences, and has created a new interdisciplinary PhD program in Intercultural Philology at the University of Zagreb, as well as BA and MA program in Performance Studies and PhD Program of Arts and Culture at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek.

From 2017 he is a research fellow at Research Centre for post-Yugoslav areas (PROP) at Warsaw University.

He has published several books and more than one hundred research papers in different national and international journals.

His research interests are Cultural, Theatre and Performance Studies, Interculturalism and Performance, Japanese Budo, Somatic Principles, etc.

Since 1984 he has been practicing different martial arts, starting parallel with Judo, Karate and Nanbudo. He has participated on many seminars led by famous Japanese teachers, such as Tsukada, Mochizuki, Kamohara, etc. But his main teacher and a father figure always remained Yoshinao Nanbu.

Since 2006 he is a director of the Education Committee in the Worldwide Nanbudo Federation. Until now he has participated on many seminars and demonstrations all around the globe, from Japan, Africa and Europe.

He regularly teaches nanbudo seminars and movement workshops in Croatia, Bosnia, Japan, Cameroun, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Norway, United Kingdom, Italy, France, etc.

Education:

2007-2008 – Postdoctoral Studies in Cultural Theory, Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Tokyo and University of Osaka

2006 – PhD in Comparative Literature and Theatre Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2013-2016 – PhD Studies in Applied Kinesiology, daculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb

2003 – BA and MA in Comparative Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2003 – BA and MA in Croatian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

Employment:

2019-present – Full Professor (Full-Time) in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies and Cultural Studies, Department of Performance Studies, The Academy of Arts and Culture, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek

2017-2019 – Associate Professor (Full-Time) in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Department of Performance Studies, The Academy of Arts and Culture, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek

2016-present – Guest Associate Professor in Performance Studies and Applied Kinesiology of Japanese Budo at Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb

2016-2017 – Founder and Director of the Interdisciplinary PhD program in Intercultural Philology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2013-2017 – Associate Professor (Full-Time) in World Literature and Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2007-2013 – Assistant Professor in (Full-Time) World Literature and Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2004-2007 – Deputy Director of Zagreb School of Slavic Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2004-2006 – Senior Researcher, Assistant in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2003-2004 – Junior Researcher in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

 

Positions:

2017-present – Research Fellow at Research Centre for post-Yugoslav areas (PROP) at Warsaw University

2017-present – Director of InterScArt – Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Humanities, The Academy of Arts and Culture, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek

2017-2018 – Director of PhD program in Philology in the Intercultural Context at Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2013-2015 – Chair in Early Modern Literature at Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

2004-2007 – Deputy Director of Zagreb School of Slavic Studies at Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb

 

Selected Other Professional Activities:

2008-present – Japanese Budo Workshops in Croatia, Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Douala, Yaoundé (Cameroon), Oslo, Oskarsberg (Norway), Paris, Crest, Carry-le-Rouet (France), Edinburgh, Glasgow (Scotland), Mürren, Zurich, Caslano, Magliasso (Switzerland), Valombrossa, Florence (Italy), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Banja Luka (Bosnia), Kecskemet (Hungary)

2015-present – Croatian National Theatre Consultant, in charge of writing promotion materials, flyers, and playbills

2017 – Choreographer, Ciganin, ali najljepši, directed by Ivica Buljan

2018 – Det Norske Teatret consultant, in charge of writing promotion materials and playbill introduction for Den Siste Kongsfesten, directed by Ivica Buljan

2018-2019 – Dionysius Festival Artistic Director, in charge of the Program Concept

Kill B., dir. Bruno Isaković, Zagreb Dance Center, Assistant Choreographer

 

Fellowships and Grants:

2021 – ERASMUS Fellowship at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

2019 – University of Osaka, Department of World Literatures

2019 – CEEPUS Fellowship at PROP Centre at University of Warsaw

2019 – CEEPUS Fellowship at the Institute of Philology at Pecs University

2018 – ERASMUS Fellowship on Performance Studies Program at Northumbria University, Newcastle

2018 – CEEPUS Fellowship at PROP Center at the Institute for Western and South-Slavic Studies, University of Warsaw

2017 – ERASMUS Fellowship at the Institute for Western and South-Slavic Studies, University of Warsaw

2015 – CEEPUS Fellowship at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

2012 – UNIZG Bilateral Fellowship at University of Tokyo (Department for Literary and Cultural Studies), Japan

2011 – ERASMUS Fellowship at the Institute for Western and South-Slavic Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland

2010 – Japan Fellowship at the University of Osaka (Research Center for World Literatures), Japan

2009 – CEEPUS Fellowship at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

2009 – Eötvös Loránd University Fellowship, Budapest, Hungary

2008 – Australian Embassy Bilateral Fellowship, University of Sydney, Australia

2007-2008 – Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences Fellowship in Cultural Theory at the University of Tokyo (Department for Cultural Studies, Department of Literary Studies), University of Sapporo (Research Center for World Literatures) and University of Osaka (Research Center for Conflict Studies in Humanities), Japan

 

National Affiliate and Visiting Professorships:

2017-present – PhD Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia

2017-present – PhD Program Visiting Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies, Doctoral School, University of Osijek, Croatia

2013-present – PhD Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Split, Croatia

2008-present – PhD Program Visiting Professor in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Osijek, Croatia

2016 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, University of Pula, Croatia

2016 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, University of Dubrovnik, Croatia

 

International Visiting Professorships:

2019 – MA Program Visiting Professor at University of Osaka, Department of World Literatures

2016-2018 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Krakow, Poland

2016-2018 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland

2016-2018 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures), University of Katowice and Sosnowiec, Poland

2010-2017 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures, Theatre Studies), Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

2009 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, Center for Cultural and Literary Studies, University of Tokyo, Japan

2009 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, Research Center for Conflict Studies in Humanities, University of Osaka, Japan

2009 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities, Center for Slavic Studies, University of Sapporo, Japan

2008 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures), La Sorbonne, Paris VI, France

2008-2009 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures, Theatre Studies), University of Katowice and Sosnowiec, Poland

2008 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures, Theatre Studies), University of Wroclaw, Poland

2006-2007 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures, Theatre Studies), Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

2006 – MA Program Visiting Professor in Humanities (South-Slavic Literatures and Cultures), University La Sapienza, Italy

2006 – AAASS Visiting Professor in South-Slavic Studies, Washington University, USA

 

PhD Mentorships:

Silvana Ereiz (2012), Tipologija likova u dubrovačkoj komediji osamnaestoga stoljeća

Lada Muraj (co-mentorship with Milovan Tatarin) (2015), Suodnos akademskog diskursa i scenskih izvedbi u procesu kanonizacije Držićeva dramskog opusa

Ivana Pepić (co-mentorship with Zlata Šundalić) (2015), Strategije oblikovanja diskurza o svakodnevici u književnoj kulturi Slavonije 18. stoljeća

Ivan Missoni (2018) (co-mentorship with Mijo Korade), Fizička i ekstatička ljubav u hrvatskim crkvenim prikazanjima

Mia Đikić (2018), Etnička drugost i groteska u dramama Marina Držića

 

Research Projects:

Practicing Communities in Transition: Art, Institutions, and the Public Sphere, 2018-2020, financed by Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek (Principal Researcher)

Epistemology of Literary Historiography, 2013-2016, financed by Croatian Foundation for Science (Principal Researcher)

Oneiric as Poetological and Anthropological problem, 2007-2011, financed by the Croatian Ministry of Science (Senior Research Assistant)

Literary Anthropology, 2002-2006, financed by the Croatian Ministry of Science (Junior Researcher)

 

Awards:

Zvane Črnja Award for Theoretical Essay (2020)

Split Literary Circle – The Judith Award (2009)

University of Zagreb – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Award (2009)
Republic of Croatia State Award for Young Researchers (2008)

Zvane Črnja Award (2020)

 

Selected International Conferences:

Identity and Difference: Production of Cultural Stereotypes, Lovran 2005

Slavic Studies Congress, Varaždin 2006

American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Conference, Washington 2006

Comparative Literary History Conference, Split 2005

Comparative Literary History Conference, Split 2006

Comparative Literary History Conference, Split 2007

Marin Držić – A Renaissance Lighthouse, Paris 2008

Marin Držić: 1508–2008, Zagreb 2008

Literature and Culture after Linguistic Turn, Budapest 2013

Humanities Challenge, Poznan 2013

Rethinking History, Timisoara 2014

Intercultural Turn, Osaka 2014

Shifting Dialogues, Helsinki 2014

Romanian Slavic Congress Meeting, Bucharest 2015

Narratology an Its Dispossessed, Zagreb 2017

Topologies of Thinking, Zagreb 2017

Institutions after 1989, Warsaw 2017

Theatre between Politics and Policies: New Challenges, Belgrade 2018

Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present Conference, Amsterdam 2018

Cultural Mobility of Performance and Performance studies, Krakow 2018

Migration Theories, Split 2019.

Butoh Encounters, Oslo 2019.

Covid Crises in Bioetic Surrounding, Split 2020.

 

Organization and Co-Organization of Conferences:

2004 – European Framework of Croatian Literature, Zagreb School of Slavic Studies

2005 – Popular Culture and Literature, Zagreb School of Slavic Studies

2006 – Ideology and Literature, Zagreb School of Slavic Studies

2018 – Public Sphere between Theory and Artistic Intervention, Doctoral School, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek

 

Higher-Education Institution Accreditation and Evaluation Committees:

2015 – AZVO, The Academy of Arts, University of Split; The Academy of Arts, University of Pula

2016 – AZVO, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Split; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Pula

2017 – AZVO, Humanities Program, University of Dubrovnik

2021 – ARACIS Accreditation, Universities of Bucarest, Sibiu, Temisoara, IAS, Romania

 

Popularization of Research:

2015 – TV-show Hrvatski velikani, directed by Robert Knjaz

2015-present – performance studies adviser in Croatian National Theatre and Zagreb Youth Theatre in Zagreb (playbills, flyers, promotional materials)

2017-present – organization of roundtables at The Academy of Arts and Culture, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek

 

Research Interests:

Cultural Studies, Performative Anthropology, Theatre and Performance Studies, Transculturalism and Performance, Japanese Budō and Performing Arts, Public Sphere Theories, Comparative Literature and Discourse Analysis, Performance Politics