Zerihun Sira
Zerihun Birehanu Sira is a scholar, educator, director, and community theatre practitioner whose work lies at the intersection of performance, politics, and social justice in Ethiopia.
He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Drama at the University of Manchester, where his research examines how theatre has historically functioned as both a tool of resistance and state control. His thesis explores how artists navigate authoritarianism through collaboration, contestation, and creative compliance, offering insights into the dynamic relationship between performance and power.
Alongside his doctoral research, Zerihun serves as an assistant professor at Addis Ababa University. He has published on Ethiopian theatre and presented his work at major academic and cultural forums across Africa, Europe, and the United States. His academic and artistic contributions have been recognised through multiple fellowships and awards, including from the University of Michigan, the British Council, the US Embassy, and the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, where he was named a Young Scholar Fellow in 2023.
Zerihun is deeply committed to community-based arts as a vehicle for empowerment. He has led numerous theatre initiatives addressing issues such as gender inequality, youth marginalisation, and public health stigmas. Collaborating with institutions including Addis Ababa University, the British Council, and the US Embassy, he has trained over 200 young people and adolescent girls in using performance to tell their stories and advocate for change.
Through his scholarship and practice, Zerihun works to bridge academia and activism, using theatre to amplify marginalised voices, foster dialogue, and support collective action toward justice.