Susanne Winnacker studied German literature, philosophy and art history in Marburg and applied theatre studies in Giessen. After her studies she worked as a research assistant at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, where she received her PhD in 1994 and then worked as a university assistant until 2000. In 2001, in addition to her work as an editor at S. Fischer Verlag, she took over the artistic direction of the Kroonstukjes/Kronjuwelen festival in Münster. From 2002 to 2005 she worked as a board member of DasArts Amsterdam. In 2004 she was appointed overall director of the Theater Festival Welt in Basel. She is editor and author of numerous publications in theatre studies. For six years she was deputy artistic director, chief dramaturg and curator for dance at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar. Afterwards she worked as a lecturer in directing at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt. From 2012 she was rector of the Rostock University of Music and Theatre. From the 2019/2020 season to 2022/2023 Susanne Winnacker was deputy director at the Schauspielhaus Bochum.

Past roles: