Alex Baines is a writer, educator, and candidate in the IPTD program. A British native, he previously received a BA in English from the University of Oxford and an MA in Text and Performance from Birkbeck, University of London and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His research focuses on theatre and performance practices at reconstructed heritage sites, particularly within contexts of Britain and empire. He has lived and worked as an educator and theatre maker in various places around the world including Cambridge (UK), Moscow, rural south-west England, and Shanghai. Alex is affiliated with the British Studies cluster and is the recipient of a Mellon Interdisciplinary Cluster Fellowship. During the academic year 2024-2025, he is a research fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library as part of the institution’s “Whose Democracy?” season.