Dr. Lauren Jerke, is an Assistant Professor in Drama and Indigenous Education. She is Métis on her mom’s side and Polish-German on her dad’s side. She grew up just outside Lethbridge, Alberta, on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot People. Her work as a theatre artist, educator, and researcher is grounded in theatre-based, community-centered methods, with storytelling and lived experiences at its core. She uses drama as a powerful teaching tool to help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Lauren, with Lyndsey Henry, will facilitate a workshop, Felt Understanding: Learning SENCTON Language and Remembering Stories, in the Indigenous Theatre Festival 2025 on the role of drama in supporting language revitalisation and cultural learning by valuing intuition and felt understanding.