Thijs Witty is a researcher and educator based in Amsterdam. He has worked in the field of artistic research for the past decade and is currently university lecturer in film and literary studies at Leiden University. His main research interest is the history and present of popular education in Europe, including non-institutional variants such as video essayism, informal study groups, and worker’s organisation. He is also a proud member of the Amsterdam Marionettes Theatre, the only ensemble in the Netherlands that still practices classical Austrian puppet technique.