Wouter Hillaert (1978) studied Germanic studies at UGent and Theatre Studies at UAntwerp and Stockholm University. Until 2017, he was a freelance theatre critic and cultural journalist for De Morgen (since 2002) and De Standaard (since 2009). From 2003 until 2019, he was at the helm of rekto:verso, magazine for culture and criticism. He published in several magazines and realized books on the critic Wim Van Gansbeke and the social-artistic policy of the city of Ghent.
He is currently active as an independent cultural journalist, dramaturge and freelance editor. At the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp (AP Hogeschool Antwerp) he teaches the courses 'Art Criticism' and 'Artist in Society', supervises theses within 'Kleinkunst' and conducts research into developments in the Flemish performing arts between 2000 and 2020. He is also co-chairman of Folio, the umbrella organisation of Flemish cultural magazines.
As a volunteer, he co-founded the citizens' movement Hart boven Hard between 2014 and 2019 and is currently involved in the artists' platform State of the Arts and other cultural-social initiatives such as 'Door to Door', 'Move Your Money' and Cinemaximiliaan. The relationship between art and society runs like a thread through his activities.