Marcel Tichelaar studied Theatre Studies at the University of Amsterdam and Trinity College Dublin. After his studies he worked as a television editor and after that as a press officer and marketing communication specialist at various theaters, companies and festivals. In 2019 he switched to the academic world and worked for ACTA (the dentistry education of UvA and VU). He is an all-round communication officer at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS).