Maria Vlachou is a consultant in Cultural Management and Communication. Founding member and Executive Director of the association Acesso Cultura. Author of the blog Musing on Culture (and the book of the same name), where she writes about culture, cultural management and communication, audiences, and access. Manager of the Facebook page Museum texts / Textos em Museus and co-manager of the blog Museums and Migration. Participated in the European project RESHAPE - Reflect, Share, Practice, Experiment, and is a member of the group "Arts and Citizenship".

She was Director of Communication at São Luiz Teatro Municipal (2006-2012) and Communication Officer of Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva (2001-2006). Member of the management bodies of ICOM Portugal (2005-2014) and editor of its newsletter. She was a consultant to the Museu Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva and to the Comissão Cultural da Marinha. She collaborated with the Descobrir and Próximo Futuro programs of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Fellow and member of ISPA - International Society for the Performing Arts (2018, 2020). An alumna of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, 2011-2013); MA in Museology from University College London (1994), having carried out internships at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and the Natural History Museum; BA in History and Archaeology (University of Ioannina, 1992).