Team

Theodora Andreou was born in Larnaca, is a graduate of the Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies of the University of Cyprus and the Drama School ‘Vladimiros Kafkarides’. She is an actor, performer and theater facilitator. Participated in several theater productions as an actor and as a production assistant. Collaborated with Youth Makerspace Larnaca, Fibre Performing Arts, Makers Will Make, THOC, ALPHA Cyprus, NiMAC and the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. In 2019 she founded the theatrical workshop ‘Theatrola’ in Troulli, which she runs until today and aims to provide the opportunity for children of the countryside to engage in theater, arts and creative activities, developing their talents, team spirit and skills. Τeaches Theatre Workshop at the Larnaca Cultural Foundation for Children and Youth of Larnaca district. She is a member of the Cyprus Centre of Theatre for Children and Young People-Assitej Cyprus. She is involved in the development of Educational (STEAM) Toys through making and Digital Fabrication. In 2023, in collaboration with Makers Will Make, she created the educational game “Birds of Cyprus”, based on Cyprus-inspired themes and crafted with the use of rapid prototyping equipment, in combination with traditional making methods. At the same time, conducts multidisciplinary theater workshops aiming at education through “play”.

Kelly is a curator and cultural manager whose work focuses on artistic citizenship and the power of art to bring positive change in the society. She has been working for almost 20 years in international projects, capacity building and international networking, originally in the Hellenic Culture Organization – Cultural Olympiad from 2001-2004, and later as founder and director of the independent arts organization “busart”. From 2014 to 2020 she has been the Artistic Director of Eleusis 2021 (today Eleusis 2023) and since October 2022, she works as the Artistic Director of “Larnaka 2030”.

Maria Kramvi is a musician involved in community projects that promote social justice, peace building and social inclusion of minorities through music and education. Maria completed her undergraduate studies at City University of London with a major in classical percussion and continued with a postgraduate degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, specialising in percussion performance and music education. In 2022 she was named as one of four finalists in the Commonwealth Youth Awards for the Europe and Canada region, and in 2023 she was awarded the Parsons Music Advocacy Award, one of two in Europe, and has been invited to present at both the European and World Music Education Organisation’s European and World Congresses. Among other things, Maria teaches classical percussion in Cyprus’ Music Schools, participates in the TrakArt Pops Orchestra, co-founded the bi-communal initiative Rhythm of Cyprus and leads community music workshops throughout Cyprus. She is also a PhD candidate at the Open University of Cyprus, under the supervision of Professor Michalinos Zembylas, researching music education and peace education. Through music, research and action, Maria aims to create a triangle of knowledge and experience that practices and promotes peace through music in Cyprus and beyond.

Dr Costas Mannouris was born in Athens in 1976 and grew up in Larnaca. He studied, at the undergraduate and postgraduate level, biology, evolutionary ecology and history-philosophy of science in the United States. He completed his PhD in the history of biology at the University of Athens under the supervision of Professor Costas Gavroglou. He has published scientific, historical and philosophical papers and has taught at universities in the United States, Greece and Cyprus. He has received an award from the Poetry Symposium of the University of Patras, of which he has been a member since 2005, as well as the first prize for an original play from the Greek Magazine Epi skinis (2011). He has received two writing prizes by the Cyprus Theatre Awards for his plays “Tonight I will throw your ashes!” (2015) and “Our house is on fire” (2017). His plays have been staged by the Cyprus Theatre Organization and other theatrical groups (twelve so far). In 2014 he published privately a collection of poems under the title “Neutral Half”. In 2019 his book “Evening Biologies – four plays” was published by Hippasus Theatre. In 2019 he was named Artist of the Year by Skala Times magazine. In 2021 he was nominated again as artist of the year (2020) by the Cyprus Theatre Awards.

Maria is a cultural project manager, marketer, and event planner. She studied in London and holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Middlesex University and two master’s degrees in international management from Kings University and Investment Management from Cass Business School. After a five-year work experience in Athens in the banking sector she recited in her hometown Larnaca in 2011. She is the founder and director of WonderDots Ltd offering new age marketing, event planning and project services and one of the founding members of Larnaca Biennale, the biggest and most successful international art and culture event in Cyprus. Until today she is responsible for the marketing promotion, social media management and parallel events planning and coordination of Larnaca Biennale.

Maria Koumparou holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Surrey and in a Master’s degree in Social Research from the University of Edinburgh. For the last five years she has worked in the field of national and European programmes, developing competitive proposals for funding research and education projects (IDEA, Erasmus+, CERV, AMIF, Horizon, JUSTICE) as well as managing projects. During her career, she has worked with a variety of social groups at local and European level – including artists, youth groups, cultural organisations, and LGBT+ groups – with the aim to enhance their personal and professional development and their active participation in the community and society. She has developed a number of training programmes and has organised and coordinated presentations, events, training workshops and activities, and seminars. She is currently working as a Production Manager at Larnaka 2030.