CV

EDUCATION

2020 – 2024: MPhil in Performance Practice, 'Embodied Materiality in Autobiographical Performance: Performing and Staging the lived experience of Trauma through a scenographic practice', Guildhall School of Music and Drama
2009 - 2011: Devised Theatre and Performance, London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), (Lecoq based Physical Theatre Training)
2007 - 2009: MA Dramatherapy, University of Derby, School of Health and Science
2002 - 2007: BSc Educational and Social Policy, University of Macedonia, Economic and Social Sciences, Major in Special Education

SELECT ARTISTIC WORK

Opera / Music Directing

2026: Director/Librettist, Orpheus and Eurydice, Composers: Ywei Chern Goi, Efe Yuksel, Tete a Tete Opera Festival

2025: Director, Medusa, Libretto: Jess McNulty, Composer: Ywei Chern Goi, Guildhall School of Music and Drama

2023: Assistant Director, No For an Answer, Written by Marc Blitzstein, Directed by Mehmet Ergen, Arcola Theatre

2017: Stage Director, Sisyphus Distressing, Composed by Gregory Emfietzis, Performed by Metapraxis Ensemble, Otto Cafe and Iklektik

Stage Directing

2022 - 2026: Director, Electra Untitled by Vertebra Theatre, The Place, Arcola Theatre, Cockpit Theatre, Oxford Old Fire Station, Al Hamra Theatre Pakistan, El Hamra Theatre Tunis, British Arts Centre Buenos Aires, Satiriko Theatre Cyprus.

2024: Director, The Unicorn in Captivity, written by Angelika May, Bread and Roses Theatre, The Lion and Unicorn and Theatro Technis, London

2020 - '23: Director / co- Scenographer, An Ice Thing to Say by Vertebra Theatre, Cockpit Theatre, The Vault Festival, International Touring (New Zealand FF, Stockholm FF, Oslo FF).

2015 - '19: Stage Director, Dark Matter by Vertebra Theatre, Little Angel Theatre, Tristan Bates Theatre, Brighton FF, Frilagret Gothenburg

2018: Stage Director, At The Heart of Things by Vertebra Theatre, Castillo Theatre (New York, USA), Nottingham Playhouse

2018: Assistant Director, Fine and Dandy by Sue Frummin, Directed by Jonathan Richardson, Arcola Theatre

2016: Stage Director, Maggie by Richard Fitchett, 5 mins festival, Lost Theatre

Acting / Performing

2026: Dancer, Still, We continue, Choreographer: Dorian Mallia, Theatre Manoel, Dance Festival Malta

2024: Actress, The Game Opera, Composed by Elif Karlidag, Libretto by Sam Redway Wells, Directed by Leo Doulton, Tet a Tet Opera Festival

2023: Puppeteer, Handel: Aci, Galatea e Polifemo by Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin & Janni Younge, Composed by Georg Kallweit and Directed by Janni Younge, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, Germany

2022: Performer, The Court Judge by Miguel de Cervantes, Adapted by Ministry of Clowns, The Courtyard Theatre, London, UK

2022: Performer, Mixed Feelings, Libretto by Sam Redway, Composer Fatima Fonte, Milton Court Music Hall, Barbican, London, UK

2017: Performer, Luminous by Mem Morison, Spill Festival of Performance, Ipswich, UK

2017: Puppeteer, The Fishsticks, Short Film Animation, Written and Directed by Aurora Adams, Cinematography by Lee MJ Daley

2015: Puppeteer, Angeleta and Etelvina, Directed by Almudena Adalia Calvo, Little Angel Theatre, London

2024: Actress/co-Writer, The Walz of Lost Dreams, Short Film, Onassis Cultural Centre

2014: Puppeteer, Flying Roast Goose Devised by Out of Chaos and Yellow Earth, Directed by Kumiko Mendl, Oval Theatre, London

2013: Actress/Chorus, Run Away, Short Film, Directed by Kati Emma Affleck

2011: Performance Artist, Give by Leah Capaldi, David Roberts Art Foundation and Bermodsey Gallery, London

Teaching

2026: Visiting Lecturer: Electronic and Produced Music Department, Guildhall School of Music and Drama

2026: Visiting Lecturer: MA Dramatherapy, Anglia Ruskin University

2025: Visiting Lecturer: MA Creative Writing & MA Film Studies, University of Essex

2024-2025: Acting Coach, Players of Ethos Drama School

2021: Associate Lecturer: MSc Creative Computing, University of the Arts

2021: Visiting Lecturer: BA Drama, University of Roehampton

2021 - 2022: Visiting Lecturer: MFA Scenography, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

2018: Visiting Lecturer: MA Dramatherapy, University of Roehampton

Dramatherapy

2023 - 2025: Dramatherapist, Arts in Health, CNWL NHS

2018 - 2023: Psychology Placements Manager, University of Roehampton

2015 - 2018: Living Well Facilitator/Dramatherapist, Jewish Care, Elders Living with Dementias

2013 - 2014: Recovery Day Centre Manager, Hestia Housing and Support, RBKC Integrated Mental Health Service

2012 to present: Freelance Dramatherapist at Crisis UK, Age UK, RBKC Oremi/Grove MH Centres and other

2010: Assistant Dramatherapist, Introductory Level Course in Psychodramatic Bodywork, Belgrade, Serbia

2008 - 2009: Trainee Dramatherapist, TCC Camelot, HM Prison Dovegate

2008: Trainee Dramatherapist, 'Project Wolf' Supervised by Dr Sue Jennings, Brasov, Romania

2007 - 2008: Trainee Dramatherapist, Rosehill School of Autism, Nottingham, UK

PUBLICATIONS / CONFERENCES

Book Chapters

Mayra Stergiou (2023) 'The Neutral Mask and Embodied Dreamwork, spaces of containment', Space, Place and Dramatherapy, Edited by Eliza Sweeney, Published by Routledge

Research

2005 - 2006: Research Assistant, University of Macedonia / 'Helios' School for Visually Impaired, Thessaloniki, Greece

2004: Research Assistant / Project Worker: Research SW Project led by Anita Gulczynska, 'Understanding Youth from the Unpriviledged Neighbourhood in Lodz', Department of Social Pedagogy, Poland

Conferences

"A Rare Gathering" PQ23: Greek National Exhibition in PQ23 (Scenographer/Director), Curated by Maria Konomis, Eva Nathena, Sofia Pantouvaki, Andreas Skourtis, Adonis Volanakis, Constantinos Zamanis
An Ice Thing to Say case study, 'Imagine' Dramatherapy Conference 2023, Amersfoort, Netherlands
'Elders taking the Lead' Curated by Fiona Watt, World Stage Design, Calgary, Canada 2022
2021: Puppetry in Therapy and Performance: Engaging the Unspeakable in End of Life, Invited Speaker, CIRAPT, University of Roehampton
Mayra Stergiou, Applied Puppetry in Mental Health, Arts in Health Conference, Brunel University and CNWL 2019, Pratt Institute, New York
Mayra Stergiou, Applied Puppetry: Engaging the Unspeakable, Broken Puppet Conference, Newham University, Birmingham, UK
Mayra Stergiou and Anastasios Gaitanidis, Wisdom versus Desire: Embodied poetics of death and dying, Canterbury Christ University, 2017
Maria Stergiou, Puppetry and Dramatherapy for recovery, Performing the World 2014, East Side Institute, New York.
Maria Stergiou ‘Embodied Dreams and the Neutral Mask in Dramatherapy': The 6th World Congress for Psychotherapy for ‘world dreaming' (WCP2011), Sydney, Australia, 24-28 August 2011
Goudiras, D., Papadopoulos, K., Koutsoklenis, A., Papageorgiou, V. & Stergiou, M, Factors affecting the reading media used by visually impaired adults , British Journal of Visual Impairment May 2009 (27: 111-127).

SELECT TEACHING / WORKSHOPS

2024: Puppet and the Tragic Space, Theatre Deli, London, UK

2024: Creative Identities, co-facilitation: Nela Fortunato, Technourgeio, Athens, Greece

2024: Devised Theatre and Embodied Materiality, Al Balad Theatre, Amman, Jordan

2021: Object Theatre, Kulturtemple, Gothenburg, Sweden

2019: Neutral Mask and the Poetic Body, Organised by Annamuh, Budapest, Hungary

2019: Bunraku Puppetry, Frillagret Theatre, Gothenburg, Sweden

2018: Applied Puppetry, Performing the World Conference, New York, USA

2018: Intergenerational Puppetry and Embodied Imagination, Living Well Week, Arcola Theatre, London, UK

2017: Bunraku Puppetry, Claremont Project, London, UK

2017: Puppetry and Storytelling, Migration Matters Festival, Theatre Deli, Sheffield, UK

2016: Queer Identity and Physical Storytelling, co Facilitated with Angela Ciandro, The Flight Deck, Oakland, USA

2011: Introduction to Dramatherapy, co Facilitated with Elena Boukouvala, Thessaloniki, Greece

CPD

2025: Working with Autism / Neurodiversity in the Arts, CNWL NHS
2025: Working with Complex Emotional Needs Associated with PD, CNWL NHS
2024: Falling / Blending Reality, Peeping Tom, Brussels, Belgium
2023: Transfiguration and Transformation, Olivier De Sagazan, Movement Laboratory, Chalkidiki, Greece
2022: Ridicule and Transformation, Evripides Laskarides, TripSpace, London, UK
2021: Alchemy of the Extraordinary, David Glass, Athens, Greece
2021: ACT International Training, Anna Helena Mc Lean, Italy
2021: Light Design Course with Alexandros Politakis
2021: Performance Art: From Idea to Execution with Marta Jovanovic
2020: Mentorship Scheme in Scenography by SBTD, Mentor: Micheal Taylor
2019, 2020, 2021: Physical Theatre training in Theodoros Terzopoulos Method, Theatre Attis
2019: Dark Poetics and the Transcendent Performer led by David Glass, International Mime Festival
2018: Artist in Residency, Tholpavakoothoo Shadow Puppetry Institute, Kerala, India
2015, 2016: Artist in Residency, Institute de la Marrionette, France
2016: Large Scale Puppet Making, Little Angel Theatre
2015: Bunraku Puppetry Training, Theatre Deli, Rachel Warr
2014: Choreographic Theatre and Voice, Pantheatre
2014: Coordination Method with Song of the Goat, London
2012: Neutral Mask and the Poetic Body with Norman Taylor
2011: Voice in Tragedy and Chorus, Sofia Paschou, London, UK
2008: 5 Rhythms, Manchester and London, UK
2008: Psychodrama Workshops, John Casson, Machester, UK
2008: Voice in Dramatherapy, Natan Eran, London, UK
2008: Directing, Sergey Ostrenko, Malphis, Latvia.
2008: Dance Movement Therapy (30h), Devon, UK
2006: Voice Exploration, Martha Frigila, Music village, Pilio, Gr.
2005 - 2006: Professional Training in Acting, Grotowski Physical Theatre, Technourgeio, Thessaloniki, Greece
2004 - 2006 Professional Training in Systemic Group Facilitation, EKA.PSY Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece

Holistic Trainings:

2012: Reiki Level 3 Usui, Torus Wellbeing Clinic

2008: Advanced Psychodramatic Body Work, Susan Aaron, Cornwal, UK

Membership:

HCPC (Health Care Professions Council) Nr: AS15451

SBTD (Society of British Theatre Designers) Nr. 1749