PPLG 2019 Presenters

Ioannis Andronoglou holds a Ph. D. in Musicology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is considered, also, as one of the most prestigious Greek guitarists with international fame. The Italian Press characterized him as “Absolute master of his art” and the most important magazine for the guitar in USA, the “Soundboard” wrote for him: “Andronoglou is a flashy, passionate and powerful player and he takes chances”. Greek guitar soloist from Giannitsa Pella. He began his studies in classic guitar in the Municipal Conservatory of his hometown. He accomplished his first recital as well as his first collaboration as soloist with Chamber Orchestra, at the age of 13. He is graduate of Mr.Valavanis guitar class (Guitar degree - Alexandrio Municipal Conservatory of Giannitsa) and Mr. Cotsiolis guitar class (Soloist diploma – New Conservatory of Thessaloniki). Also he holds Bachelor in Music and Art Science of University of Macedonia, master degree (Magister Artium-Gitarre) of University Mozarteum-Salzburg (Prof. Matthias Seidel, Mag.art. Marco Tamayo). In November 2017, he completes his doctoral theses which is focused on the evolution of the technique and the instruction of classical guitar in Greece, with the grade “Excellent” (supervisor: Prof. Markos Tsetsos, Faculty of Music Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens). He was awarded in Hellenic and international guitar competitions and he has given numerous recitals, appearances in international festivals and associations with philharmonic orchestras in Greece and abroad, with fabulous reviews by music experts and Mass Media. Highlight of his career forms his participation as soloist, Professor and member of jury at the most prestigious Convention and Competition, worldwide, the Guitar Foundation of America which held in Columbus-Georgia (June July 2011). Martha Masters (President of the GFA), said about his performance: ‘We are very proud to have been able to expose your artistry to American audiences’. In 2010 the record label Legend Classics releases his first album Travelling. From 2014, he cooperates as a recording artist with the Cretan Record label “Seistron-Aerakis Cretan musical Workshop”. His cooperation with ‘Seistron’ is established with the republishing of his album Travelling with a bonus track and a printed edition of his works Mandilatos and Fantasia on a Thracian folksong. From 2015, he is a member of the Artistic Committee of the Volos International Guitar Festival as a recognition of his artistic achievements. He has teached guitar, Methodology of Research and Music as Public Discourse in Greek Universities. He, also participated as a lecturer in panhellenic and international symposiums, conferences and congresses. Nowadays, he is a Teaching Fellow and Postdoctoral Researcher (supervisor: Prof. Ifigeneia Vamvakidou) at the University of Western Macedonia (Department of Early Chilhood Education). Ioannis is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE POSTMODERN APPROACH TO TRADITIONAL MUSIC THEMES IN THE GUITAR REPERTOIRE AS A POINT OF INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES’

Vicky Angelidou (GR) is a dancer, choreographer and dance educator, based in between Netherlands and Greece, promoting with a full heart the love for learning and creating through movement. She holds Bachelor degree in Psychology and Dance and she holds an MA in "Performing Public Space". She is researching movement and performance that is connected with social issues and that happens in unconventional places. She teaches contemporary dance technique and improvisation and educates dancers through intensive workshops. Through an artistic research she created the interactive performance Move the Public Space (2017-18) that was presented in public spaces in Greece, Belgium and Netherlands. She co-created the performance Hear me to See you with the composer Xavier Geerman that was presented in Mariengaarde and Ateliers (Tilburg, 2018). She choreographed Crush (2017) that was presented in Die Wolke Theater (Thessaloniki), 2nd Diko mou Festival Xorou and in PK Theater (Athens), the performance Flex (2016) that was presented in 1st Diko mou Festival Xorou, in 15th Hellenic Festival of Choreographers and in the Kefallinias Theater (Athens), the video dance SKOURIES (2015) presented in 5th Athens Video Dance Project (Athens) and Dimitria Festival (Thessaloniki). She danced a Passing Through improvisation together with 34 dancers in the Contemporary Theater (Athens, 2015) and together with 69 dancers in the Municipality Theater of Corfu (2018). She collaborated with 7 dancers creating a residency in Bratislava and dancing a Passing through improvisation 11 ways to make soup (Studio 12, Bratislava, Slovakia, 2018). She choreographed the Video Dance Chromosoma (8th Athens Video Dance Project, 2019) collaborating with Sonia Kehagia. She keeps on training herself mainly in the Passing Through and Flying Low technique with David Zambrano, and she attended the EXIN one month intensive in Corfu, Greece and the PTO one month intensive in Catania, Italy. She is also influenced by the work of Depth Movement (Edivaldo Ernesto), by Gaga (Ohad Naharin), and several other compositional practices that through the years shaped her way of moving and thinking. Vicky is presenting at PPLG the performance ‘Hear me’ with Xavier Geerman, the group performance ‘Blindfly’ and the workshop: ‘Blind Constant Movement’.

I hold a BA, MA and PhD in English Literature, Sociolinguistics and Applied Linguistics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and the University of Bristol, UK. I have taught in Higher Education and Secondary Education in Greece. I have also worked as a Headteacher in Lifelong Learning Highschools. I have been a member of the CREOLE research group at University of Bristol (2007-2012). I have organized research conferences and presented in many Linguistics conferences in Greece and abroad. My publications include linguistics and adult education topics. Suzana is co-presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘The intercultural identity of contemporary educational reality’

A graduate of Anna Petrova Professional Dance School in Athens, Greece ,the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance( Trainee and Teaching Certification programs) and the Dance Education Laboratory of the 92nd street Y Harkness Dance Center in NYC She taught in these and other schools performed and stage managed dance productions in Greece and NYC She received the L.O.D.®( Language of Dance ) notation Certificate .She had collaborated with the Fridays at Noon program at the 92nd street Y Harkness Dance Center and was a presenter at the 6th annual NDEO( National Dance |education Organization )2005 in NY ,the SDHS/Cord International Conference 2015in Athens, the PPLG 2018 in Thessaloniki and the Borders, Boundaries and margins Conference at Dance days 8 ,2018 in Chania, Crete She taught for a decade Contemporary dance, creative movement, Choreology and improvisation classes at Veria Dance School and Hestia Mouson Conservatory in Naoussa .She is an examiner in Dance for the International Baccalaureate from 2008 and an organizing committee member and a collaborator with the Dance Days Festival in Chania from 2014 Currently she is the head of the dance division at the Kozani Art High School, a collaborator with Synkinisi Dance Studio in Chania and an Outreach group member for PPLG 2019. Aphrodite is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Playful movement "toy" stories’.

Atalanti has worked in theatre in both the UK and Greece and is now based in Athens where she has works as a dramatherapist. She has run dramatherapy groups with individuals with learning disabilities, the elderly, abused women, immigrants, drug addicts and psychiatric patients. She has also taught at the Hellenic American Educational Foundation and has conducted many empowerment seminars. Atalandi is co-founder and co-ordinator of "Village Psy : Encounters in Psychotherapy" an annual five-day meeting of psychotherapies in Greece now in its fourth year. She is also certified member of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth), the Panhellenic Professional Association of Dramatherapy and Playtherapy (PPADP)and the Hellenic Theatre Drama and Education Network. Atalanti is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘VILLAGE PSY (Ψ): Community, Nature and Psychotherapy : A close encounter’.

Francesco Argenio Benaroio is a social theatre practitioner, IT engineer, project manager. He has lived and worked in various contexts, for the United Nations, ILO, European Commission, private sector, schools and for NGOs and grassroots organizations around the globe, as trainer, teacher and as project manager for the empowerment and dialogue of various communities. He facilitated social theatre processes in Greece, Hungary, Italy, Colombia, India, Nepal, Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. He is the founder and director of "ANAMUH – Arts for Dialogue" (www.anamuh.org), coordinating social theatre processes, training courses and communitarian performances. Francesco is deeply committed in the transformative power of theatre and arts, as means for personal healing, social change, (re)humanization, peace and dialogue between human beings and cultures. Francesco is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘PARTICIPATORY THEATRE FOR DIALOGUE AMONG POLARITIES’.

Gopal Aryal (officially BHAWANI ARYAL) is an actor, director and social theatre practitioner based in Nepal. He is using theatre as tool for children, youth and women empowerment, social transformation and education in Nepal since 2007. Gopal is true devotee of the theatre and a true artist. He loves theatre and has unique capacity for transmitting that love to others. Gopal has conducted over hundred theatre workshops and has directed many social theatre performances during his working period. Gopal's works in the field of psychosocial healing and community integration in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake and in Italy for earthquake survivors are also remarkable. He has also facilitated "Theatre for Social Healing" workshop in Amsterdam and Alaska. Gopal is now on a journey to establish an international hub/centre for social theatre practitioners in Nepal. Gopal is presenting at PPLG the workshop ‘Theatre for social healing- intro’ with Uri Noy Meir

Maša Avramović is interested in the question how can we create spaces to enable conversation, experimentation and co-creation between children and adults and invite them both to study and create the world. Re-thinking and re-inventing children’s participation in education and culture gives the frame for her work in different context – from pre-schools and museum to local communities and refugee camps. She is a pedagogue, PhD student at Södertörn University in Sweden and founder of C31-Center for Creating a Culture of Children’s Rights in Serbia. Maša is presenting at PPLG the parallel session: ’CHILD-LIKE CAPACITY FOR PLAYFUL EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD – AN INVITATION FOR ‘LIFE-FULL’ PEDAGOGY’

Joschka Köck, Participatory theatre maker with TdU Wien, Austria. PhD Student, Political Science, Universität Kassel, Germany. „Global Theatre Movements as Spiritual Activism for Socio-ecological Transformation“. Joschka will present at PPLG the project presentation: ‘RESILIENT REVOLT - A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH EXPERIENCE’.

Elena Boukouvala is a dramatherapist (ΜΑ), counsellor of children and young people (MA) psychologist, researcher and community organizer. She is faculty of East Side Institute (New York) and Epineio Institute (Thessaloniki). She founded PPLG in 2017 in collaboration with East Side Institute and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the support of the international community responding to the dehumanizing conditions of the refugee camps and wanting to build with the alienation new communities. As dramatherapist, trainer, performance activist and artist, she has worked in schools, hospitals, prisons, rehabilitation wards, elderly homes, refugee camps and other community settings in collaboration with social initiatives and international organizations in Greece, UK, Romania, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Moldova, Lebanon, Algeria (Western Sahrawi camps) and USA. She has also created trainings and consultancies cooperating with organizations such as the International Organization for Migration. She has founded the international interactive exhibition ‘Dialogues Across Borders’ (DAB) which builds on poetry and art of the participants creating opportunities for dialogue and intercultural exchange in response to the refugee crisis. DAB has travelled around the world in refugee camps, universities, conferences and galleries. She is currently working as a therapist, teacher and facilitator. Elena is the artistic director of PPLG. She is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘DIALOGUES ACROSS BORDERS: A TRAVELLING EXHIBITION’

Eva Brenner, Ma. Mag. Art., Ph. D., is a political theater artist with focus on experimental theater, performance art, political and community theater. She is also a cultural reporter for independent magazines, and a long standing theater scholar trained in Vienna and New York (NYU, Ph.D. under R. Schechner). Since 1991 she has been running her own theater company PROJECT THEATER/ FLEISCHEREI_mobil in Vienna/Austria, and has directed widely as well as lectured and given workshop throughout Europe, Israel, the US and China. Her book on independent theater in Austria appeared in 2013 (ADJUSTMENT OR RESISTANCE). Eva's new book entitled DARING THE BREAK, Texts by and about Peter Kreisky, appeared in April 2019 (mandelbaum, Vienna). She is a member of the editorial board of the left progressive monthly magazine Volksstimme (Austria) where she regularly writes about arts, culture, and cultural politics. Eva will present at PPLG the project presentation: “The Utopia Project“ – from the performing change cycle 2019! and the workshop: “The Utopia Project“ – “6 Viewpoints of Performance”

Emma Brown is an award-winning portrait and humanitarian photographer and an associate artist at Olive Branch Arts. Over 9 years she has been documenting their creative and therapeutic work, run PhotoVoice photography trainings and mentored a group of young refugee photographers in the Sahrawi Refugee Camps. Last year Emma begun facilitating workshops for Play for Progress and has recently tutored at and documented their first residential. She has also co-facilitated the first ‘PhotoAct’ intensive in Hungary for Anamuh Arts which brings together PhotoVoice and Theatre-of-the-Oppressed methodologies, in a training for Youth Workers from all over Europe who work with young people at risk of social exclusion in their home countries. Emma is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE FREEDOM PROJECT’.

Ellen Foyn Bruun is Associate Professor of Drama and Theatre at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU. She has a professional background as stage director, playwright/dramaturge and drama educator from various contexts. Ellen likes to teach and conduct research through a combination of practice and theory. At NTNU she teaches theatre production, applied theatre and dramatherapy. Her research centres on drama- and theatre-based action methods, their applications and impact. She is a trained dramatherapist and an Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework who has published articles and book chapters in English, German and Norwegian. For several years she has participated actively in Nordic and international networks where arts and health are focus, within dramatherapy and voicework. Some recurring questions she asks are: How do we stage ourselves? What kind of powers are at stake? How do we facilitate and organize arts processes that create new meaning, good health and have societal relevance? Ellen is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘UNPACKING UNHEARD VOICES THROUGH PARTICIPATORY DRAMA’.

Jorge lives in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is the Coordinator of the undergraduate program of Pedagogy at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional del Estado de Chihuahua (UPNECH). Has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education and a Masters in Community Education, also has the training in Social Therapy by the East Side Institute of New York. He has more than 20 years of experience working with NGO’s. He is a founding member of the Fred Newman Center for Social Therapy in Ciudad Juárez where the practice of Social Therapy is taking place with different groups, such as students, teachers, young people, parents and NGO members in order to build community in different ways of also developing personal growth. In 2017 Performing Communities the Esperanza Coalition was born on the US-Mexico Border. With the collaboration with the Institute of Improvisation and Social Action (ImprovISA) based in El Paso Texas, Jorge participated in this process as a founding member. Links: • The Fred Newman Center in Juárez: http://centrofrednewman.org/ • Performing Communities de Esperanza Coalition: https://www.performingesperanza.org/ Jorge will present at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Human Development and Innovation at the Border Mexico-USA’

Adam Charvatis is a narrative therapist, psychologist, MSc of School Psychology and Doctor of Psychology. He is the scientific coordinator of the Institute for Narrative Therapy and Community Work (Greece). He is the coordinator in Greece of the narrative therapy training program of Dulwich Centre of Australia, the educational-therapeutic centre which created Narrative Therapy. He is also a trainer in narrative therapy and co-initiator of the program “Popular School of Psychology” He works as a counselor – therapist for adults, children and groups since 2000. He has worked as a psychologist in a Prevention Centre for Drugs for many years and he is also a school psychologist in schools for pupils with special needs. He has been a founder member and participated in several voluntary initiatives for social and mental health issues, some of which are the Voluntary Group for Disability and the Self-Education Network for Psychology. Furthermore, he has taught courses on School Psychology and Counseling Psychology in four Greek universities and has six scientific publications. www.narrativetherapy.gr

Εκπαιδευτικό Τριήμερο: Αφηγηματική θεραπεία με ζευγάρια και οικογένειες

Pianist CharalamposTsinikosmaoglou was born in Farsala in 1979. He began his musical studies at the age of 7 at the conservatory of Farsala. He has studied in Dimitris Dimopoulos’sConcervatory in Kozani and the Department of Music Science and Art, University of Macedonia. Among his influencial teachers were: Kostis Gaitanos, George Chantzinikos, Paul Badura – Skoda, Yonty Solomon, Lola Totsiou, Murray McLachan, Eduard Zilderkant, DionisisMalouchos and Dimitris Demopoulos. He has appeared in solo recitals and chamber music concerts in cities of Greece and the US. He was a member of experimental, post rock, post punk band 2L8. He works as a piano teacher at D.Demopoulos Concervatory. Since 2005 he works as a high school music teacher and since 2018 as piano accompanist at Kozani Arts School. Charalampos will present at PPLG the PIANO RECITAL “...SONGS SUCH AS NO RADIO…”

Kennedy C Chinyowa is a Research Professor in the Department of Drama and Film Studies at Tshwane University of Technology. He is also the Director of the Centre for Creative Industries in the Faculty of the Arts at the same university. He was the Head of Department for the Drama Division at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa (2011 – 2013) and also in the Department of Drama and Film Studies at TUT (2018). He has published extensively in accredited journals and chapters in books. Kennedy is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Subverting the politics of otherness through play : An applied theatre case study.’

Michael Clemons, an American residing in Tokyo, has over 17 years of investment banking experience in Asia, having worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan. Having held various Chief Operating Officer roles over the years in both the financial sector as well as philanthropy institutions, Michael has broad experience in Equities, Human Resources, Strategy, Governance, Audit as well as Information Technology. Having lived and worked in Japan over the last 26 years, Michael has dedicated the last 6 years working in philanthropy groups, the current role being a middle person between Investors and NPOs and Social Enterprises in relation to their funding requirements. Prior to this, Michael worked with Nomura International (Hong Kong), Barclays Capital (Japan), CLSA Credit Lyonnais Securities (Tokyo) and West LB Securities Pacific, Ltd(Tokyo) where he assumed the roles of Chief Operating Officer/Operations Director. Michael graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree and speaks fluent Japanese and conversant in Spanish. Michael is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘VIRTUAL SPIRALS CONNECTING THE UNCONNECTED AND EMPOWERING THEM WITH TECHNOLOGY’

Suna Christensen is anthropologist, ph.d., writer, researcher and consultant in education. Fieldwork based research in education as cultural concept and vital to a sustainable world. Suna, Helle and Elina are co-presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NOTION OF SCHOOL – AGAINST HOMOGENEITY, NORMALITY AND CONTROL’.

Martina Čurdová is a theatre director, performer, lecturer and drama therapist. She studied Creative Drama and Alternative Theatre at Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic. After she explored various forms of community and social theatre, studying in Barcelona, Spain and at Centro de Teatro do Oprimido in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has been working with communities in Latin America, Africa and Europe, applying theatre as a tool of personal liberation and social transformation. Martina works mainly with communities in need of support, using diverse techniques ranging from documentary devised theatre to social circus. Martina is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘THEATRE AS A SPACE OF TRANSFORMATION: CZECH-GERMAN TRANSBORDER EXPERIENCE’.

David was a founding member and Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Theatre for Living, formerly Headlines Theatre from 1981 to 2018, when he devolved the theatre company and stared to work independently. David has directed many hundreds of projects throughout Canada, the US and Europe, as well as in Namibia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, Palestine and Singapore on issues of violence, addiction, mental health, legacy of Residential Schools, reconciliation, homelessness and climate change to name just some. He has pioneered the development of live, interactive Forum television and web casting. David is visiting Faculty at the UNESCO Peace Studies Program in Austria, and also Visiting Theatre Director at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta. He has many theatre and human rights awards, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Fraser Valley. His award-winning book, Theatre for Living: the art and science of community-based dialogue came out in German under the title Theater Zum Leben in 2012, in Spanish in 2019 and is coming in Farsi. David is presenting at PPLG the screening: ‘šxʷʔam̓ət (home) SCREENING & DISCUSSION ABOUT RECONCILIATION’.

Victor Dragoș, is an artist and cultural manager based in Timișoara, Romania. He has a BA in Performance Arts – acting from The National University of Theater and Cinema in Bucharest (2008) and an MA in Film and Visual Studies from Queen’s University Belfast, UK (2009). He is co-founder of Solidart Association, Timisoara Refugee Art Festival and in : v z b l festival. His artistic work consists mainly of experimental theater, forum theater (Theater of the Oppressed), installations and conceptual art. He was the artistic director of Timisoara Refugee Art Festival (2017 – 2018) and of in : v z b l festival (2019 - ) and runs a theater studio and community center called Basca – space for solidarity and action through Solidart. His main interests are: social justice, solidarity, dignity, vulnerable groups, politics and relationships of power, environment and climate crisis. Victor will present at PPLG: ‘PLATFORMS OF EXPRESSION AND SOLIDARITY NETWORKS”

Maria Drakaki is a Primary School Teacher and a Kindergarten Teacher. She has master diploma of the Cultural Management and she is PhD candidate in the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of Aegean.She has been working as a Head Teacher in Primary Schools of Chania since 2002 up to 2012. Nowadays she is working as a School Advisor for Primary School Education in Heraklion at Regional Education Directorate of Crete. Her studies in the pedagogical department (“MARIA AMARIOTOU”) of the University of Crete focus on the humanistic approach. This program, combined with a ten years education in the MELINA project: Education and Culture, has lead her in a continued development of arts and culture in school life, through simple pedagogical activities in everyday school life and has given her the experience to plan educational material and to participate in European programs like Comenius, Grundtvig and ERASMUS+. She is also trainer to the National Book Center and to the New Courses of curriculums in the scientific field ART AND CULTURE. She has been a founding member of the School Life Museum (which under the responsibility of the Prefecture of Chania since 2006 and today under the responsibility of the Municipality of Chania), a member of the Administration Committee and President of Friends Association of School Life Museum. She had also the title of ambassador of the European action Teachers4Europe in Crete for Primary Education since 2013 up today . This action was based on idea of the Delegation of the European Commission in Greece. Finally she has participated on strategy building team (member of Scientific Committee of Municipality of Heraklion for education , lifelong learning and innovation) and she has also organized work shops for adults inspired of cultural heritage as en expert for the UNESCO network “THE LEARNING CITIES” on the occasion of the inclusion of the city of Heraklion in the network. Maria is co-presenting at PPLG the project: ‘“ΕXPRESION AND CREATION DAYS” OF TEACHERS4EUROPE NETWORK IN CRETE’

Guy Elhanan has recently completed his MFA at the practice based program of the Tel Aviv University. His final project, a bilingual Arabic Hebrew play dealing with suicide patterns in Israel /Palestine, was censored by the ministry of culture after being accepted by the Akko festival for alternative theatre. He completed his acting training and BA at the Seine Saint-Denis University (Paris 8) in France, and scenography studies at the Jacques Lecoq school. Guy is an active actor, director, playwright, lecturer, teacher and translator in contemporary Palestinian and Israeli theatre and cinema for over ten years, specializing in the transitions between Hebrew and Arabic, the dynamics between the occupier’s language and the occupied language. Based in Haifa city. Guy is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘bullets vs stones as arousers of imagination - theatre practice in Racial segregation’.

Claudia Fertino, alias ClaudiTa Fanni Fertino is a Postmodern Alchimist and a Theater Improv Facilitator passionate about storytelling, myths, symbols and body mouvement. She born in the esoteric town of Turin in Italy and she lives between Greece, Italy and New York where She got passionately involved with the East Side Institute in New York. The Institute implemented and constantly develop her previous years of training with Isaac Alvarez from the School of Jacque Le Coq in Paris the gestalt approach to theater training developed by the Istituto Teatrale Europeo in Rome and her Commedia dell’Arte roots. In her workshops, She blend theatrical improvisation, tools from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, techniques from Theater of Oppressed of Augusto Boal and symbolic - cathartic experiences with Mask and Tarot to foster human development especially woman leadership. From 2018 she is Associate of the East Side Institute. She is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘ALCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE: TRANSFORMING OUR LIMITING SOCIAL MASKS’.

Rosina Eleni Filippidou, started as a professional dancer and dance teacher. Acquired her BSc (Hons) in Psychology and MSc in Psychological Research Methods from The Open University and a PGdip in Drama and Movement Therapy from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. She is also a certified EMDR therapist. As a psychotherapist, she has worked in private therapeutic centers, psychiatric hospitals, centers for rehabilitation of people with learning difficulties and shelters for children and adolescents at risk. The last two years she worked as a psychologist at the psychiatric ward of the General Hospital of Thessaloniki Ippokrateio. She has participated with oral presentations and workshops, in numerous European and National conferences and has published articles referring to the importances of arts in therapy. She now works as a psychotherapist in her two private offices, in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece). She is the manager and scientific coordinator of the Institute for Therapy and Education Through Arts EPINEIO. Rosina Eleni is presenting at PPLG the workshop:’ “THE WHITE BIRD”, A QUEST FOR INDIVIDUATION WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS - WORKING WITH DRAMA AND MOVEMENT THERAPY’ and the project presentation: ‘DRAMA AND MOVEMENT THERAPY - EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES’.

Alyson Frazier received her MA (First Class Honours with Distinction) in Flute Performance and LRAM teaching degree from the Royal Academy of Music after graduating Magna Cum Laude from North-western University as a student of music and political science. As a musician she has worked for the BBCCO, LSO x London Jazz Festival, LPO Sound Journeys, and Aurora Orchestra among others, and is a founding member of contemporary music group Ensemble x.y. As a volunteer and researcher, she has worked in refugee camps at various stages of settlement, from long-established communities of Burmese refugees in Thailand and partially settled communities in Athens, to the incredibly transient hub of Calais. In 2013 Alyson worked in Shey, Ladakh in Northern India where she developed and explored educational tools and programmes that lead to the creation of the Play for Progress model. She strives to combine her passions in socially impactful work and, as such, is determined to expand the community of allies vulnerable young people have to rely on and unite the arts industry in solidarity with and celebration of our resilient and vibrant global community. Alyson Frazier is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Surviving vs. Thriving: Engaging creatively & therapeutically with young survivors’

Mary Fridley is pro-bono Director of Special Projects at the East Side Institute (Institute) in NYC and an accomplished teacher and workshop leader. She practiced social therapy for 12 years and continues to use the social therapeutic approach as an Institute faculty member. Mary co-leads two popular workshop series, “The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding)” and “Laughing Matters”, for people of all ages and life circumstances across the country. She was featured in a February 2019 Washington Post article, “Changing ‘the tragedy narrative’: Why a growing camp is promoting a more joyful approach to Alzheimer.” Mary is also a playwright and theater director and works as a non-profit fundraising consultant. Mary is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Creating a New Performance of Dementia: The Joy of Creating an Improvised Life’.

Dan Friedman is the artistic director and co-founder of the Castillo Theatre as well as the associate dean of UX, a free community-based school of continuing development for people of all ages, both programs of the All Stars Project in New York City. He also serves on the faculty of the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy and is a lead organizer of Performing the World, a bi-annual conference that brings together performance activists, artists and scholars from all over the world. A playwright, director, and grassroots educator, Friedman holds a doctorate in theatre history from the University of Wisconsin and has been active in political theatre and performance activism since the 1960s. He is the author or co-author of 17 full-length plays and is editor of The Cultural Politics of Heiner Muller (Cambridge Scholars Press); Still on the Corner and Other Post-Modern Political Plays by Fred Newman (Castillo); and co-editor of Theatre for Working Class Audiences in the US, 1830-1980 (Greenwood Press). He is currently working on a new book for Palgrave Macmillan, Performance, Human Development and Social Change: Creating Community Creativity. Dan Friedman will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE BEING AND BECOMING OF PERFORMANCE ACTIVISM’.

Paola was born with a coupe de théâtre in an Opel Kadett in 1989, predicting her future of theatre performer and traveller. After a degree in History of Arts and a diploma in Drama School, she decide to specialize in Social and Community Theatre methodology at Università Cattolica, and Anthropology of Migration, Università Bicocca, Milan. She starts working as Social and Community Theatre (SCT) Centre expert in international cooperation projects, such as Illegal Migration: a possible alternative and #100%Plastic in Ethiopia, projects of CIFA NGO, Turin, founded by AICS; Lyonet and Tale, project of Dora e Pajtimit, Albania, founded by europian union. She works as a performer and singer in contemporary theatre projects and urban performances (with STRASSE, DOM, TeatrInGestAzione) and she put her skills of director and trainer at the service of different areas of expertise: social inclusion, youth engagement, team building, community empowerment, coaching. She believes in human relations, peaceful communication and cultural revolution. Paola is presenting at PPLG the parallel session: ‘YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THEATRE AND COMMUNITY EVENTS IN ETHIOPIA’.

Juan David Garzón is a musician, music educator and a project development consultant with key focus on social integration of at-risk communities and children including refugees. He focuses on creating a positive impact on people through the communication and team dynamics found in music. His work started in Colombia at the Pontificia Javeriana University as a teacher and researcher for the arts department where he directed the popular music area of the Youth Music Program from 2004 to 2012. Today, he is still connected to the university as a guest lecturer at the Music Formation Methodologies program for music educators. Later he underwent Music Management studies in Norway and Creative Industries / Event Management studies in Germany where he subsequently worked as youth programs director for Tontalente, a nonprofit organization focused on cultural integration through music for refugee kids and young adults in Lübeck, Germany, where he also managed, conducted and composed for the Children’s District Orchestra of Eichholz. He is currently living in The Netherlands doing music creation combining Middle Eastern, European and Latin-American cultures and as an advisor for creative projects in the development and incubation phase, helping creative individuals and organizations in the field of the arts, education, social impact and creative industries to connect the dots and find new ways of turning ideas into projects. Juan is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE INTUITIVE ORCHESTRA - COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH MUSICAL IMPROVISATION’.

Janet Gerson (Ed.D.), Education Director, International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE); former Co-Director, Peace Education Center, Teachers College, Columbia University; long-time collaborator with the Morton Deutsch International Center on Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR). 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Association. 2014 Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) Award for her dissertation Public Deliberation on Global Justice: The World Tribunal on Iraq. Other publications include contributions to Exploring Betty A. Reardon's Perspective on Peace Education: Looking Back, Looking Forward (Ed., Snauwaert), In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice, The Handbook of Conflict Resolution (Eds., Coleman, Deutsch, & Marcus), GCPE Newsletter, Learning to Abolish War: Teaching toward a Culture of Peace (Reardon & Cabezudo), Theory into Practice, Analysis of Social Issues and Public Policy, and Holistic Education. Editorial Board, In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice; Co-Editor, 2017 Special Edition, In Factis Pax, “Peace Building in Post-Conflict Contexts”. TOPLAB facilitator since 1997, studied and worked in Theater of the Oppressed with Augusto Boal, Claire Picher, and Julian Boal. Formerly, choreographer and Director, Dance Stream, Inc., a community-based organization that produced over fifty professional and children’s dance performances, free outdoor arts festivals, and community television programs. In conjunction with the American Dance Guild, she co-organized collective Choreographers Showcases. A political theorist and peace educator, her research focuses are democratizing justice, nonviolence, moral foundations for rethinking political institutions, public deliberation, dialogue and community-building, creativity and conflict processes, peace pedagogy. Her current activism takes the forms of generating small groups for innovative thinking, relating, community-building, and creating. Janet will present at PPLG the parallel session: ‘Transforming Injustice Through Theater of the Oppressed’ and the workshop: ‘Re-writing the Story: Move, Reflect, Write’.

Giannis Giaples studied dance at the State School of Dance and continued at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance obtaining a Diploma in Dance Theatre. He also obtained a BA in Drama and Theatre Arts from the University of Nafplio, Department of Fine Arts, and a Diploma in Reflexology from the School of Natural Health Science. As a performer, he became member of Transitions Dance Company (UK) and was a fundamental member in Dimitris Papaioannou’s contemporary dance company “Omada Edafus” (Greece), for 12 years. He was also a fundamental member and coordinator in the choreographical team for the Olympic Games Ceremonies in Athens (2004). Concerning his involvement with community dance, he was Head of the Dance Department of the Melina Project-Education and Culture, structuring workshops of community and educational dance purposes to primary school teachers, for more than 10 years. Since 2006 he is the owner of the dance space “Horos” in Athens (Greece), providing various artistic, educational and therapeutic classes and workshops mainly concerning yoga, meditation and movement. He also gives supplementary therapies such as reflexology, acupuncture and other energy treatments. Giannis is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘DANCING WITH EMPATHY’.

I have a degree in Physics from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece. I continued with a Master degree in Applied Physics from the University of Crete and with a Ph.D. in Physics (microelectronics) from the University of Rennes I, France. My Ph.D. research was done in the research laboratories of France Telecom in Lannion. The last 20 years I teach in secondary education in Greece and from 2011 to 2018 I was principal of high schools in Heraklion, Crete. From September 2018 I am coordinator of science education in the region of Crete-Greece. My interests include innovative teaching methods, inquiring learning and the use of ICTs in the classroom. I have also a second Master’s degree in Adults Education from the Open University of Cyprous and I am coauthor in more than 60 articles in physics and education. I speak English, French and German and I participated in several national and European research and educational projects. Athina is co-presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Εxpression and Creation Days” of Teachers4Europe Network’.

Marianna is a clinical psychologist, dance therapist, psychoanalyst and pedagogically Responsible in North Greece of International Dance Therapy Education "DRLST" (Danse Rythme Lien Social et Thérapie). She also works privately with individual and families. Marianna is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘DIVERSITY AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN ART AND THERAPY: A WORKSHOP OF DRAMATHERAPY AND DANCE THERAPY’

Jeff Gordon comes from a background in Ccommunity/Social theatre, Clowning and Dramatherapy and has lived and worked in Israel and the UK ,with a wide range of populations and settings. He was one of the key figures behind the development of medical/therapeutic clowning in Israel and in his capacity as Project Director of the Organisation of Medical Clowns in Israel, trained hundreds of students providing them with the tools for volunteering both in hospitals and in the community, orphanages ,elderly homes and in schools for special education. He has also co-developed a Clown therapy program based on Dramatherapy and Clowning techniques for recovering drug addicts gamblers and alcoholics, a program recognised and funded by the Ministry of Social Welfare in Israel. In the last few years Jeff has set up Happiness Training for educating and training people to be emotionally healthier in four key areas, personal development ,health, education and in the workplace He has presented his work on connecting to the role of the Clown, at a number of Laughter conferences, Psychology Conventions in the 1st Applied Positive Psychology Conference in Warwick University,at the British Dramatherapy Association's annual conference and at the Houston University in Texas, where he was invited back to train the social work faculty in the implementation of the Clown role in their professional work. Jeff is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘CONNECTING TO THE PARADOXICAL ROLE OF THE CLOWN’.

Valerie Green has been an active dancer, choreographer, and teacher in the New York City dance community since 1995. After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Madison and studying as one of the Erick Hawkins school’s last pupils, Green sought a platform for her own innovative movement style and artistic vision. She founded Valerie Green/Dance Entropy in 1998. To date, Green has created 38 dances including 9 evening-length works, all of which incorporate forms of original production, musical composition, innovative set design or new media. Her choreography has been presented extensively throughout New York City at venues and events including: Danspace Project @ St. Mark's Church, Wave Hill, Queens Museum, La Mama Moves Festival, Joyce Soho, Movement Research at Judson Church, Chashama, Mulberry St. Theater, Dance Now at Dance Theater Workshop, Center for Performance Research, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, University Settlement, the 92nd St. Y, Hunter College, Context, The Flea, Cunningham Studio, Dixon Place, Hudson Guild Theater, LaGuardia Performing Art Center, Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Theater for the Riverside Church, Queens Theater, Triskelion Arts Center, Flux Factory, Queens Botanical Garden, Socrates Sculpture Park, Dorsky Gallery, Voelker Orth Museum, Mannes College, Dance New Amsterdam, St. Sava Cathedral, Museum of the City of New York, the NYC Department of Transportation's Car Free Earth Day and Green Space. Internationally, Green has toured to Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Canada, Croatia, France, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia and Cuba both as VG/DE’s artistic director and an individual teaching and performing artist. She has been featured on Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast and invited to participate as a distinguished guest moderator, panelist and committee member in culture programs across the city. As a teacher, Green has integrated classical modern technique with her own somatic based movement practice to develop an individualized style called Dance Your Frame. She also leads series of movement workshops for non-dance populations rooted in the philosophy that all bodies can benefit from dance. Whether it’s working with the professional or aspiring dancer or leading workshop and performance residencies for trauma survivors, senior citizens, persons with disabilities or at-risk youth, Green fosters creativity and physicality beyond the stage. In order to provide VG/DE a permanent company home and root her outreach programs in the community, Green founded a studio in Long Island City in 2005. Green Space is an unparalleled dance hub in Queens, providing performance opportunities for choreographers, classes for beginners and professionals and space rental for doers of all backgrounds. At Green Space, artists and community members alike hone their craft and experiment in a warm, welcoming environment that’s wholly devoted to dance. Valerie is presenting at PPLG the performance ‘EVERYTHING’.

Malcolm is a founding member of Mufti Games. For years he was an actor, playing on stages and screens, being characters from Peter Pan to 188 188. He voiced a car, read storybooks in Geordie and flew around the world filming beer adverts. On moving to Bristol he started making his own shows and wouldn’t let it go. In 2017 he received a Leverhulme Scholarship from Bristol Old Vic to develop his practice around play. He studied play online with the University of Sheffield and started experimenting with play in different contexts. Malcolm loves playing imaginary games with his son; running in the woods, and his favourite board game is still backgammon. Malcolm is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop and the project presentation: ‘I’VE GOT A PIECE OF CHALK IN MY POCKET AND I’M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT: PLAYFUL INTERVENTIONS IN PUBLIC AND #ONEPLAYTHING’.

Magoa Hanke is a queer feminist artist and academic, deeply in love with theory, the body, arts and activism. In Magoa's performances and workshops s*he is blending theater, dance and drag with storytelling and creative writing to address topics of anti-discrimination. S*he is following an intersectional approach, rooted in a Gender Studies background and years of opening spaces, where people with and without experience of flight or migration can start a dialogue. Magoa is working for universities, schools, NGOs and communities. www.magoa.eu, www.tdu-wien.at Magoa will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘SHADOW THEATRE: THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED, SHADOW THEATRE AND QUEER- FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES’.

Prof. Peter Harris, Chair of the Theatre Studies Dept. at Western Galilee academic college in the multicultural town of Akko, Israel also lecturer and acting and improvisation instructor at Tel Aviv University Theatre arts dept. I am particularly concerned with “Inter/ multi - cultural dialogue in the dramatic space” and the way in which this practice impacts people and can change attitudes and the ability to contain and empathize with other people’s lives, beliefs and histories. I have been fortunate to have acquired international experience and expertise in the application of theatre practices and performance for empowering human rights issues, dialogue in conflicted communities, relations in the work place, prisoner, sex workers and substance user rehabilitation. Peter is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘MURDEROUSLY FUNNY - How humour in the dramatic space, helps to process the threatening reality of serious crimes, in a student-prisoner intergroup contact situation.’

From a very early age I became fascinated with movement. Movement, became my voice, as a child, creating a refuge and sanctuary, when everything else around me, didn’t make sense and towards the end of my mother’s life, movement was a way for the whole family to communicate with my her, when words, failed to be understood. I was a very shy growing up, but loved finding expression in playing roles, so looking back it was not a surprise that I became an actor and still love improvising to this day. I am in a professional theatre group, that uses Playback, a form of Improvisational Theatre, where people share their stories, moments, feelings, dreams, within a public arena, and also within closed settings: mental health, refugees and asylum seekers, Womens’ groups, young people and learning disabilities It is both healing and can reveal hidden treasures, when a story is witnessed. I have brought this form of improvisation together with movement in workshops, and it has been an amazing journey witnessing all the many stories and how deep this process has taken dancers. My journey then took be to explore movement and theatre together, becoming a dramatherapist, which I use now, within the homeless sector, working with clients who have undergone homelessness and have addictions with drug and alcohol.. And finally taking me on unexpected paths, in becoming a 5Rhythms teacher (2011) and then Soul Motion Teacher (2017), both different conscious movement practices. Both are different creative inquiries, where we bring our loving and curious attention and creative focus into movement. It has informed my practice, allowing me to find a deep listening within, listening to my breath, my heart, my rhythm, where my movement externalises to sometimes meet with the beat of the music and other times, not. It has encouraged me to listen, to slow down, to connect with myself, others, each other and with spirit. I know for each of us, meeting our soul we would describe this in different ways, but for me, these practices have enabled me to come home and say hello to my soul, every so often.. my movement is: my soul in motion. Ruth is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THREADS OF CONNECTION’.

Trained as a developmental psychologist and psycholinguist, Lois Holzman has chosen to live her life as an activist who uses her academic background and experience to organize people—as individuals and communities—to participate in creating their development and in so doing, to create hope and new possibilities. She founded the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy in the 1980s with philosopher and therapist Fred Newman. Over the decades the Institute has grown into an international educational, training and research center for Social Therapeutics and other alternatives to the natural science-medical model of psychology, psychotherapy and education (www.eastsideinstitute.org). She is also the chair of the biannual conference ‘Performing The World’ (www.performingtheworld.org) happening in New York since 2001. Much of her work is building partnerships that bring the best of grassroots practices into conversation with the most innovative of academic scholarship, and giving support to community educators and activists worldwide in their efforts to make the world more humane. Among her books are Vygotsky at Work and Play; Psychological Investigations: A Clinician’s Guide to Social Therapy; The End of Knowing: A New Developmental Way of Learning; and the forthcoming The Overweight Brain: How Our Obsession with Knowing Keeps Us From Getting Smart Enough to Make a Better World. She blogs at loisholzman.org, Psychology Today, and Mad in America. Lois is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘PLAYING WITH PHILOSOPHY: EXPOSING THE LIES THAT BIND US’

Giulia Innocenti Malini is a researcher in the Department of Communication and Performing Arts at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan Italy, where she is also professor of the workshop “Drama and performance” in the Faculty of Political and Social Science and coordinator of the higher education course for “Facilitator of social and community theatre.” She has over 30 years of experience as social theatre facilitator and trainer in various contexts such as schools, psychiatric institutions, prisons and local communities. Her most recent publications concern social theatre, theatre in prison, mimesis and dramaturgic play in childhood. Giulia is presenting at PPLG the parallel session: ‘THE TIPICI NETWORK (TRANSFORMATION-PARTICIPATION-COMMUNITY): A NEW EXPERIENCE OF PERFORMATIVE COOPERATION AMONG ARTISTIC, SOCIAL AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATIONS WITH SOCIO-POLITICAL OBJECTIVES IN MILAN’.

Radu Ionescu is a Romanian facilitator of Theatre of the Oppressed and Sensory Labyrinth Theatre. He holds an Honours degree in Applied Drama from Wits University, South Africa, and is a recipient of the Dr John Kani Theatre for Social Change Award. As part of The Republic of the Imagination and Bird-Shaped Theatre, he has worked on various theatre projects, with groups and communities in Europe, Africa and Argentina. Radu is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘SENSORY LABYRINTH THEATRE: APPLIED IMMERSIVE THEATRE FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING’.

Raven Kaliana directs Puppet (R)Evolution. She's presented Hooray for Hollywood, her award-winning film on human trafficking at London City Hall, UN Geneva, and Commission on the Status of Women. She performed Love vs Trauma in Beijing; Puerto Rico; London at Little Angel Theatre; Birmingham at Broken Puppet Symposium; and at Brighton Fringe Festival in the UK. She also directed Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress, a shadow animation, and was interviewed in Stories of Healing, a documentary on using creativity to heal. She's developed Transforming Trauma and Rehearsing Resilience workshops, for using puppetry as a tool for trauma recovery. Her work has been chronicled in New York Times; Guardian; BBC . Raven is presenting at PPLG the performance: ‘Love vs Trauma’. Woman's Hour; Haaretz; Copenhagen Post; and El Nuevo Dia

I am Karali Angeliki, (everyone calls me Tzella). At the moment, I am an MA student of Applied Theatre at Goldsmiths University of London, I will have graduated soon. In the past I’ve studied Early Childhood Education in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. I have worked with children and young people, teaching, facilitating and organizing activities in Greece and in Italy. Also, I was member of the Erasmus Student Network in Greece, where, apart from helping the exchange students, I was responsible for a project that brings Erasmus in Schools. Last year, I was volunteer in Romania where I was implementing art activities in Hospitals, Special Schools and Social Centres. My areas of interest include drama, puppetry, shadow theatre, storytelling and movement. Angeliki is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Strangers, or not?’.

Matthaios Kargakis was born and raised in Florina. He studied Sociology at the Panteion University in Athens and then completed postgraduate studies in Sociology at the City London University in London - UK and in Cultural Studies at the University of Western Macedonia in Florina - Greece. He works as a psychosocial support counselor at the Women’s Counseling Center of the Municipality of Florina. As a researcher he is engaged in the study of gender in the research fields of sociology and social psychology. Matthaios will present at PPLG the parallel session: CENTER OF WOMEN’S COUNSELOR ABUSE IN WESTERN MACEDONIA: AN ARCHIVAL RESEACH

David Kiwanuka, male Ugandan full time Community Worker. I work for a non government organization as its administrator and a teacher for Christian Religious Education in our primary school. David is presenting at PPLG the project: ‘HOPE FOR YOUTH’.

Mathilde Knage is an associate professor at the Center for Pedagogy, Absalon University College. She is affiliated with school and leisure specialization, teaches and participates in research and development tasks. As a associate professor, Mathilde works with the development, implementation and evaluation of teaching in a broad sense, including longer coherent teaching courses, shorter courses, theme day and inspiration. Mathilde has many years of experience in education development and has a thorough knowledge of practice in school and leisure. Mathilde has experience with methodical design, obtaining empirical data and analysis in connection with development and research tasks and in connection with the development of teaching Since autumn 2018, Mathilde has been ambassador in the playful learning project. Matilde is presenting at PPLG the session: ‘Play in higher education – playful learning as a part of the education of future social educators and teachers.’.

Norbert Koppensteiner is Senior Lecturer at the Unit for Peace and Conflict Studies and program coordinator at the MA Program for Peace Studies, UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies at the University of Innsbruck/Austria. He is the author of The Art of the Transpersonal Self. Transformation as Aesthetic and Energetic Practice and co-editor of the Palgrave International Handbook of Peace Studies. He works as facilitator with breath- and movement-oriented approaches to peace and conflict transformation. Norbert is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Eliciting Many Peaces Through Embodied Practice’.

I come from New Delhi, India. Graduated From University Of Delhi & East Side Institute, New York. I have been doing Theatre Activities for last 10 years with corporate job. Doing theatre activities in many cities of India like Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, Maharashtra etc. on social issues. Focus of theatre based on social issues like rapes, marital rapes, gender issues, corruption. -) Theatre plays based on social issues. -) Street Plays based on social issues. -) Workshops with Platform kids, students, teachers, professionals etc. Zitender is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘SCHOOL IN THE HEAVEN!’.

Apostolis Laschos graduated from the School of Music Studies, of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2013. He continued his studies in the music therapy program of the Music College of Thessaloniki, in collaboration with Music Therapy Center of Thessaloniki. He continued in the music therapy program of the University of Macedonia, "Music and Society", from which he graduated in 2018. Today, he is PhD candidate in music therapy at the School of Music Studies, of Aristotle University. In the last years he has been working as a music therapist in Thessaloniki. He has his own percussion team with people with disabilities with whom he performs at concerts, events, conferences and etc. He has participated in several scientific conferences as a speaker talking about the music therapy. Also, he is a member of the Greek Association of Graduate Music Therapists. Apostolis is co-presenting at PPLG the parallel session: ‘The therapeutic relationship in music therapy - case study’.

I am born in Pireus in 1968. In 1992 I graduated from the University of Athens - School of Philosophy - Department of Philosophy – Pedagogy – Psychology In 1996 I studied in theUniversity of Picardi-Jules Vernes in Maitrise de Psychology Clinic and 1998 I graduated from the University Paris7 -Jussieu with the degree of DEA d’Etudes Litteraires – Sciences des texts et des documents . 1993-1996 I worked in mental health institutions in Greece (social psychiatry facilities) 1998-2001 in detention places for minors organizing the art and creative workshops and in day center for minors. 2001-2010 I worked in the International office of Aegean Univeristy and parallel to that I created short documentaries and films as well as scripts for fiction films. Since 2005 I am involved in refugee support groups in Lesvos and since 2008 I participate in Kayki a Turkish Greek network for raising awareness about deaths in Aegean sea and support of victims of tragedies in the sea. In 2012 I participated in the creation and since in supporting Pikpa- Lesvos the first independent welcoming shelter for refugees in Greece. More than 30.000 refugees have been supported by Pikpa which was the first shelter in Lesvos providing support to vulnerable refugees and victims of sea tragedies. 2013-2014 I was coordinating the emergency response support program of MDM in the port of Lesvos and later in Moria when the first reception center started to operate. 2014 I worked for the border death research program of the University of Amsterdam collecting datas from the registries since 2014 till today I am working with Refugee support Aegean providing social support to very vulnerable refugees and victims of shiprecks Since 2016 I am member of the team of Mosaik support and cultural center in Lesvos. In 2016 I received the NANSEN UNHCR award as member of Pikpa solidarity camp work. In 2018 as member of an NGO created by 4 women in Lesvos we started NAN social restaurant where refugees and locals cooking together creating integrational and social interaction opportunities. Efi will present at PPLG the project presentation: “Dreaming about the future of Lesvos Solidarity : “creating space for resistance and self development“.

Daniela Lehner is a researcher at the Alpen-Adria University in Austria and is interested in Education and Transformation. She is co-presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Embodied polarization as potential and dilemma’.

Steven T. Licardi is a NYS Licensed Social Worker, spoken word poet, and mental health advocate living in Jackson Heights, NY. As a child, Steven was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, an experience that has profoundly informed his work. Today, he uses spoken word to create empathic dialogue around, to confront the realities of, and to assist communities in dismantling the stigma surrounding mental illness. He is the author of two collections of poetry: Death By Active Movement (Local Gems Press, 2013) and a billion burning dreams (STL, 2018). His work has also appeared in numerous publications, including Latexo Beat, I Want You To See This Before I Leave, and Perspectives: Poetry Concerning Autism and Other Disabilities (Volume II), and he has performed across the globe, most recently at the International Festival Kerouac in Vigo, Spain in 2016 and with Breath In Poetry in Edmonton, Alberta in 2018. www.thesvenbo.com. Steven will present at PPLG the performance: ‘Coup de Mot : The Power of Spoken Word to Reshape Mental Health Systems’.

David Limaverde is an Amsterdam-based, Brazilian-born art educator, participatory performance artist and researcher. His interests are in art-activism, socially engaged performance, participatory art methodologies and transversal themes of collective authorship, relational practices and civic participation. With a background in Physical Theatre, he holds an MA in Performance Studies from The University of Amsterdam, and a Ph.D in Arts and Education from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. He is also a teacher in the MA Performing Public Space at the Fontys School for the Arts, in Tilburg, The Netherlands, as well as a member of the OT301 association – where he facilitates community art projects through HoP - Home of Participation.

Carrie Lobman, Ed.D., is Associate professor and Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education, the director of Revolutionary Conversations at the East Side Institute and a member of the All Stars Project Board of Directors. Her research examines the relationship between play, performance, learning and development for people of all ages and the importance of outside of school programs for providing young people with developmental experiences. She is a trained social therapist and a core faculty member in the East Side Institute’s international training programs. Carrie is co-author of Unscripted Learning: Using Improvisation across the K-8 Curriculum, and co-editor of Play and Culture Series Volume 11: Play and Performance. She received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a past president of The Association for the Study of Play. Carrie is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE POWERFUL POTENTIAL OF POINTLESS PLAY’

Cecilia Macfarlane trained as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance and as a dancer at the London School of Contemporary Dance. She is an Oxford based independent dance artist with a national and international reputation for her work in the community. Cecilia is the founding director of Oxford Youth Dance, DugOut Adult Community Dance and Crossover Intergenerational Dance Company, now Crossover Intergenerational Dance Projects, and co-founding director of Oxford Youth Dance Company. She was a Senior Lecturer in Arts in the Community at Coventry University for nine years and is now a guest lecturer at six British Universities. Her work is based on her passionate belief that dance is for everyone; she celebrates the uniqueness and individuality of each dancer. As a performer Cecilia is continually curious about expression, how movement can communicate so powerfully to others without the need for words. Her work is highly influenced by her studies with Joan Skinner, Helen Poynor, Deborah Hay and most recently Anna Halprin. Cecilia continues to work at home and abroad to bring generations and communities together to realize their potential through dance. In 2016, Cecilia celebrated Oxford Youth Dance’s 30th Birthday with a year of events in Oxford, culminating in an archive event and the launch of her book, co-written with Ruth Pethybridge, ‘Any Age, Any Body, Any Dance’ published by People Dancing. Cecilia will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘ANY AGE, ANY BODY, ANY DANCE’.

Kostas Magos is Assistant Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Thessaly in Greece on the field of intercultural education. His scientific interests include the theory and practice of intercultural education, the education of immigrant, refugee, minority and Roma children and the use of action research, narrative inquiry and play techniques in school practices. Kostas has participated in many European projects focusing on the development of best practices for the education of minority children as well as in many European educational actions against racism and xenophobia and European teacher training seminars in the field of intercultural education. During his free time, he likes to write stories for children and he has already published some of them. Kostas is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘NARRATING LIFE STORIES-CROSSING CULTURAL BORDERS’.

Konstantza Maniatopoulou was born and raised in Patras, Greece. Drawn to the arts and nature, seeking for truth, she studied Psychology in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, attained an MA in Drama and Movement Therapy (Sesame) from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a PGDip in Spiritual Guidance Through Transpersonal Dreamwork from the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education, and is currently on a RCSSD PGDip training to become a Clinical Supervisor. At the same time, she got into kundalini yoga and shamanism and completed respective trainings in India, Greece and the UK. Through her work she has obtained a wide experience working with people of all ages and with various issues. Since October 2013, she has returned to Patras, where she holds a private practice, works in schools and teaches Yoga & Yogadrama. Konstantza is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘YogaDrama - Movement and Stories on the bridge of Yoga & Dramatherapy’.

Margarita Mansola is an educator and an educational psychologist (CPsychol , MA in Education - Psychology of Education) having worked in education for more than 25 years assuming various different roles. As an IB teacher and head of teachers’ professional development in a large scale private school, as an associate lecturer of pedagogy in tertiary education (Open University). She has occupied herself with curriculum development, differentiated instruction and inclusive education and has participated as a presenter in both national and international conferences. Margarita has recently completed an MA in Applied Educational Leadership and Management at UCL. In the past few years, with the influx of refugee children in Greece, she worked in various camps as a teacher where in her words, she “found again the very heart of education”, teaching multilingual refugee children and adults. At the same time she cooperated with the British Council and UNICEF offering capacity building for teachers in both formal and non-formal education in Greece and authored a toolkit for teachers in NFE. She is currently working as a consultant for UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Response in Greece. Margarita is presenting at PPLG the project presentation and the workshop: ‘"I Can" ! The transformative power of learning . Towards a resilient school for all!’

Chance is a Dramatherapist registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council who trained in Drama and Movement Therapy (MA) at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. He has experience working with clients in settings ranging from the NHS; Adult Mental Health; Addiction recovery; Refugee & Migrant Centres and Mainstream & Specialist schools. Chance has background in theatre making, filmmaking and storytelling, he holds publishing credits from Triarchy Press and has received commissions from Northern Film and Media, Channel 4 and The Baltic. Chance is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Language without Borders: Building Bridges through Movement and Play’.

Dr. Martinez is the Chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, at the New York Institute of Technology. His active research interests include STEAM/STEM learning, service-learning pedagogy, teacher development, and collaborative Vygotskian approaches to community development and learning. Dr. Martinez is a graduate of City University of New York Graduate Center with a Ph.D. in Urban Education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Hunter College and a Master of Science in Education from Lehman College. He is also a permanently certified grades 1 - 6 New York City public school teacher. Before teaching, Dr. Martinez was a managing director for an internet security start-up firm and a corporate information technology manager. He has published two books, A Performatory Approach to Teaching, Learning and Technology and recently, The Search for Method in STEAM Education. Jamie will present at PPLG the parallel session: ‘SOCIAL THERAPEUTIC PERFORMANCES OF SERVICE-LEARNING IN STEM EDUCATION’.

Morgane Masterman is a French-British intercultural activist living in Portugal. She has a bachelor’s in translation for French, English, and German, and a master’s degree in Portuguese literature. However, when she started working as translator, she quickly realized that translation was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mutual understanding between cultures, and in 2011 she started involving herself in grassroots feminism and local human rights struggles. Since 2013 she has been working in the field of European mobility and intercultural education. From 2013 to 2017 she was employed by association Clube Intercultural Europeu in Lisbon, and since 2018 she is a freelance intercultural and linguistic animator certified by the French-German Youth Office. In 2018 she was one of the founders of Associação Faísca Voadora, a small organisation in Almada aiming to challenge the traditional ways of embracing interculturality and European mobility by connecting intercultural education, arts, and activism. Her preferred tools are comics, theatre of the oppressed, amateur radio, and language animation. Morgane is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘AN INVITATION TO ASK QUESTIONS: RETHINKING INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION, EUROPEAN MOBILITY, AND INTERSECTIONAL EMPOWERMENT’

Elina Maslo is language teacher and ph.d. in education. She studies language, learning and pedagogy as interconnected, especially when plurilingual persons learn languages. Suna, Helle and Elina are co-presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE NOTION OF SCHOOL – AGAINST HOMOGENEITY, NORMALITY AND CONTROL’

Celida Salume has a PhD in Performing Arts from the Federal University of Bahia (2009), acting as Assistant Professor at the UFBA Theater School, at the Postgraduate Program in Performing Arts (PPGAC) and at the Professional Master in Arts (ProfArtes). Currently she performing post-doctoral research at the University of Évora (PT) as a collaborator at the Centre of Art History and Artistic Research (CHAIA). She coordinated the PIBID / Teatro de Programa PIBID / UFBA (2014-2018) subproject and coordinates the CELULA Group (Laboratories Center for Creative Processes) and the PIBIArtes Project (2018/2019). As researcher she participated in the research exchange "Theater - School - Community", carried out between UDESC and UFSC universities and the University of Exeter / UK. She’s a member of the G-PEC - Research Group on Poetics, Processes and Pedagogy of Staging. She has experience with Theater Teaching, working mainly in the themes: theater pedagogy, teacher training, dramaturgy, staging and creation processes in educational contexts. Celida will co-present at PPLG the parallel session: ‘A LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THEATER EXPERIENCE IN THE EXERCISE OF ALTERITY IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS’.

Dr. Alys Mendus has recently swapped her itinerant van-dwelling life in the UK to live with her partner in sunny sub-tropical Australia and mother their brand new daughter, Ginny. Alys completed a performative autoethnographic PhD ‘Searching for the Ideal school’, on a Freedom to Learn scholarship from the University of Hull, UK in 2017. She is driven by creative, inclusive methodologies that look beyond the normative and the human such as feminist new materialism, post qualitative, post human, poetry, radical play, arts-based research and collaborative inquiry. Alys is an active member of the Bodies Collective, an international group which explores the role of the body in academia and unpicks traditional hierarchy. Alys’ work often aims to engage the audience to question the abject and unspoken aspects of our lives to hope to engender a paradigm shift. Alys attended PPLG 2018 giving a poetic paper on “Performing School Tourism” and was part of a group of students, a playwright and their professor writing a piece presented at Performing the world, in New York, 2018 called ‘They call their teacher’s by their first names!: An Ethno-drama of Pre-service Teachers Visiting Innovative Schools about their week together visiting schools in NY city in May 2017. Alys will present at PPLG two short films: ‘COME DANCE MY PHD’.

Ophélie Mercier is the development manager of Caravan International Circus Network. Based in Paris, she has been coordinating this network for the last three years. She discovered the magic of circus and performing arts in Cairo when she was working as a psychosocial worker with refugees. A collective had developed workshops for refugees, and she found that tool incredible. She came back to Cairo after graduating from a masters in Anthropology and worked for 3 years with this clown collective “Outa Hamra” performing in the streets and facilitating workshops with young migrants, street children and marginalised communities in Cairo. She moved back to France, three years ago and has since then been exploring the youth and social circus sector in Europe, facilitating workshops, coordinating international projects and delivering training sessions. In parallel, she conducted a research on violence committed on migrants in Libya for the International Federation for Human RIghts. She deeply believes that performing arts activities can provide an important and interesting space for migrants, yet it needs to be thought critically and with awareness on the stakes of such activities. Hopefully a topic for future research projects. Ophélie is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Circus Trans-Formation in Action’.

Maren is a PhD student at Nordoff Robbins, London and a lecturer at the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen. She is passionate about working with families and has an interest in disability studies, emancipatory research and community music therapy. Maren is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE MUSIC CAFÉ PROJECT - MUSICKING AS A REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITY’.

Melissa Meyer is a trained social therapist and the international programs coordinator at the East Side Institute, a grassroots think-tank headquartered in New York City. She is also director of sales for Performing the World, a bi-annual gathering that takes place in New York City and explores performance as a method to help communities grow and create positive social change. Melissa co-teaches “What is ‘Social Therapeutics?’ A Postmodern, Performatory Approach to Human Development & Its Community Stages” a 5-week online introductory seminar on social therapeutics. She is a co-leader of Developing Across Borders, a weekly virtual development group with people from all over the world. Melissa is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘DEVELOPING ACROSS BORDERS PERFORMS!’.

I am a life performance coach on staff at Life Performance Coaching in San Francisco CA. www.lifeperformancecoaching.com and one of the founding members of the social therapeutic approach, a radically relational cultural approach to human development and community building. As a life performance coach I help build creative environments in which people can grow emotionally, develop new ways of responding to challenging conversations and create the lives they want to live. I have developed a series of workshops with the help of the East Side Institute called Playgrounds, where we teach participants to use their capacity to create, perform and play in every day life. And have presented in the U.S., Greece, London and Belgrade. I am an Associate of the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy, www.eastsideinstitute.org. and instrumental in building Life Performance Coaching as a hub for performance activism. Helen is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘INTERNATIONAL CLASS – CONTINUOUS CREATING OF THE GROUP’.

Angela Moriggi is a social scientist since 2012 working for transdiciplinary research projects on both rural and urban sustainability. She is external Researcher at Natural Resources Institute Finland, external PhD candidate at Wageningen University, and Marie Curie Fellow of the EU Innovative Training Network SUSPLACE (Sustainable Place Shaping). Since May 2019, she is beneficiary of a research grant by Kone Foundation, an independent non-profit organization committed to support bold initiatives in research and the arts. Angela acts also as Field Expert for Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where she co-supervises BA and MA students in sustainability-related thesis and courses. Her PhD focuses on social entrepreneurship in the field of Green Care – nature-based activities with a social innovation purpose – and its potential for place-based development & regeneration. Angela has extended experience using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including participatory action-oriented approaches, arts-based methods and facilitation techniques. Next to the numerous academic papers she has (co-)authored, she is committed to reach wider societal audiences, using storytelling, blog writing, and video-making. Angela speaks Italian, English and Chinese. Angela is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘CO-CREATING ‘EMOTIONAL PLACES’ OF COMMUNITY BELONGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING: A WORKSHOP USING ARTS-BASED METHODS.’

Graduate student of the Psychology Department (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH), of the postgraduate program of Drama and Movement Therapy, Institute of Therapy and Education through Arts (Epineio), trainee as drama and movement therapist in Alzheimer Hellas and Down Syndrome Association of Greece, soon- to be graduate student of Postgraduate Studies in Social Psychology and Psychosocial Interventions (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH). Maria is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘“POETRY AS A MEAN TO APPROACH THE OTHER IN THE COMMUNITY” THROUGH DRAMA AND MOVEMENT THERAPY’.

Tamara Nikolić (Belgrade, Serbia) is Assistant Professor at the Department for Pedagogy and Andragogy at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade and a reasearcher at the Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy. She holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education from the University of Belgrade and M.A. in Human Relations from the University of Nottingham. Being East Side Institute’s Associate keeps deepening her interest in the intersections of play and performance, adult learning and community building, which she continues to pursue theoretically and practically. Her recent research involves topics such are leisure education, creative learning environments, drama and theatre in education, and the role of improvisation in educational settings. As an educational professional, she teaches adult education related to leisure, communication and media, play, creativity and drama. As a freelancer, she delivers trainings for trainers, mentors and other professionals in the field of education, engages in supervision and counselling for educators and designs and facilitates workshops. As a lifelong learner, she is currently working her way towards M.A. in Applied Theatre at Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. She co- authored the publication Let s Play - A Manual for Drama Process. Tamara is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘The Improv Game’.

Uri Noy Meir is a facilitator, trainer and action researcher, based in Italy and working internationally. In the workshop he will share ways in which he applies Dragon Dreaming, Theatre of the Oppressed and Social Presencing Theatre to facilitate multi stakeholders dialogue, community driven social innovation and eco-socio regeneration. Dragon Dreaming is a project design method to unleash our creativofe genius and kick start transformative projects and organisations across the world. Theatre of creativethe Oppressed is an aesthetic method to stimulate critical observation and representation of reality, and inspire social action. Social Presencing Theater, is a social arts discipline that makes people and groups more aware to the inner knowing of the body and the pattern language of social fields. Uri works in a capacity building project with the asylum seekers and refugee welcoming system in the Umbria region of central Italy and is leads learning journeys to Senegal, Nepal and other parts of the world. Uri is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Dreaming Together’ and the workshop: ‘‘Theatre for social healing- Intro’ with Gopal Aryal.

I studied International and Diplomatic Sciences at University Orientale in Naples (Italy), with research in Arab-Islamic world. I chose to leave the field of international cooperation and chose to be an intercultural trainer and a facilitator. I combine theater and storytelling as tools for conflict transformation, awareness, social research, salutogenesis. I worked as trainer and facilitator in NGO and associations mostly in intercultural field; as non formal educator in public schools mostly with teenagers in suburbs; as social theater facilitator for women and art-ivist groups. During the last years I worked as facilitator of community and multi-stakeholders groups in a project about Welcoming System in Region Umbria in Italy. Project Puzzle In 2012, Me and Uri Noy Meir gave life to TheAlbero Artistic Collective, a womb to co-create - independently - workshops, residential experiences and international events that weave participatory arts, group facilitation, personal growth and community building. I am very grateful to be part of the international family of ImaginAction, founded by one of my mentor Hector Aristizabal. Ilaria will present at PPLG the workshop: MEETING THE OTHER, MEETING ME

Papacharalampous Foteini is Psychologist, Psychodramatist and Couples Counselor. She holds a Master in Adult Education and works in private practice as a psychotherapist with children, adults and couples and as facilitator of groups with the implementation of psychodrama. She has collaborated with institutions working in the field of drug prevention, psychosocial support for youth in danger and children suffering from learning difficulties and developmental disorders. She has also participated in Erasmus+ project P.E.R.F.O.R.M.E.R.S. for the implementation of sociodrama on staff working with migrants in Greece and on professionals working with youth in danger in Portugal, Hungary and Sweden. Since 2015 she collaborates with National Theatre of Northern Greece, as a scientific coordinator in educational projects, supervisor of the Summer Art Workshops for children and facilitator in groups of children about human rights through action methods. The last two years she cooperates with drama teachers Eirini Zoi and Melina Chatzigeorgiou in a workshop for refugee and native adolescents. Foteini is is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘THE TREE OF LIFE, THE FOREST OF LIFE. EXPLORING IDENTITY, DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY THROUGH THEATRE, MOVEMENT AND NARRATIVE THERAPY’.

Kassandra Pedersen is a psychologist based in Thessaloniki, Greece, MNTCW, narrative therapist, international tutor, educator & supervisor. She works in private practice with adults, young people, and their communities of concern. She also enjoys using narrative therapy ideas in group settings. She meets with people responding to a range of issues in their lives including living with the effects of abuse and gendered violence, relationship concerns, parenting issues including parenthood in decision and child-free considerations, grief, and bulimia/anorexia to which she works from an insider perspective. Kassandra is particularly passionate in bringing an intersectional feminist consciousness within her narrative practice, and facilitating experience of preferred stories through the deconstruction of the interpersonal, social, cultural and political contexts in which problems arise. Kassandra is thrilled about her collaboration with Dulwich center in a range of projects - especially the recent Feminisms, Narrative Practice & Intersectionality project in which she is actively involved. Alongside her narrative practice, she offers narrative workshops, supervision and trainings in Greece and overseas. She is the key faculty member for the Greek training program through the Dulwich Center/Institute of Narrative Therapy in Thessaloniki. She has completed the Master in Narrative Therapy and Community Work program through the Dulwich Centre/University of Melbourne. Kassandra is now tutoring on the same Masters course and enjoys meeting with people from many different countries, cultures and contexts through their work.

Καλώς ήρθες!

Dr. Dora Psaltopoulou-Kamini is an Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th-GR). She is a certified music therapist CMT (AMTA), holds a Ph.D (A.U.Th-GR) and an MA (NYU, NY-USA). She has completed her psychoanalytic training in Freudian, Lacanian approach. She is a visitor Lecturer at the master level programs at the University of Macedonia (Music Therapy), at the University of Nicosia, at the University of Thessaly, at TEI of Larissa. She is a research assistant at the Adolescent Unit of the 3rd Psychiatric Clinic (University Hospital AHEPA). She has published in Greek two academic e-books (Music Therapy: The Third Way and Communication in Music Therapy-Paideia. The Co.M.P.A.S.S Approach) at Kallipos (repository.Kallipos.gr). Her music therapy life journey has been published in 2017 at ‘Lives of Music Therapists’ (Vol. I, Barcelona Publishers). Dora is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘FUNDAMENTAL TRAINING IN MUSIC THERAPY ENCOURAGES POSITIVE CHANGES IN MUSIC STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT DISABILITY, THEIR PERSONAL GROWTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION’.

Maria Rantzou is a graduate of the Theological Faculty of the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the School of Education of the Department of Primary Education of the University of Western Macedonia. She has completed a two-year distance program of Counseling Psychology from the Derby University of England. She successfully attended the postgraduate course of the Department of Theology with specialization in Pedagogy. After receiving a scholarship from the Diakonisches Werk section of the Evangelical Church and from the Kultusministerium in the Bavarian State of Germany, she attended studies at the Roman Catholic, Evangelical and Orthodox Theological School of Munich. Her studies were completed with specialization in the context of mental support of patients and prisoners. Maria has presented in various international conferences. She was appointed Ph.D. of Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki specialized in Pedagogy. She has taught Pedagogy and Psychology at ASPΑITE Thessaloniki and worked at the private school of KALAMARI-ADAMANTIOS SCHOOL of Thessaloniki. She currently serves as Assistant Professor at the School of Religious Studies at the Theological Faculty of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Maria is presenting at PPLG the symposium: ‘UNDERSTANDING MY EMOTIONS: THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WAY’.

Muneeb ur Rehman is an applied drama practitioner, actor, voice over artist and improviser working to establish drama-in-education and community drama as a formalized discipline in South Asia. He received introductory training in TO and Forum Theatre from DramaBox, Singapore and was the recipient of Tina Sergeant Development Initiative Pass for Singapore Drama Educators Association Conference, 2015. With ten years of acting experience, he has to his credit Pakistan's first-ever Drama Department in a school setting in Lyari, a violence-ridden, marginalized area in Karachi. He presented its story, Journey of the First Step, at the Singapore Drama Educators Association Conference, 2017. He has conducted various drama workshops in the public domain. He has partnered with schools, psychologists, youth programs, children's theatre to apply drama meaningfully in all spheres of life. His interest is in exploring inter-disciplinary interfaces of drama with other fields to make drama a fluid means of exploration and expression for all. He presented an interdisciplinary framework of drama at 'Performing the World', New York, 2018. Most recently, he conducted drama-for-teaching workshops for refugee Tibetan language teachers in Nepal. Also, he established "Nepal Improv", an initiative with Nepali artists from diverse backgrounds for promotion of improvisational theatre in Nepal. Muneeb is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘COMMUNAL MANDALA: WAY OF BEING IN CHAOTIC TIMES’.

Marian Rich (New York, NY, USA) is a comic educator, coach and trainer. She is a faculty member of the East Side Institute, co-founder of the Castillo Theatre and longtime builder of the All Stars Project. Her ongoing exploration of comedic forms includes improv, stand-up and humanitarian clowning with Patch Adams. The founder of Career Play, Inc., she brings 20-years of experience as a recruiter and improvisational performer/director to facilitate workshops and trainings to help clients see new possibilities. She is a member of the NYC-based Committee for Independent Community Action, working closely with Dr. Lenora Fulani to empower NYC's poor communities. Marian is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Join the Love/Play Revolution: Building Community Through Humanitarian Clowning’.

Psychologist-psychotherapist, director and conductor of theater and psychotherapy groups, he works on a possible integration between theater (art), psychotherapy and social coexistence. Concentrated on the therapeutic and social enhancement of art, without forgetting the aesthetic research: the art necessary for change. Convinced of the social and political use of art, as a means of relationship and comparison. In addition to beauty. He has been working in the social sector since 1999, first as an operator-educator in the psychiatric sector, later as a street operator for information and prevention of drugs, and as an operator in drug use and abuse contexts (raves, festivals, discos). Since 2002, with the landing at the Social Theatre, he has carried out every intervention concerning this sector using art and theater methods. Trained with the greatest living exponents of Theater of the Oppressed and after having attended the School of Social Theater “Isole Comprese”, initially as assistant director and then as director, he holds workshops with various models of social diversity (Migrants, refugees, prisons, schools of every age, psychiatric, disabled, sex offenders etc.) School psychologist since 2010. Supervisor of various work groups, psychiatric centers, migrant and refugee centers. He works as a free-lance psychologist and psychotherapist. He works on international cooperation and has carried out projects, performances, lectures, conferences, shows, workshops in Central America, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Scotland, Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Turkey (www.psicoterapiaeteatro.it). Francesco is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: GRENZEN / LIMITES / CONFINI / CUNFIN / BORDERS.

Amit is an award-winning script writer, dramaturge, producer and director, who still dreams (sometimes) of red carpets. He studied physical theatre Theodoros Terzopoulos method at the Attis Theatre and the Theatre of the oppressed - Rainbow of Desire technique under Adrian Jackson at the Cardboard Citizen Theatre. Amit trains actors, activists, therapists and medical teams around the world in the use of Rainbow of Desire in the fields of: FTV- family and domestic violence, group development, and community and personal playfulness. Amit will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘The model of legislative rainbow theatre’.

Robert D. Romanyshyn is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, an Affiliate Member of The Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, and a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Author of eight books including his recently published Victor Frankenstein, the Monster and the Shadows of Technology: The Frankenstein Prophecies, he has published numerous articles in psychology, philosophy, education and poetry journals. In addition to on line seminars and interviews, he has given lectures and workshops at universities and professional societies in the U.S., Europe, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. His DVD film Antarctica: Inner journeys in the Outer World, available on line at www.jungplatform.com, is a multi-media psychological reflection on the melting polar ice RobertRomanyshyn.com. E-mail: rdromanyshyn@gmail.com Robert is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop ‘ BUILDING BRIDGES - RE-STORYING THE BROKEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NATURE AND SOUL’.

he is president of the Vitakultúra Association (Hungarian community builder NGO using Playback Theatre as main method), qualified Playback Theatre leader (Centre for Playback Theatre, New York, Leadership, 2014), one of the Playback Theatre teacher/trainer of the Opening Round Central-European School of Playback Theatre. He is a PT actor from 2001, founder, conductor and former leader (2008-2012) of Pepita Playback Company. Actor of Pszínház (PsyTheatre Company) from 2018. Experienced group leader and trainer from 1997, qualified NLP Master Practitioner. One of the four main organizer of the last European Playback Theatre Gathering held in Budapest (2017), and leader of the orga-team of the 7th Hungarian PT Gathering (2018). He is one of the three founders with László Bánki (psychologist) and Ildikó Tóth (art therapist) of the CIRCLE atelier (2012) self-expressing method using the flow of inspiring circles of different artistic ways of self expression (such as painting, poetry, tai chi, playback theatre...). He is also co-founder of Social Dialog Theatre and founding member of Ecopsychology Theatre of the Ecopsychology Institute of Budapest. In business context, he is member of Management Ptheatre, Trainer and creative member of In-Depth Stage formation, also member of Stage Coaching® team and organizing member of Watson Playback Group. He is a committed Playback Theatre teacher and community organizer teaching and performing also in international cooperations in Europe (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine). Daniel will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘PLAYBACK THEATRE - REDUCING ALIENATION AND CELEBRATING DIVERSITY’.

Maria works with playfulness and storytelling in their different applications within and beyond the digital world. She holds a PhD in inclusive playful interactions and digital games from University of Athens, where she is currently a post-doc researcher with a special interest on Digital Storytelling as a tool for the empowerment of women in vulnerable social groups. She is the artistic director of the Creative Europe Cooperation Project “TRUST IN PLAY: European School for Urban Game Designer”, a capacity building project for urban game designers, through interdisciplinary cultural collaboration. She is a Research Associate at the Laboratory of New Technologies of the Faculty of Communication & Media Studies of the National University of Athens. She has a MSc in Information Management from the University of Strathclyde, a Bachelor in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Athens and she holds diplomas in counseling, creative facilitation and play therapy. She is the co-founder of Athens Plaython Urban Games Community and she has been working on inclusive participatory design processes and community building through playfulness for the past ten years, organising and curating projects, exhibitions, game jams, conferences and experiences around games, storytelling and playful communities in an educational and cultural context. Maria is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘BUILDING TRUST IN PLAY: THE EUROPEAN SCHOOL OF URBAN GAME DESIGN’.

Based on my background as an actor and my training as psychodrama director and analytical psychotherapist, I have further developed Evreinov's monodrama concept into what I call as „monodrama interactively“. I am a Swedish playwright born I Austria. I have a background as an actor with seven years training in psychodrama and I am a trained psychotherapist. I worked ten years with patients before I started writing and with several actors producing interactive plays to perform for the stuff in big organizations like the military, Swedish post, Saab Aero, Hospitals. This I did about twelve years. After that, I wrote and produced monodrama plays for children. This plays worked on two levels. One level talks to the child and the other level appeals to the grownups. I am a member of the writers guild of Sweden. Augustin is presenting in PPLG the workshop: ‘The ax that crushes the frozen sea of silence’.

Barbara has 35 years’ experience pioneering the use of a performance-based development therapy in transforming the relationship between emotionality and health. In this process, she has been especially helpful to women suffering from eating disorders and people with chronic illnesses. Barbara is the founder and director of Developing Across Borders, a weekly virtual development group with people from all over the world. She is also nationally recognized for her work with teenagers and has created an array of innovative programs for community-based agencies, mental health centers and schools, including the ground-breaking “Let’s Talk About It,” mental health program at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn. She received her M.S.W. from the Adelphi School of Social Work. Barbara is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘DEVELOPING ACROSS BORDERS PERFORMS!’.

Alice has received education as a eutonist (bodywork, awareness and mindfulness). She is an arts therapist, dolphinist and laughteryoga instructor. She is presenting at PPLG the workshop ’ DOLPHINLAUGHTER’

Mary Smail, is a senior Dramatherapist and psychotherapist/trainer working in private practice - SoulWorks UK. Until 2015 she was a visiting Dramatherapy lecturer at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Director of the Sesame Institute charity. She presently teaches at Re-Vision Counselling & Psychotherapy with a Soulful Perspective, and is co-author of Myth and Fairy-tale in Dramatherapy - The Golden Stories of Sesame. Her special interest explores the notion of the human soul and the presence of grace in the process of death. www.marysmail@soulworks.co.uk mary.smail@btinternet.com. Mary is co-presenting at PPLG the workshop ‘ BUILDING BRIDGES - RE-STORYING THE BROKEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NATURE AND SOUL’.

A London based musician and workshop leader for the last 20 years, Matt has been implementing a music education program in schools in the refugee camps of the exiled population of Western Sahara . During the last two years he has worked in the Saharawi refugee camps in the Algerian desert, delivering junk percussion workshops , hip-hop workshops, created soundscapes and collaborations with Saharawi artists and written his own pieces inspired by the camps. For more information go to: https://olivebranch-arts.com/. Matt is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Percussion And Song In Refugee Camps’

Katharina Spanlang (*1990), BA in International Development, MA in Social Design. She trained as a mediator and worked in conflict resolution for an international NGO. Involvements in theatre work in all its facets since 2012, when she organised an international community theatre project as part of Youth in Action. She has since been trained in the areas of inclusion work, art of hosting, participation, dialogue work, creative skills etc. Her travels and projects around the world are her nurturing her desire to experience new things, followed by longer stays in international (volunteer) work, research and further educations. Previous theatre projects included working with schools and youth centres on topics such as anti-racism, class community, conflict resolution, etc. as well as theatre projects with young refugees, women, workshops for various associations, conferences and academies. Katharina will co- present at PPLG the workshop:’ GROWING WITH PERFORMING MIGRATION’

Polyxeni Spyropoulou is an actress and director.She has also a degree of archaeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.She has graduated from Drama School of National Theatre of Nothern Greece and she works as an actress of National Theatre of Nothern Greece,where she performed many lead parts.She has directed many perormances,physical performances and sight-specific events.She has also worked and studied in Wroclaw,in Grotowski Institute and she leads many workshops and training courses for theatre professionals and students. Polyxeni will present in PPLG the workshop/ performance: ‘Inventing myself without borders’

Alex Sternick, BSc.in Clinical Nutrition (http://www.laughter.co.il), is an expert and internationally recognized practitioner of ART OF NONSENSE and Laughter Therapy. He is the man behind laughter yoga clubs in Israel. Alex began his laughter journey in India in 2003, where he worked with terminally ill patients. Then he practiced in Ethiopia as a laughter therapist in Mother’s Mission and a nutritionist with SaveTheChildren USA. These experiences inspired him to bring laughter yoga to Israel. In 2004, he started the first laughter club in Jerusalem and brought the leading experts to the country, including Dr. Madan Kataria and World Laughter Master Belachew Girma to run workshops. Alex has also worked with Israelis and Arabs in an attempt to bring these diverse groups together through laughter and nonsense. In addition to his impact in his native country of Israel, Alex has traveled all over the world to run professional certified training workshops. He has trained professionals in his techniques in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, USA, Austria, Finland, The UK, Slovenia, and so on. He also appeared in local media channels in those countries. Alex is a Humor Coach practicing and experimenting with Non-Linear Interventions&Approaches focusing mainly on building the capacity of Self-Acceptance within the individual, evoking his protagonists&students to Apply Improvisational Skills reflected from The Stage to their Real-Lives . His work is storngly inspired by the beating& audacious teachings of Dr Viktor Frankl, Keith Johnstone and Frank Farrely. Alex is currently the Gibberish Professor of the MsC. in Applied Positive Psychology program at New Buck University in the UK. In 2014 he was granted with the GOLDEN LAUGHTER AWARD by the French School of Happiness & Rigology® for his contribution of pursuing peace through laughter among Jews, Palestinians, and Jordanians. Alex is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Non Linear Approaches & Interventions Using Nonsensical Tools and Humor Drama’.

Mohamed Sleiman Labat is an artist from the Saharawi refugee camps in southwest Algeria. He was born and raised there. His entire life, he has been a refugee in a camp in a foreign country. Rather than being discouraged or seeking happiness elsewhere, he chose to remain and help inspire his community through art. He works with different art genres and mediums. He often introduces himself as simply ‘a maker’. He’s a calligrapher, a poet, a photographer, a sculptor, a painter and an art facilitator among other things. Coming from a desert culture, He’s familiar with a long tradition of oral expression (indigenous Saharawi poetry and stories) and he likes to combine this with visual art. Recently, he experimented with utilizing discarded materials such as fabric, scraps of wood, metal, plastic and utilitarian objects to create sculptures. This experimentation equipped him with skills and ideas that led to creating MOTIF, his studio in the camps. The studio now is an active hub for art creation and art education. He dream is to create this space for art experimentation in order to devise alternative ways to learning, creating and expressing. He now organizes social activities for young people to meet, to exchange and to create together. He believes art is bringing change to his community. Mohamed will present in PPLG the workshop: ‘CREATE TO HEAL’.

Nicole Sumner is a rhizomatic wonderer, artivist and migrant cultural worker. She was born into a family rich in play, and after spending years in play-draining schools, wanted nothing to do with education: Hi, my name is Nicole and I’m a recovering high-stakes-tested student… Before returning to education in a new way, Nicole collaborated in a number of nonviolent, direct action arrests that increased in playfulness, and founded a theater program in a women’s prison. She directed the education arm of Delhi Poetry Slam in its first three years, leading spoken word workshops in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Goa and Patan. She holds Seattle’s first poetry grand slam title. Nicole is a faculty member at the Integrated Learning Specialist Program, ACOE, and the Teacher Education Department of California State University, East Bay where she performs in the intersections between equity-based, play-centered learning, the arts and inquiry-based learning. She has recently been certified as a Laughter Yoga Leader. She is at this conference to be with others in not knowing, to step into the autopoiesis of the moment, to perform some un-To-Do lists each day, and jump into pop-up play think tanks. She will be making offers in the hundred languages of improvisation. Nicole is co- presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘H+EAR+T: PLAYING INSIDE A MUSICAL SCORE, PERFORMING DISSONANCE AND HARMONY, CROWDSOURCING A MULTILINGUAL CHORUS’

A native of Romania, Elena graduated from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music with a degree in Classical Guitar Performance. Actively engaged in her community, Elena has sought to address the issues of a modern mentorship. Her sense of entrepreneurialism has led her to organize projects that enable young people to achieve self-actualization, such as the Follow and Learn summer mentorship program in Montreal, Canada. Having received the opportunity to further share and develop her skills in South Korea, Elena spent two years working as a children’s musical theatre coach in Seoul and Busan. Elena is a graduate student at the Innsbruck University in Austria, carrying her research in the field of Peace Studies. She is a trainer and facilitator for Grenzenlos, organisation facilitating intercultural exchange. Elena is also assisting the Special Representative for External Affairs at SOS Children’s Villages international, and has recently joined the organization’s Global Emergency Response Team. She is currently educating herself on the situation of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children who are moving between and across borders. Elena is driven by her curiosity and seeks opportunities which challenge and broaden her perspective. Elena is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘EXPLORING RESONANCE IN A SPACE HELD BY SOUND‘.

Graduated from Ankara University Theater Dept. in 2001. He is one of the founders of the first improv group in Turkey in 2000. Working as an actor, musician and project coordinator in Istanbulimpro. Uses improvisation in business, education and social projects. Works with children, teenagers and adults in different foundations and organizations. His book ‘Dogaclama Icin Elkitabi’ published in 2013. He designed the first improv app in Turkish called impro-matik both on Google Play and Appstore. Tarhan is the author of the improlog.blogspot.com. He is the coordinator of Istanbul International Improv Festival. Tarhan is a member of Applied Improvisation Network since 2009 and participated, Portland, San Francisco and Berlin AIN World Conferences as a workshop leader and presenter. He participated as an actor and workshop leader in Amsterdam, Berlin, Chicago, Beijing, Ljubljana, Tallinn International Improv Festivals. Presented two workshops in Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium in Los Angeles in 2017 and . Presented a session in Politics, Theater, Policies Conference in Belgrade Dramatic Arts Faculty in 2018. Participated as a presenter and an actor in GII Symposium in Middlesex University in 2019. He shared the Best Theater Music Award with Vulkan Alp and Arjen Brusk in Turkey in 2018. Koray is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘IMPROVISATION IN A FORBIDDEN LANGUAGE’.

George holds an MA in Dramatherapy (Sesame) and a Diploma in Creative Arts Clinical Supervision (CAST). In the past he lived in the UK where he worked for the NHS and within the education system as a senior therapist. He currently works as a Dramatherapist with young refugees and with people with special needs. He also has a private clinical and supervision practice . He has a particular interest in the use of mythology and etymology both inside and outside the therapy room. George will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘CONVERSE WITH A ‘MODERN’ MINOTAUR:EXPLORING RACISM THROUGH SOMA, MYTH AND ETYMOLOGY’

Hanne Tjersland is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Peace and Conflict at the University of Granada, Spain, focused on embodiment and peace. She is a certified teacher of the conscious dance and movement practice Open Floor and explores as her dissertation topic ‘Open Floor as a Resource for Peace’. She is also trained as a theatre and yoga teacher, and has worked with groups in Norway, Austria, Lebanon and Germany with different creative and embodied methods. From studies, work and travelling she has gathered extensive experience from around the world, and currently she lives in Innsbruck, Austria. However, she still considers the mountains, forest and coastlines of her birth country Norway as her home. Her webpage is: www.peaceinmovement.com. She will present at PPLG the workshop: ENCOUNTERING ONESELF AND OTHERS THROUGH DANCE

My name is Sofia Trouli. I am a resident of Rethimno on the island of Crete, Greece. I studied archaeology at the University of Crete (1995-1999) and I have a Master’s Degree in Prehistoric Archaeology from the University Paris-I Pantheon Sorbonne (2001-2002). I also have a second Master’s Degree (DEA) in Museology, Science and Society from the National Natural History Museum of Paris (2002-2003) and a PhD in Archaeology and museum education from the University of Thessaly in Greece (2007-2012). I am especially interested in the relations between visitors from different communities and museums. I have worked for years on contract or as a volunteer for The Archaeological Museum of Rethymno (Crete), and I also work as a volunteer for the KEMEIEDE (Centre for the Study and Research of the History of Education and the Teaching Profession of the Department of Primary Education at the University of Crete. Nowadays, I am working as a museum educator in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete-Educational Sector-Art Workshops. I am responsible of the planning and implementation of 58 different two-hours experiential educational programs for all target groups (schools, families, adults, students), inspired by the temporary exhibitions of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete or by social issues such as the refugee crisis, school bulling, the Mediterranean diet, art and sciences. I am also responsible of interpretative guide tours in the temporary exhibitions for schools and adult groups (http://www.cca.gr/). This semester I am teaching museum education at the Department of Preschool Education of the University of Crete as Lecturer (under contract Law 407/1980). I am also teaching “Museums and Emergency Preparedness”, Museums and Collection Management and Basic Principles of Museum Security in the Public Institute of Vocational Training in Rethymno to the Museum and Archaeological Site Guards. Sofia is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘DISCUSSING IN FRONT OF BORDERS AND CROSSROADS’.

Dr Tsompanaki Eleni obtains three higher education degrees from English universities, such as Bachelor in Dance and Professional Practice (Coventry University), Master of Philosophy in Dance and Theatre Arts (University of Birmingham), PhD in Dance in Education (University of Birmingham). She has taught contemporary dance, creative dance, improvisation, composition and somatics at Coventry University, Greek National School of Dance and in various private dance schools in Athens and Thessaloniki. She was a basic coordinator of community dance for primary school teachers in the ‘Melina Programme: Education and Culture’, in the Operational Programme "Education and Lifelong Learning" Education of Roma children" and a lecturer in educational programmes for diversity groups, minorities and special needs. Moreover, she gives lectures about semiotics of dance and community dance on postgraduate courses at the University of Western Macedonia and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2015, she is artistic director of the Model Dance School of the Municipality of Kalamaria. From September 2018, she is a professor at the pedagogical department of the University of Thessaly. Eleni is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Community dance: telling stories through movement’.

Johanna Tysk was born in Sweden in 1983. She currently resides in New York City, where she earned her MFA in Transdisciplinary Design – with a special focus on organization development and performance arts – at Parsons School of Design. During the academic year 18/19 she taught “Creative Team Dynamics: Identity and change” and “Navigating the field: Professional and personal development” in the BBA Strategic Design and Management program at Parsons. She also completed a work-study program with the East Side Institute, exploring the methodology, philosophy and practice of the broader developing community. Johanna earned her BFA in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta in 2007, and had her own company in Stockholm, Sweden, 2008-2016, working at the intersection of design, art and community organization. Notable experiences include creating the visual world of the start-up children’s brand Cuddlings, now with products sold in 14 countries, initiating and directing the transatlantic cultural festival Creative Call: Atlanta x Stockholm, and leading numerous participatory murals arts and design projects in collaboration with social practitioners such as Stadsmissionen. She will be transitioning back to Sweden during the summer of 2019. More info at http://kokolabs.org/. Johanna is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘CONFLICTUAL HARMONY: AN INTERVENTION PHILOSOPHY FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE’

I am a graduate of the English Language and Literature Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Having done studies both in Liverpool John Moores University and Royal Holloway University of London I became specialised in Theatre Education and Theatre Production. I love acting and directing and I am really keen on working with youngsters' theatre groups. I have been teaching English for almost 15 years. I have been a radio show co-presenter and I have collaborated with the Public Central Library of Serres on a digital storytelling project called "Storieschest" sponsored by Future Library and Niarchos Foundation. Currently, I am teaching English to young learners, teenagers and adults and I am attending a Master’s degree course on Language Education for Refugees and Migrants. Also, I have been a board member of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Northern Greece Teachers’ Association for four years holding mainly the role of Media officer. Efi will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘Utilizing performance art to empower social justice in refugee groups’.

Marianna is a dramatherapist and supervisor with a background in theatre directing and devising. Her past in the theatre is integral to her clinical work; she believes that therapists, like artists, are occupied with the questions of what it means to be human. She has a particular interest in how to create psychologically health communities. Extending from this is her conviction that psychotherapists have a role to play in political thought as well as within the therapy room. She works in schools and in private practice in London with a diverse population of adults adolescents and children. She supervises trainee drama therapists at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where she also runs a process group for the MA Movement Direction course. Her workshop Encounter: Mapping, Meeting, Making Place grew out of her research about how attachment to places, which she has written about in “Mythic Place.” (Dramatherapy: Reflections and Praxis, Palgrave 2017) Previous conference presentations include Unlink/Relink: The Great Chain of Being (workshop) ECArTE Conference, Krakow 2017, Practicing Place: Attachment to Place through Drama and Movement Therapy (paper) ECArTE Conference, Palermo 2015 and Olga and the Spirit Animals (workshop), Stepping Stones Conference, London 2014. Marianna is presenting at PPLG the workshop: ‘Encounter: Mapping, Meeting, Making Place’

Aubrey Vora is a rogue educator, a coach for transformation and a lifelong Curiosapien. Through “gamified” coaching sessions, workshops and resource development, she supports people of all ages in enhancing their social and emotional intelligence, alongside imaginal and lateral thinking skills. She is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and studied theatre in both Chicago and London before going rogue to teach individuals, as well as in classrooms, summer camps, and offices around the world. Aubrey also founded Makeshift: a global network of creative change-makers (www.makeshift.global), who coordinate global events and initiatives that catalyze positive social change. And, when he’s not doing all that, she also illustrates coloring pages, writes, paints, performs and dances ecstatically. She is thrilled to reconnect with the inspiring members of the PPLG community soon, and she is excited for all of the possibilities unfold as we expand, shares knowledge and collaborate! Aubrey will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘FACILITATORS SWAP/MEET’.

Esben Wilstrup is a Danish psychologist, community-builder, and play activist. He is the co-founder and Assistant Director of the boarding school "Epos" in Denmark where students ages 15-17 learn the mandatory state curriculum but through play, performance and role-playing games (‘edularps’). When he isn't working to develop the community, staff, pedagogy, and leadership of this school or consulting with other schools to help them do the same, he works as an Associate of the East Side Institute to build an international movement of performance and play activists through the conferences/communities "Performing The World" and "Play Perform Learn Grow". Esben will present at PPLG the workshop: ‘IMPROVISING WITH(IN) THE SYSTEM’

David Keir Wright is a Scottish internationalist, born and bred in Dundee. Performing on and off stage has been an important aspect of his life from an early age. After qualifying as a teacher, he left the UK for Denmark where he has lived since 1967. David is an independent Drama Practitioner-Researcher with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Physical Education & Drama (Loughborough, England), BA in Theatre Studies (Copenhagen, Denmark), MPhil in Drama and Theatre (Trondheim, Norway). He is an Associate member of the International Drama and Theatre in Education Association (IDEA), the Roy Hart International Arts Association and the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth). After David left his full-time employment as a drama lecturer in Denmark in 2006 he found that singing and voicework provided him with another form of artistic expression that was good for both his body and brain to explore. His current passion and practical research interest, when preparing and facilitating workshops, is the integration of voicework in drama and theatre for educational and therapeutic purposes.

Lydia Xourafi is a qualitative researcher in psychology and a theater educator. She studied psychology and Theater arts, graduated from the Master Program in Social Science - Psychology (Lund University, Sweden), worked as a social researcher and activities facilitator in multiple contexts such as ESPON project “Territorial and Urban Potentials Connected to Migration and Refugee Flows”, Intercultural Centre for the Promotion of Refugee Integration “PYXIS”, Greek Council for Refugees, Project Otherness - Copenhagen International School of Performing Arts (action research), Athens University of Economic and Business. Currently, she is a trainee in Institute of Research and Psychotherapy – Logo Psychis and she studies theater pedagogy in National Kapodistrian University of Athens. She presented her work in a number of conferences and she is interested in the combination of social research, narrative inquiry and theater practices as a mean of emotional development, creative communication and empowerment of vulnerable populations. Currently, she is working as an applied theater educator and as a social researcher. Lydia is presenting at PPLG the project presentation: ‘Narratives of Precarity’ and the performance: ‘Self as Stories: A narrative approach of self in theater practice’.

Helle Rabøl Hansen is lawyer and ph.d. in educational psychology. Studies and researches bullying, marginalisation, power and environment in school and education for young people