We bring people together through unique experiences
involving Theatre and Social practices.
Meet the team
Yasemin Collective formed in 2020 by Natalia Panagiotou, Despina Chrysanthou and Annie Sofocleous, based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Since its creation, Yasemin Collective provides a strong ground for building meaningful community connections through authentic, artistic and social experiences.
To this day, Yasemin produced divised and documentary theatre, immersive, circus, clown, stand - up comedy performances such as: #kazanτί (2020), People of Faneromeni (2021), The New Reality Show (2021), Nat in da House (2021), The Magic Circle (2022), #tombολα (2022), La Patronne (2023), Kiki and Koko go loco (2024). The team's actions revolve equally around an artistic as well as social level. Yasemin is very active in leading and facilitating Theatre-based interventions/workshops/trainings for diverse groups aiming for personal and community development, inclusivity and social impact.
Artistic Director, Co-Founder
Natalia Panagiotou
Natalia holds a degree in Performing Arts specialised in Theatre (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier III), a master's degree in Performing Arts – Theatre and Dance (Université Lumière Lyon 2) and she is a graduate of the Arts en scène Drama School (Lyon). In recent years she has been working as an actress, performer and theatre maker in France and Cyprus. In her work, she explores playwriting, performing, clowning, stand-up comedy and directing. Alongside her artistic activity, she facilitates theatre and movement workshops for all ages with diverse backgrounds in order to create social impact. She is currently in the process of receiving the certification of professional training instructor of HRDA.
Creative Associate, Co-Founder
Despina Chrysanthou
Είναι απόφοιτος Ψυχολογίας του Lancaster University και της Δραματικής Σχολής Βλαδίμηρου Καυκαρίδη. Έχει εργαστεί στην ψυχιατρική πτέρυγα του Reading Hospital, NHS Αγγλίας, και διαθέτει δίπλωμα ιπποθεραπείας, εξειδικεύοντας στην εκπαίδευση ατόμων με αυτισμό. Έχει επίσης παρακολουθήσει σεμινάρια Συνεχιζόμενης Επαγγελματικής Ανάπτυξης (CPD) στον τομέα της Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού (HR).
Ως ηθοποιός, έχει συμμετάσχει σε τηλεοπτικές σειρές, ταινίες μικρού μήκους και θεατρικές παραστάσεις σε Κύπρο και Αγγλία, συνεργαζόμενη με σκηνοθέτες όπως η Μαρία Καρσερά, ο Αστέριος Πελτέκης και ο Pascal Caron. Από το 2012 διδάσκει θέατρο σε παιδιά και εφήβους, ενώ από το 2020 εργάζεται στο Κέντρο Παρέμβασης για Άτομα με Αυτισμό στη Λευκωσία. Είναι επίσης δημιουργός και καθοδηγήτρια των προγραμμάτων "The Autism Theatre Project" και "Theatricality in Cosplay."
Creative Associate, Co-Founder
Annie Sofocleous
Annie Sofocleous holds a BA in Psychology and Management studies from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She joined the field of theatre in 2010 through a unique teaching approach which combines experiential theatre with practices of Yoga. Over the years she attended intensive training seminars on the art of clowning, mime and physical theatre in Cyprus, Mexico, Spain and Germany. She deepened her knowledge in Circus Arts and their use as a tool for social change (social circus). To date she has worked in the fields of performing arts, events management, social welfare as a youth worker and as a theatre and juggling workshop facilitator for all ages. With 14 years of personal experience and consistency in Hatha Yoga practices (asanas, pranayama/breathing techniques and meditation) she now aims to complete the Yoga Teacher Training. Annie Sofocleous is a certified training instructor of HRDA for the lifelong learning of adults in Horizontal Skills.