School of Humanities and Social Sciences

www.uel.ac.uk/ipsa

Erene Kaptani was born in Lesvos, Greece. She holds a degree in Politics from the University of Greece, an MA in Applied Anthropology Community and Youth Work from Goldsmith’s University, a Professional Diploma in Dramatherapy and a diploma in Acting. She conducted research on three generations of Greek Cypriot women in London, on experiential learning methods working with migrants and she wrote a paper on Theatre and Politics for German studies publication. She also contributed written material for Maritime Museum Community Development and Age Exchange theatre company projects regarding her work with Indo- Chinese refugees and intergenerational groups. For the last nine years she has been working with homeless, children, elderly, women and refugees as a community theatre practitioner, performer and group facilitator. She performed in various theatre venues and festivals. She is currently involved with Playback South Theatre Company.

Her reserach interests are interdisciplinary and her focus is on bringing theatre arts to gether with social sciences. She has been inspired by Boal, Freire, Brook, Brecht, and Social sciences scholars. She experiments with Theatre based on Personal stoires and social issues of exclusion with the groups she works with.

Her aim is to develop a combination of efficient research methods based on theatre in examiming social issues and liberatory actions. At the moment she works with Playback and Forum theatre as well Dramatherapy methods.