Marina Katsari was born in Nicosia in 1986. She studied Early Childhood Education at the University of Cyprus and completed a Master’s degree in Drama and Theatre Education at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
In 2026, Marina was nominated as Cyprus’s candidate for the 2027 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), one of the world’s most prestigious awards in children’s and young adult literature.
As an adult educator, she collaborates with institutions, organisations and businesses across a broad range of sectors, including education, culture and the economy. She designs and delivers seminars on the application of storytelling in a variety of professional, organisational and educational settings. Her collaborators have included the Cyprus Theatre Organisation, Fengaros Music Village, the Cyprus Tourist Guide School, and educational and research organisations in Cyprus and abroad. She has also received the support and recognition of UNESCO, as well as national and European institutions, for the design and implementation of marine literacy programmes.
As an external associate of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, registered in its official Registry, she designs and implements professional development support programmes and delivers seminars for educators and parents. Her areas of focus include Drama in Education, fostering a positive school climate, developing children’s communication skills, self-confidence and self-esteem, and managing emotions through drama, among others.
As a lecturer and specialist educator, she has worked at the University of Cyprus and European University Cyprus, teaching Creative Drama at the University of Cyprus and Children’s Literature at European University Cyprus. She has also taught the Art of Storytelling and Contemporary Educational Issues. She periodically delivers experiential professional development workshops as an external associate of the Global College Master’s programme in Creative Arts and Facilitation.
As a drama educator, she has designed and presented educational programmes in both Greek and English at museums and cultural institutions. These include Little Philosophers at the Leventis Gallery, The Voice of the Sea at the Archaeological Museum of Larnaca, Something Ancient Is Cooking at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, and Melusine and Catherine Cornaro at CVAR, among others.
As a storyteller and performer, she presents productions for children and adults in theatres, at festivals and in cultural venues. Her school performances have been approved by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. She has participated in various ensembles at major festivals in Cyprus and Greece, including Fengaros Festival, Axiothea Festival, Faneromeni, Windcraft Music Festival and the Fairy Tale Festival in Kea, Greece, among others. She has collaborated with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, while her projects have received the official support of France, Ireland and Venezuela. She has worked with artists from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Guatemala, Venezuela, Palestine, Greece and Cyprus, among other countries. She has also performed the theatrical monologue First Time Snow (1η φορά χιόνι), directed by Panayiotis Larkou.
She has trained in Philosophy for Children with the SAPERE Institute in the United Kingdom, attaining Level 2B, and has attended numerous seminars covering the full spectrum of the performing arts, working alongside renowned artists such as Savina Yannatou, Nick Hennessy and Vassilis Papavassiliou, among others.
Imagination is not limited to art; it touches every aspect of life. It is an essential part of the core skills that, as children and adults, we are called upon to develop throughout our lives: problem-solving, conflict resolution, critical thinking, creativity, communication, coexistence, innovation, and overcoming challenges.
Imagination is not simply a tool; it is a way of being and creating!
Whether I am on stage performing a show, training professionals such as educators, tour guides, project managers and artists, delivering empowerment workshops for parents, or teaching university students, I begin by asking my audience one fundamental question: “What brought you here? Where do you want to go?”
Our journey—personal or professional, individual or collective—is inseparable from the narrative we have shaped around it. From myths and fairy tales to a company slogan, throughout the centuries we have sought to make sense of this journey. Ultimately, we seek to tell our story.
Storytelling begins with the need to share the way you see the world. My own journey has taught me something very important: for a story to acquire the power it deserves, you must first immerse yourself in its own way of interpreting the universe.
Every story, just like every person or organisation, is unique. This is how I bring together my knowledge and creativity: by giving myself completely to the story that is waiting to be told.
If you would like to arrange any of the activities offered for children or adults, simply get in touch with me. Get in touch!