Marina Maleni – Building Theatre Futures
This episode of the StageLync Podcast is part of our World Stage Design series. Host Anna Robb interviews Marina Maleni, a Cypriot theatre leader, performer, and cultural policymaker. Marina shares her journey from the stage to the policy table, reflecting on her work as Theatre Development Officer at THOC and her long-standing role curating Cyprus’s presence at the Prague Quadrennial. From winning the Golden Triga to shaping inclusive, sustainable theatre ecosystems, Marina offers insight into how small countries can make a global impact. Check out this preview, and don’t miss the full episode next week!
How has your background as an actress and performer shaped your role in theatre policy and development?Marina explained that her performing arts background deeply informs her policy work. Having started as an actress and TV/radio host, she now uses that lived experience to advocate for artists from within the system, not outside it. She brings an insider’s empathy and knowledge to creating initiatives and conditions that support the people she once worked alongside onstage.
“I’m not someone from the outside, an administrator working for them, but I’m actually one of them working with them.”
Her understanding of the “nuts and bolts” of theatre-making also enables her to design more effective and realistic cultural policies, funding programs, and European collaborations.
What is the Prague Quadrennial and how did Cyprus come to win its highest honor, the Golden Triga?The Prague Quadrennial is the world’s leading exhibition of performance design and theatre architecture, held every four years since 1967. Marina has curated Cyprus’s national participation since 2007, and in 2023, her country’s exhibit Spectators in a Ghost City won the Golden Triga—the top international prize.
The installation centered around the abandoned city of Famagusta, using scenography and dramaturgy to explore memory, trauma, and dark tourism. Marina emphasized that for a small country like Cyprus, winning this award was a surreal achievement and a proud moment of cultural representation on the global stage.
“We never even dreamed of actually getting the Golden Triga… It’s still almost unbelievable.”
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for theatre development in Cyprus?Cyprus, despite its small size, has a thriving theatre scene. Marina credits this to a strong cultural appetite, returning talent from abroad, and consistent government support through THOC (Cyprus Theatre Organisation). She stressed the importance of building structures that support not just theatre companies but also the artists and audiences—her “three pillars.”
One major challenge is sustainability: performances often have short runs, which limits earning potential. However, Marina takes pride in the fact that Cyprus didn’t lose a single theatre company during COVID-19, thanks to continued subsidies.
“We supported the companies, we kept the theatre going… That shows how theatre is loved in Cyprus.”
She advocates for more rehearsal spaces, resource access, and support for emerging artists as ways to strengthen the local ecosystem.
How is Cyprus addressing global shifts in theatre, including audience decline and environmental sustainability?Cyprus faces the same challenges as other countries—audience habits are changing, and competition from digital media is growing. Marina emphasized that small markets mean limited runs and smaller audiences, making it harder to survive financially. However, ongoing subsidies and creative programming help maintain momentum.
She also discussed Cyprus’s involvement in the European Theatre Convention (ETC), where she’s a board member. Through ETC, Cyprus joined projects like Young Europe (bringing classroom plays to schools) and is part of the Theatre Green Book initiative, aiming for carbon-neutral theatres by 2030.
“The Theatre Green Book gives practical ways theatres can go green… It’s not about guilt. It’s about what we can do.”
This includes reducing emissions through set design, operations, audience transport, and touring practices.
What drives you in your work, and what would you change if you could?Marina finds the ever-changing nature of her work most exciting—every project brings new creative possibilities. She enjoys crafting environments and policies that allow others to thrive in their artistry.
If she could change one thing, it wouldn’t be about more money, but more opportunity. She dreams of a world where every artist, especially young ones, has access to the resources needed to create right after graduation, rather than waiting years to “earn” the right to be seen.
“I wish every artist could be working all the time… It’s such a pity when creative energy is lost because there’s no place to put it.”
Key Insights from the Podcast
Performer-Turned-Policymaker: Marina’s acting background ensures policies are shaped with artists, not just for them.
Theatre as Thought Design: She crafts conceptual and structural “spaces” to nurture creative freedom.
Golden Triga Victory: Cyprus’s Spectators in a Ghost City won the top award at PQ ‘23 under her curation.
Resilient Small Market: All Cypriot theatre companies survived COVID through targeted support and sustained subsidies.
Green Theatre Roadmap: With ETC, she advances the Theatre Green Book—practical steps toward carbon-neutral productions.
Opportunity Over Funding: Her vision: every freshly trained artist should have the chance to create immediately.
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
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