Valentina Zagaria

Valentina has pursued theatre writing and directing alongside her anthropological research, and has combined these disciplines to create her unique form. She strives to immerse the actors in ground research in order to test collaboratively different ways of bringing complex realities to the stage. She has a BA in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, and a Masters in Law, Anthropology and Society from the London School of Economics.  It was during her Masters in 2011 that she began formally researching Lampedusa. During her studies she played in many student performances, and after directing Never Swim Alone by Canadian author Daniel Maclvor, she founded the Theatre Company of King’s College. For six years she worked with the Italian company Teatro di Nascosto, with whom she travelled to Palestine, Italy, England and Denmark. In London she collaborated with Az Theatre on diverse projects. While studying at the Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq she met the other members of Théâtre Senza, and instigated the formation of the company in 2013. In the summer of 2014 Valentina finished her studies at Lecoq’s Professional Writing Course, led by Michel Azama and Susana Lastreto, and moved back to London where she is now working towards a PhD in Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics. Valentina is currently carrying out research in Tunisia.