MARIA ABERG
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Maria is an award-winning director, performance maker and writer. She was born and raised in the south of Sweden and started her career at the Royal Court Theatre, working as an Assistant Director on several shows before making her debut with F. X. Kroetz’s STALLERHOF at the Southwark Playhouse in 2006. Since then, Maria has directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Exchange, Donmar Warehouse and Theatre Royal Bath, amongst others. Internationally she has worked at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Malmö Stadsteater and at the Staatstheater Mainz. She was a judge for the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and served on the board of Pentabus Theatre between 2015 and 2019. Maria is an Artistic Associate at Mountview and an Associate Artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Read more about Maria’s work here.
Contact Maria by emailing maria@projekteuropa.org
SHIHUI WENG
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Shihui is a creative producer, cultural broker and English-Chinese translator for the performing arts based in London / Shanghai. She founded Tempest Projects in 2021 focusing on commissioning new and innovative performing arts projects with an international perspective, for a wide audience. For the last six years, Shihui led the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Folio Translation Project – an ambitious cross-cultural artistic endeavour between the UK and China. Before the RSC, Shihui was an Associate Producer at the National Theatre of Scotland producing international co-productions, international touring and artists residencies. She was also a Cultural Advisor for the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland for China and Hong Kong during 2011-2013. Current projects: 1- on-1 performances A Game of You and The Smile off Your Face in collaboration with Ontroerend Goed are in residence at the Shanghai Cultural Square.
Contact Shihui by emailing shihui@projekteuropa.org
ANNA OGGERO
COMPANY PRODUCER
Originally from Italy, Anna is a London-based theatre producer, teacher, and performer. After graduating in Performing Arts from the Accademia dello Spettacolo in Turin and getting a Bachelor’s and Master’s combined degree from Law University of Turin, Anna moved to London in 2017 to study at Goldsmiths University where she graduated with distinction from the MA in Musical Theatre Production. In addition to her work at PROJEKT EUROPA, Anna is also working as an independent producer with Opera Co-Pro Ltd, the JEWish Cabaret and Trinacria Theatre Company. She has also held positions at Proud Haddock Productions Ltd and Finchley Children’s Music Group. Anna is a teacher of Drama and Music at Sial.school; Head of Singing at Almost Famous Performing Arts and drama teacher for Little Voices SWL.
Contact Anna by emailing anna@projekteuropa.org
PATRICIA AKOLI
PRODUCER
Patricia is a multi-faceted creative, facilitator and freelance producer of Ghanaian descent and holds a BA in Drama, Applied Theatre and Performance (UEL). She brings integrity, compassion and diligence to her work. She is currently creating a visual and verbatim inspired piece that will be exploring the juxtaposition of skin, pigmentation and identity in relation to eczema and society. She has 7 years experience of working Front of House and Producing, and 16 years of Youth and Community Work. Some of the companies she has worked with have been: The Clod Ensemble - Performing Medicine Initiative, The Royal Docks, JR Inside Out, London International Festival of Theatre, The Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Looks Like Me Ltd, The Arcola Theatre, Produced Moon, Immediate Theatre, London Bubble Theatre, University of Colorado Boulder’s Performers Without Borders to name a few.
Contact Patricia by emailing patricia@projekteuropa.org
JUDITH GERSTENBERG
DRAMATURG
Born and raised in Hamburg, she studied German literature, philosophy and art history in her home town and in Berlin. She has been working as a dramaturg in the German-speaking theatre world for more than 25 years. Permanent engagements include positions at Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, Neumarkttheater Zürich, Theater Basel, Burgtheater Wien and the Niedersächsische Staatstheater. In addition she has worked at Salzburger Festspiele, Münchner Opernfestspiele, Zürcher Festspiele, and the Biennale für Neues Musiktheater in München. She lectures at several universities and art academies and publishes continually in professional journals. Together with director Barbara Frey she is curating the Ruhrtriennale 2021-2023.