Theme: TRACES [ίχνη]

Ideas are power. They are worth manifesting and spreading. They can enrich our community, nourish our mind, feed the soul, stimulate the spirit. We believe in the power and beauty of ideas that can unfold like colourful yarns in a neighbourhood street, or, from the top of a slide in pursuit of a monumental landing. Because ideas inspire, they make people reflect, engage in a dialogue and they multiply.

These very ideas are the traces [ίχνη] that TEDxNicosia has been creating over the past five years. They are our contribution to the local community, the traces which people can look back upon and also look ahead at. Simply put, traces left by footprints are the summation of a journey…

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven in the lives of others” – Pericles
“Every animal leaves traces of what it was; man alone leaves traces of what he created.” – Jacob Bronowski

Satiriko Theatre
Vladimirou Kaukaridi Street
11-15 Aglandjia
Nicosia, Lefkosia, 2102
Cyprus

Andreas Lordos

Architect

Andreas Lordos was born in Famagusta, Cyprus. He has a degree in Architecture from UC, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Cyprus. Andreas is a long-standing member of the Board of Directors of the English School, Nicosia and a Board Member of the of the American International School, Nicosia. He has participated in a number of inter-communal projects. He is married to Zoe, who’s also an architect,and they have four children. Their work facility adjoins their home-a building, or, more precisely, an ecosystem, located within the walled part of Nicosia. Andreas’ passions include archaeology, anthropology, history, and rock climbing – a leisure pursuit, which has recently evolved into weekend family excursions. He is particularly concerned about education, and is a firm believer that if we better comprehend and communicate the Cypriot identity, and allow it to unravel, this can indeed lead to peace.

Antonis Kountouris

Engineer

Antonis Kountouris studied Mechanical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens. He then pursued his postgraduate degree, focusing on the study of insulated materials, at the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Cyprus. He is a PhD candidate of Mechanical Engineering at the National Technical University (NTUA) in Athens and his research evolves around the development of construction materials deriving from the wastes of polymer material. Antonis works as project manager for research and development at Nicolaides & Kountouris Metal Company Ltd, an award-winning family business (2014: Innovation Award by the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation; 2016: Eco-Innovation Awards by the European Platform, Eco-Innovation, Inneon). You can read more about his book on www.creativityat30.com

Group Performance: Politistiko Ergastiri Ayion Omoloyiton

Non-profit Group actively involved cultural events

Politistiko Ergastiri Ayion Omoloyiton is a non-profit organization actively involved in cultural events in the city of Nicosia. It aims to offer opportunities for creativity within activities, for citizens of Nicosia and its members, mainly through music and dance, through organized events and presentations. Since it was founded in 1999, it has developed a rich artistic activity and has managed to establish itself, as one of the most active cultural institutions of the city. The most important contribution of Politistiko Ergasiti in cultural events, is in the field of teaching, indulging and presentation of traditional dance, music and costume: characterized by open participation, acceptance and coexistence of people of all ages, abilities and roles, through dance, song and music which are the elements that connect participants.

John Yorke

Drama producer, author and teacher

John Yorke is Managing Director of Angel Station where he works as a drama producer, consultant and lecturer on all forms of storytelling. He has spent over 30 years studying our insatiable appetite for stories. A former MD of Company Pictures where he Exec Produced Wolf Hall, he’s worked as both Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production. As a commissioning Editor/Executive Producer, he championed Life On Mars, The Street, Shameless and Bodies and in 2005 he created the BBC Writers Academy, a year-long in-depth training scheme which has produced a generation of successful television writers. The author of INTO THE WOODS – the highly acclaimed book about how and why we tell stories – John is Visiting Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and lives and works in London. http://www.johnyorkestory.com/

Kobi Levi

Designer

Design and shoes have been Kobi Levi’s passion since his childhood in Tel Aviv, Israel. His first shoe designs were created during his high school days, and were made out of cardboard. His passion led him to the Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design in Jerusalem, and he has worked as a freelance footwear designer since his graduation. Kobi has since learned the trade secrets of shoe development and craftsmanship. He has been designing unique, creative and innovative shoe styles, which challenge the standard definitions of design, art and fashion to create a niche of their own. Six years ago, Kobi uploaded his footwear art creations on a blog. Within hours, the blog took on a life of its own, becoming the talk of many towns around the world. This over-night exposure caught the attention of the famed Lady Gaga, who used the design ‘Double Boot’ in her “Born this Way” music video. Worldwide attention and media publicity led to a growing demand for Kobi’s artistic styles.

Konstantina Papageorgiou

Sign Language

Shifting between the Deaf community and the hearing for the past 15 years, in the capacity of interpreter of Greek Sign Language, Konstantina urges us to bridge ‘I can’ with ‘I can’t’ when confronted with the ‘Other’, the ‘Different.’ Konstantina has been practicing/applying Greek Sign Language since 2001 and has been working as an interpreter since 2005.

Melissa Hekkers

Journalist/Activist

Melissa was born in Belgium, and since 2004 she has been living & working in Cyprus. She is a freelance journalist, columnist and features writer for local newspapers and other magazines and online platforms. Her written work focuses mainly on the arts and culture as well as human interest stories and also indulges in travel writing when travelling. Recently, Melissa has been heavily involved in the refugee crisis, both as a writer aiming to bring awareness to the matter, but also as an independent volunteer. In 2007 she published her first children’s book in both English and Greek entitled CROCODILE, which won the Cyprus State Illustration Award of the same year. In 2012, she launched her second children’s book FLYING ACROSS READ SKIES (English and Greek), an experimental approach to literature, for which she was nominated for the Cyprus State Literary award. A year later she diverted from writing for children and published her first poetry book COME-FORTH.

Memnia Theodorou

Adventurer

Memnia was born in Larnaca, Cyprus. She pursued Dentistry at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece and thereafter built her dental career in the UK. In need of a break from her career and an adventure, she signed up for an international sailing event, ‘Clipper Round the World Yacht Race’.The ultimate purpose of the race is for the 12 identical boats, manned by amateur sailors & led by professional skippers, to complete a circumnavigation of the earth, going through some of the most treacherous weather systems & isolated areas of the planet in 11 months. While originally signed up for the first leg of the race, crossing the Atlantic, travelling from London to Rio de Janeiro, during the crossing, she fell in love with the sport and the sea, so she kept signing up for more legs. She continued sailing to Cape Town, Albany, Sydney, Hobart, till she reached Airlie Beach. She has covered over 18.000nM, becoming the first Cypriot woman to have sailed from the UK to Australia.

Noutsa Snouts

Dancer

An artist, creative director and designer with a Georgian/Russian background.Although she studied Architecture & Interior Design, she has also pursued one of her greatest passions and has been dedicated to dancing for over 10 years. She specializes in street dance and the history behind each style, competing in competitions locally and abroad. In 2015 she represented Cyprus in the ‘ Urban Art & Social Transformation’ project in Malaga,Spain, where she was able to promote the hip hop scene in Cyprus through a series of talks and workshops which focused on how to turn your passion into a profession. Noutsa thoroughly studied the essence of hip hop culture (Peace-Love-Unity-Having Fun), and set a goal to promote it on an academic level. Noutsa published her thesis ‘Architecture in the creation of Hip Hop culture’ www.hiphop.com.cy. This was the beginning of introducing the values of hip hop culture and showing its interconnection to everything around us.

Paul Iacovou

Filmmaker

Paul’s background is a hybrid of visual arts. From brand strategy to marketing, from image consulting to artiste management, his work transcends a multitude of disciplines. His passion however lies in filmmaking. With a heavy slant in the entertainment business, Paul has produced projects for many artistes including Sammy Davis Jr, The Bee Gees, Neil Sedaka and Engelbert Humperdinck. The documentary ‘If I Never Sing Another Song’, following veteran entertainer Joe Longthorne as he battled cancer whilst desperately continuing to perform was optioned by the Biography Channel. The film was subsequently offered to The Macmillan Cancer Charity as an aid to inspire other cancer sufferers. Storytelling and identity is at the heart of Paul’s work.

Peggy Spineli

Editor of Startups Online Journal

Peggy Spineli is the Editor-in-Chief of Impossible.Works, a website featuring startups and SMEs, hoping that imagination in entrepreneurship will bring about progress and development and make unemployment a symptom of the past. Aspiring to be a considered a “founder”, she created the company The Write Formula, where she writes texts for companies and individuals who appreciate content. Other than that, she loves yellow tulips and red wine, she is afraid of people who do not burst into loud laughter and shudders at the thought of having to speak in front of a large audience at some point.

Pembe Mentesh

Communications, Activist, Women's rights

Pembe Mentesh was born in Sydney, Australia to Turkish Cypriot parents who migrated to Australia in the early 70s. Her connection to Cyprus & extended family began from a very young age through her mother’s colouful stories about her own childhood. She is a communications expert with over 20 years of experience in media, public affairs, campaigning, and project management. She moved to Cyprus in 2006 with a plan to stay for “a couple of years” but now after 10 years, a husband and two children she notes that “it looks like I may be staying for a lot longer!” Pembe has worked on a variety of peacebuilding initiatives with a focus on media, gender, youth and communications through her work with UNDP in Cyprus with additional short-term posts in New York and Amman. Her previous work in Australia involved work with local and state government institutions for education and indigenous communities. A campaigner & supporter of women’s rights and an active contributor to gender initiatives.

Sarah Fenwick

Jazz singer & online journalist

Jazz singer Sarah Fenwick is one of the original Jazz voices in Cyprus and has been performing here since 1991. She is recognized as a true supporter of the Jazz and Blues arts, as well as one of the most improvisational performers on the Jazz scene. Sarah studied Classical vocal technique and used this very strong foundation to develop her three-octave range in the Jazz style. Since starting her professional music career in 1991, the popular Jazz singer has performed in Cyprus, Israel, Kuwait, Italy and other countries. She has recorded and produced four CDs, including the hit ‘Love Life’ CD. Sarah’s self-produced most recent CD ‘Jazz Origins’ is 11 original songs composed with brilliant guitarist Marinos Neofytou. Each song traces the origins of Jazz to its Blues, Ethnic, or Latin roots. She was born in Kenya and grew up in the West Indies, Cyprus and the UK.

Spyros Armostis

Linguist

Spyros graduated from the University of Cyprus with a bachelor’s degree in Classics. He then pursued postgraduate studies in Linguistics (Phonetics) at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained his MPhil and PhD. His thesis topic was the phonetics of Cypriot Greek geminates. He has worked as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Cyprus, the Open University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology, and the European University, Cyprus. His research interests lie in the fields of Phonetics and Phonology, and also include Writing Systems and the history of Greek language. He currently works as a research assistant at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, at the Cyprus University of Technology.

Yorgos Papadopoulos

Glass Artist

An artist who works with glass as his medium. This work is unique and does not fit neatly into any category. It is fine art, architectural, decorative and sculptural, all at the same time. Working with both abstract and figurative subjects, Yorgos breaks colours and textures sheets of industrial glass and then re-laminates them. The finished piece looks as if it would be very fragile, but in fact it is extremely durable. The inspiration for the technique Yorgos uses came whilst a student at the Royal College of Art in London. His “failed” kiln forming in a ceramics and glass class gave him an appreciation for breakages & crackling of the surface during the process. Today, hammers, bricks bullets and electric current are just some of his artist tools. ‘Glass is my canvas, hammers are my brushes,’ he says. And, in fact, his breathtakingly beautiful artworks are actually smashed sheets of glass that are treated with sandblasting, glass pigments, gold leaf, enamels, silicone gels & more.