Elena Yianni is a Greek Cypriot, London-raised and based Theatre and Film Director working with bold new writing and overlooked stories by and about underrepresented voices, particularly those from working-class communities, council estates, women, young people and the Cypriot diaspora.

She is drawn to stories about people – their identities, cultures, politics and the realities of life today. She is interested in finding the hope and humour in everyday stories, even when exploring difficult or uncomfortable subjects.

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Writing, performance and music sit at the heart of her practice. She is particularly interested in the relationship between music and storytelling and loves bringing music into the rehearsal room early on to spark ideas, experiment and play.

 

Her work is grounded in care, curiosity and collaboration. She is committed to championing new voices, developing work with emerging creatives, and telling authentic stories that reflect the world as it is and as it could be.

She holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Applied Theatre and is an alumna of the Young Vic’s Fresh Direction Programme and the Lyric Hammersmith Young Associate Programme. 

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​Elena is currently a Creative Practitioner with Haringey Shed, where she works weekly with their Youth Theatre and Young Adults groups, delivers school sessions and supports the wider work of the company, including its summer theatre programme and other projects.​

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Most recently, she was Associate Director on the three-day production of Martha and Eve and Assistant Director on The Ophiolite at Theatro Technis, both directed by Kerry Kyriacos Michael.

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Elena is also the Founder of AMDA (Artists’ Movement for Developing Artistry), a multidisciplinary company dedicated to nurturing artists aged 13–30. AMDA provides resources, training, and mentorship to help young creatives bridge the gap between education and the professional industry. 

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