Lamia Abi Azar is a theatre maker, performer and drama therapist, and the co-founder and co-artistic director of Zoukak Theatre (2006). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Joseph University in Beirut (1999), and studied theatre at the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University. In 1999, she moved to Italy where she co-founded La Casa del Teatro, and earned her degree in History and Practice of Arts, Music and Performance, with a focus on theatre from the Università degli Studi dell’Aquila (2004).
Merging the various tools she acquired during her studies, she developed a psychosocial methodology in response to the needs of the communities she worked with. As a strong believer in the power of imagination as an agent for change, she led a wide number of psychosocial interventions since 2000 in collaboration with local and international organizations. She devised performances with diverse groups in various contexts in Lebanon and abroad, connecting socially engaged work with artistic research and practice.
Over the past 15 years, Lamia has created over 20 performances with Zoukak Theatre—co-devising, co-writing and performing. She has presented performances at international festivals and venues such as the MuCEM, ITFOK Festival, Southbank Center, Ibsen theater, Théâtre des 13 Vents and more. Committed to sharing her expertise, she has developed training programs for theatre practitioners in psychosocial interventions and published research on theatre as a tool for development. Abi Azar is also a mentor in Zoukak’s Mentorship Program, guiding young artists in the creation of their projects.
English 
Arabic