Lia Haraki is a Cypriot interdisciplinary performance artist and moving poet whose work spans performance art, devised theatre, choreography, song, spoken word, and a form she terms "repetitive poetry." Engaged deeply with themes of identity, community, ecology, and value, Haraki sees art as a powerful medium capable of catalyzing shifts in perception toward a more equitable world.
Lia Haraki, born in 1975 in Limassol, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Theatre Studies from the Laban Centre in London. Over the past two decades, she has crafted works for stages and alternative spaces both locally and internationally, with presentations in numerous European cities and prestigious festivals, including Julidans Amsterdam, the Athens Festival, Royal Festival Hall London, Bozar Brussels, Unesco Paris, The Place London, Tanec Praha, Kleines Haus Dresden, Korzo The Hague, and Euro-scene Leipzig. A highlight of her career was representing Cyprus at the 2013 Venice Biennale for Visual Arts with the solo performance Tune In, curated by Raimundas Malasauskas (Special mention for the Cyprus and Lithuanian Pavilion). Notably, Haraki has received the choreography award at the Cyprus Dance Platform twice (2003, 2005) and was shortlisted twice by the Aerowaves network (for 'Evergreen' in 2004 and 'Pretendance' in 2009).
Central to Haraki's creative practice is her exploration of the moving and sounding qualities of the human body, a vehicle through which she addresses its sociopolitical positioning. By challenging normative constructs associated with the body, she employs self-sarcasm and satire as starting points, devising performative strategies to dismantle socially constructed narratives and expose their illusory nature. Her works often scrutinise and challenge sociopolitical norms and heteronormative constructs, while celebrating vulnerability and empathy as essential human strengths.
Her artistic endeavors encompass a diverse array of formats, ranging from staged performances and site-specific pieces to intimate one-on-one experiences, sound installations, stand-up shows, musical collaborations, and performances within unconventional spaces such as shops.
In 2003, Haraki founded the non-profit association Pelma.Lia Haraki, serving as a production framework for her artistic endeavors. This structure, primarily supported by the cultural services of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus, fosters creative exchanges with long-term collaborators such as Alexis Vassiliou (artist and director of Dance House Lemesos), Arianna Marcoulides (performing artist), Guy Cools (dance dramaturge), Eleana Alexandrou (performing artist), Marios Ioannou (performing artist), Yiangos Hadjiyiannis (technical manager) and Yiannis Christofides (composer).
Participation in EU programs has been a significant aspect of Haraki's career, including roles as a guest artist in 'Emotional Bodies and Cities' (2013), an artist in 'Act Your Age' (2013), and a partner in 'The Underwater Heart of the Mediterranean' (2015-16), which featured the first-ever underwater dance performance. Notably, she coordinated and mentored the Performance Laboratory of 22 young artists in the 'Open Up' four-year-long cultural project (2020-2023), co-funded by the Creative Europe programme, aiming to promote underrepresented artists, designers, craftspeople, and performers in partner cities.
Haraki has also made significant contributions to theatre productions as a choreographer at the National Theatre of Cyprus (THOC). Her collaboration on The Persians by Aeschylus, directed by Aris Biniaris with Kariofilia Karambeti in the leading role of Atossa, received acclaim during its tour of Greece and Cyprus, including performances at ancient theatres like Epidaurus and the Herodion.
Noteworthy among her projects is The Performance Shop Concept, a pioneering exploration of performance's integration into daily life and its intrinsic value as an art form. This project, which examines the essence and worth of performance and immaterial art, was recognized as one of the 25 best practices in Europe by the European Dance House Network (EDN) in 2016. Marina Abramovic, the renowned performance artist, commended the project during a conversation with Haraki in Athens in 2016, describing it as "a very fresh and good idea."
In 2005, Haraki spearheaded the creation of Dance House Lemesos, a hub supporting professional contemporary dance in Cyprus and fostering collaborations with European dance organizations and artists. This is a milestone for the development of the contemporary dance scene in Cyprus. Haraki's commitment to nurturing artistic practices is evident in her development of workshops, coaching, and mentoring methods for artists over the past two decades. These include 'The Onion: An Artist's Toolkit,' 'Performing Biography: The Stand-Up Practice,' 'IntuNition,' and 'The Performance (Work)shop,' taught at universities, festivals, and dance houses globally. From 2007 to 2023, Haraki contributed to the creation of the dance program at the University of Nicosia and served as a part-time lecturer. She also taught at the Theatre Studies programs of Intercollege and Satiriko Theatre in Nicosia.
As the representative for the Aerowaves network from 2004 to 2016, Haraki curated 'Aerowaves Nights' at Dance House Lemesos (2008 and 2010) and programmed the 6th Open House International Dance Festival of Dance House Lemesos with the theme 'SEXPECTATIONS,' featuring international artists such as Ivo Dimchev, Hodworks, and Tabea Martin. Her TEDx talks, including 'Whatever You Perform is Right' at TEDx Limassol and 'The Necessity of Performance' at TEDx Patras, have informed and inspired audiences to embrace performance as a ritual accessible to all. From 2019 to 2021, Haraki and her collaborators served as resident artists at Polis Theatre OPAP in collaboration with NiMAC, invited by curator Yiannis Toumazis to present her own works and design programmes presenting and curating the work of other artists showcasing works in artistic and other residency programs such as 'Bridges' and the 'Castle of Anti-Escape.'