Our people
Emilia Teglia is Artistic Director and founder of Odd Eyes Theatre. She has written and directed the majority of the company’s productions. Her practice focuses on the dynamics of communication across cultures and on their surrealist, often tragicomic by-products. An advocate for diversity as a philosophy of life, her mission is to enable cultural exchange through creative communication between individuals from every socioeconomic background, country and walk of life.
In 2022 Emilia Teglia was nominated in the Top 100 changemakers for her positive contribution to a better society through the arts.
After training in Stanislavski-based acting techniques in Italy and London, Emilia travelled Europe working in theatres of all scales and scopes, from Teatro dell’ Opera Donizzetti in Bologna to public squares and festivals.
Then her life took a bad turn. As a young woman, she found herself dealing with mental health, domestic violence and addiction. When selling the Big Issue during an (un)fortuitous spell of homelessness in London, she got to know Cardboard Citizens and was lucky enough to train with Augusto Boal, founder of Theatre of the Oppressed. It was the beginning of a new life as she experienced first-hand the power of theatre to create personal and social change.
Odd Eyes Theatre was born from Emilia’s experience with Augusto Boal, matured over the course of her BA Theatre Studies and MA in Cultural History degrees.
In this interview with The Big Issue Emilia reflects on her journey from selling the magazine outside Old Street tube station to founding Odd Eyes Theatre, as it reaches its 10 year anniversary.
Today, Emilia’s credits include work as playwright, director, film maker and editor. She regularly lectures in dramaturgy, writing and Theatre of the Oppressed at colleges and universities in the UK and internationally.
Find out more about Emilia and her work: www.emiliateglia.net
Andreea Tudose, Assistant Producer, is a Romanian theatre-maker and actor. She moved to the UK as a child, and her work focuses on the material, linguistic and cultural realities of being a migrant. Two of her solo durational performance pieces recently featured at the Biennale Archipelago Mediterraneo (Sicily). Andreea also works with Projekt Europa on their Artistic Advisory Board.
Diego Trucco joined Odd Eyes Theatre young people’s leadership placement programme in 2020. After becoming a Trustee in 2022, he was appointed Chair of the Board in 2023.
Diego currently works as a Finance Officer at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is responsible for the Conservatoire’s Accounts Payable function.
He studied a master’s in Economics and Management of the Arts at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where he graduated with a thesis on the evolution of governance and leadership in the performing arts sector.
Diego is greatly passionate about music and education. From a young age he has played several instruments, and in 2019, he graduated in Viola from the Conservatoire G. F. Ghedini of Cuneo.
Sara-Jane Kaba’s love affair with theatre started at the age of 3 when she experienced her first Panto.
After graduating with a BA Hons in Performing Arts at London Metropolitan University, Sara-Jane joined MeWe Arts and Education where she toured theatre in schools, directed and produced community projects both nationally and internationally and worked with various London boroughs creating bespoke pieces of art within the community. She fell pregnant with her first child in 2011 and stopped working within that arts. So she gave up Performing Arts because that’s what she thought she had to do to become a responsible adult.
After 10+ years working in various office settings, Sara-Jane made the courageous step of quitting her stable job in January 2021 and returning to her love of performing arts. Since then, she has set up her own performing arts company ‘Soca Moves’ which mainly focuses on empowering children through the power of self-expression and dance. As well as working with a variety of performing arts companies as a freelancer. She joined Odd Eyes Theatre’s Board as Trustee and continues to strengthen her ties to theatre.
Kirstin Sillitoe has a wealth of cross-sector experience in project / company management. She currently works at Google where she looks after Business Affairs; Marketing, across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to this, she worked at Google’s Creative Lab in Sydney as a Team Lead, was co-CEO with national arts and disability peak body Arts Access Australia, and transformed Vulcana Women’s Circus, Brisbane, into a successful social enterprise during her time as their General Manager.
Having spent 8 years in Australia, Kirstin gained international experience of grant writing and fundraising, and worked as a Grant Assessor with the Australian Federal Government Ministry for the Arts. Her recent shift into the corporate (tech) sector has seen Kirstin engage with a number of not-for-profits through Google’s internal Employee Resource Groups, primarily representing the LGBTQIA+ community.
In 2020, with a coincidentally fortunate return to the UK pre-pandemic, Kirstin became a solo mum by choice – embarking on solo parenthood and undertaking arguably the most important role in her ‘career’ to date.
Flora Herberich is a producer working predominantly in circus. After working 10 years as a performer and artist, Flora decided to cross over to the other side and work with artists and venues to create, develop and tour circus in the UK. She has worked with leading sector organisations like the Roundhouse and Crying Out Loud and is currently Director at Pitchbend Circus and Associate Artist artist at Jacksons Lane, North London’s home of circus.
Flora first came across Odd Eyes Theatre when Mimbre invited her to see #Haters during its first tour in 2015. She applied to join the Board in 2016 and is happy to be influencing interesting and politically relevant work.
Letizia Mele is Drama and Creative Movement Lecturer at Newham College.
Letizia graduated in Performing Arts at De-Montfort University. Since 2004 she implements dance-theatre techniques in her work with people with learning disabilities and with elderly participants in care homes.
Jennifer Ellis is currently Chief Officer at RedbridgeCVS.
She is a skilled project and programme manager with a wealth of experience in service development and social enterprise.
Jennifer studied Theatre Science at the University of Bergen, Norway and spent two semesters studying performance art and physical theatre at the University of Kent in the UK and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Jennifer has a passion for supporting people and communities to thrive and a special interest in theatre and community cohesion.
Yasanji joined Odd Eyes Theatre as a Trustee of the Board through the ELBA program in 2023.
Yasanji currently works as an Equities Strategist at Morgan Stanley and has worked within the Financial Services Sector since 2013. During his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he has worked as the primary representative for the SOS Children’s Charity in Hungary and has taken part in various mentorship programs for children.
Following his Ph.D. in Economics at the Leeds University Business School, where he focused on the impact of trade policies on trade performance, income distribution, and growth, he worked as a Lecturer and Module Leader in Economics at the University of Leeds.
He is a qualified fitness instructor and is also extremely passionate about literature and art.
Simrun Kaur-Rathore works in academic publishing and supports the management of cancer journals at Sage Publications. Following on from her BSc Hons in Biomedical Science, she completed a Masters in Neuroscience and Translational Medicine. During her time at university, she added to her volunteering portfolio as an Event First Aider with St John Ambulance and facilitated the teaching of first aid to her peers as a Unit Manager.
Simrun has always loved volunteering, whether that was mucking out at her local riding school while growing up in Hackney or completing Seva at her local Gurdwara. She has always had a love of music and had the diasporic advantage of studying music from a Western and Eastern perspective. While learning to play the drums at school she was tutored in playing the Tabla and was taught Raags by the esteemed Ustad Sital Singh Sitara.
With a love of science, comes a great appreciation for the arts – which is a science in itself!