Our Drama Team

Beyond Charlotte, William, and Arwa, here is the dedicated team at the Trojan Women Project. As a refugee drama charity, our collective of artists, facilitators, and advocates focuses on empowering displaced people through storytelling. Many of our members are refugees themselves, utilizing their professional skills and lived experiences to support those seeking asylum through the arts.

Maryna Shmakova

is a dedicated partnerships and project manager with a deep focus on humanitarian, heritage, and displaced communities. Currently serving the Trojan Women Project Charity, she is the Project Manager and Production Assistant for two key works: Trojans: Why Am I in Your Country? in Stirling, and Hecuba at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Her prior experience at the WHO involved overseeing a major USAID-funded programme, liaising between governments, NGOs, and UN agencies. Having founded civil society initiatives in Ukraine, she brings firsthand expertise in supporting refugee-led movements. PRINCE2 certified, Maryna excels in strategic planning, fundraising, and impact measurement to empower those affected by conflict and forced migration.

Luna Laurenti

is a creative producer, director, and facilitator from Italy with an academic background in Performance and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her professional portfolio features co-directing "Babel Beast," a celebrated experimental cabaret production nominated for Best Cabaret at the Brighton Fringe. Since joining the Trojan Women Project in 2024, Luna has been pivotal in amplifying the voices of displaced communities. She co-directed "Trojans: Why Am I In Your Country?", a powerful adaptation featuring a cast of asylum seekers performed at the Chelsea Theatre and Hounslow Arts Centre. Her work as an assistant director includes "Hecuba: Why Am I in Your Country?" at the Edinburgh Fringe 2026, as well as "Diaspora Inferno" with De Insomniis Theatre Company—a production that reinterpreted Dante through the lived experiences of migrant women. Luna’s creative practice is grounded in physical theatre and devising methods, utilizing the body as a primary vehicle for storytelling. She remains dedicated to exploring complex narratives surrounding migration, identity, and the sense of belonging for refugees.

Vira Klymkovetska

is a distinguished Ukrainian actress and director, recognized as an Honoured Artist of Ukraine in 2009. Her cinematic achievements include the Best Actress award at Kyiv’s Long Nights of Short Movies Festival for her performance in Crazy. With notable screen roles in Under Electric Clouds, Lethal Kittens, and Cityscape, she has also excelled as a director on projects like Falling Leaves. Vira’s extensive theatrical career features principal roles in Macbeth and Woyzeck, staged under the direction of industry masters Vladislav Troitsky and Andriy Zholdak. Now displaced by the conflict in her homeland, she channels her expertise into supporting refugees through the Trojan Women Project. Vira serves as assistant producer for Hecuba: Why Am I in Your Country? at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and leads workshops as a director for the Trojans production at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling.

Nidaa Afghani

I am Nidaa Afghani, a Syrian native who sought refuge in Egypt before resettling here via the UN in 2016. After facing several years of significant health challenges, I found renewal through the Trojan Women Project. My journey with drama began with the play Troy in 2018, where I also embraced the challenge of learning English. Today, as a proud member of this displaced community, I am returning to the stage. I am passionate about using performance to share our stories and hope to build a professional career in the arts while connecting with you all through theater.

Essam Rabie

Production Consultant & Cultural Advocate
Essam is a seasoned Syrian-born consultant producer and champion athlete now based in Scotland. With an MBA from ISAE Beirut, he led a prominent career managing massive international trade fairs and cultural festivals throughout the Middle East and North Africa, including oversight of Jordan’s Global Village. Following his displacement during the Syrian revolution, Essam arrived in the UK via the UNHCR refugee resettlement scheme in 2017. As a devoted single father and professional, he joined The Trojan Women Project in 2018. He now utilizes his extensive expertise to empower displaced communities, elevating refugee voices through impactful storytelling and creative production.

Olha Shvets

Dramaturg
Originally from Kherson, Ukraine, Olha Shvets is a distinguished poet and editor who joined the UK’s creative community three years ago after fleeing the occupation of her home city. As part of a displaced population finding new ground, she brings fifteen years of expertise as the founder and director of the An T-r-Akt Literary and Drama Festival. Olha has dedicated her career to championing Ukrainian literature, both as an editor and as a curator of powerful contemporary poetry.
Now integrating her creative roots with therapeutic practice, she is completing a Master’s in Poetry at the London Poetry School and training in Drama Therapy. For the past three years, Olha has served as the resident poet and dramaturg for The Trojans UK, using her artistry to support and uplift fellow refugees through the Trojan Women Project.