Leisure

Stavros Economidis is a Greek Cypriot, born in Cairo, Egypt in 1945. He migrated to Australia in 1960 with his mother and siblings after the death of his father. His older brother had emigrated to Australia a few years earlier, paving the way for the remaining family members. In 1965 he met his mentor, Chrysostomos Mantouridis, who introduced him to the theatre. In 1983, the Hellenic Art Theatre was established with Stavros as its Artistic Director.

Kiki Betti was born near the south-western tip of the Peloponnese, to a poor farming family. As a teenager she moved with her family to Athens in 1963, where she did factory work. Frustrated by the limited employment prospects, she took advantage of Australia’s assisted migration scheme and moved to Australia in 1967. She married an Italian from Egypt and raised two daughters in Sydney’s Inner West. Ms Betti has spent much of life engaged in cultural pursuits, particularly Greek theatre.