Iveta Pole was born in Latvia, at a time when it was still part of the Soviet Union. This early experience has deeply shaped her worldview and instilled a strong inner drive for freedom – a theme that continues to resonate throughout her artistic work.
She earned her BA in Stage Acting from the Latvian Academy of Culture and began her professional career at the New Riga Theatre. In 2005, she received the Latvian Theatre Award as “Best New Stage Artist.” Since then, she has performed in numerous productions and appeared at festivals across Europe and beyond.
Iveta has also starred in both national and international film projects. She is a three-time recipient of the Latvian National Film Award Lielais Kristaps – twice for Best Actress (Monotony, 2007 and Kolka Cool, 2011, both directed by Juris Poškus), and once for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sisters (2022, directed by Linda Olte).
Although her training and background are rooted in acting, Iveta has long been drawn to interdisciplinary forms. Her interest in expanding beyond the boundaries of theatre and cinema led her to pursue an MA in Contemporary Performance Making (CPPM) at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
She is particularly interested in the body as a medium – an instrument she is used to working with in artistic practice, exploring the spaces between disciplines and forms of expression.
In 2023, she directed Malleus Maleficarum. The New Pact., which received the Latvian National Theatre Award Spēlmaņu Nakts for Best Large-Format Performance. The work was created in collaboration with an international team of performers and artists.