Creative Team

Born in Iran to British-Armenian parents, Karen moved to the UK in 1978 aged 16. After a long-established career as a visual artist, she began to explore storytelling through creative writing. Her first book of short stories, Blood Oranges Dipped in Salt, a history of the Armenians of Iran was seen through the prism of her own family. Now based in Cumbria, a chance discovery informed her second book Swallows and Armenians, as well as a touring exhibition. Inspired and informed by Altounyan & Guzelian family photographs, letters and diary extracts from the Arthur Ransome Archive at the University of Leeds and other archives, it was developed into an actor-musician production in collaboration with her daughter Persia Babayan-Taylor.

Persia was born in Leeds and has Iranian-Armenian and British heritage. After University she found her passion in Directing, specialising in Actor-Musician Theatre and Opera. Training: Guildford School of Acting (GSA). Director credits:The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Swallows and Armenians (Cumbria Opera Festivals); Anne Lister Teas (Halifax Minster); II Barbiere di Siviglia (Cardiff Opera); Perfume & His Last Gift (Bradford Opera Festival); As You Like It (R&D, GSA); Twelfth Night (Jupiter Theatre); Swallows and Armenians (devised Young Company, Theatre by the Lake); Cymbeline (Bellaire’s Studio); Venus and Adonis (Eden Valley Opera Company).

Born and raised in Cornwall, Madeleine is an actor, musician, composer and musical director with German and Jewish heritage. She is head composer and co-producer with Stone Fable and composer, musical director and producer with Jupiter Theatre. Musical Director credits: Jack & the Beanstalk, The Adams Family and Snow White (the Talentz, Tonbridge Theatre); Swallows and Armenians, Appleby (Cumbria Cumbria Opera Group); Twelfth Night and AsYou Like It (Jupiter Theatre). Composer credits: Sisters (short film, Mary Liz Media), One for Sorrow: Whispers in the Mist (Stone Fable), Twelfth Night and As You Like It (Jupiter Theatre).

Ruth is of British and Dominican heritage and was brought up in the Peak District. She is a creative producer and stage manager based in the North East of England. Training International Centre for Music Studies, Newcastle University; British Youth Opera, with mentoring in producing from James Clutton (CEO, Opera Holland Park) through the National Student Opera Society. She has previously worked with Tete a Tete, Buxton International Festival, Cumbria Opera Group, Vache Baroque and several regional theatre companies. She is passionate about increasing accessibility and inclusivity in opera and theatre, supporting their provision in the North East and further afield.

A designer and artist based in the rural South Lakes, Meg grew up in Carlisle, jumping back and forth over the English-Scottish border Most of her maternal family still live in Dumfries and Galloway. Encouraged by her family and their interest in culture and trade union politics Meg lived and studied in Paris before returning to her beloved Cumbria. Training BA(Hons) Fine Art, Lancaster University; MFA Drawing, Paris College of Art. Design credits include: Marriage of Figaro and Turn of the Screw, Cumbria Opera Group; La Boheme, Cardiff & Cotswold Opera. Published fiction: LUNE:A Journal of Literary Misrule, Lancaster; The Opiate, New York, and Paris Lit Up magazine.

An acclaimed solo dance artist, choreographer, performing artist and author of numerous articles on Armenian folk dances, Shakeh Major Tchilingirian was born in London, grew up in Iran and is of Armenian and British heritage. In recognition of her distinctive artistic approach, she has been invited to teach dance workshops internationally. She says: “Forming a circle of diverse peoples is a powerful symbol. In Armenian tradition, the circle represents eternity and the enduring human spirit. This ‘Circle of Life’ honours all victims of past and present atrocities, affirming the value of every life and our shared resolve to oppose injustice and inhumanity.”