Karen Douglas, (SpartaKi Artistic Director), founded SpartaKi in 2003 and has been producing, directing, casting and acting for film and theatre for over 30 years, both for SpartaKi and other companies, in London and Scotland.
Karen has produced and directed shows in both traditional and site specific venues (see below), collaborating with numerous and diverse organisations.Karen’s film and theatre productions have appeared at Sundance, Raindance, Kinofilm and Manchester International Short Film Festivals, and as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Leith Festival, Edinburgh People’s Festival, VDay, James Connolly 150 Celebration, and numerous Trade Union and Mayday Socials and Benefits.
Karen previously founded and was chair of Space Theatre Company, London, and in 2000 was made a Millennium Fellow for her work producing community theatre there.
Karen has also designed and delivered workshops, rehearsals and training sessions for actors at all levels of experience and none, from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, and for those with differing abilities and needs. Karen is an experienced and compassionate facilitator, adept at ensuring sessions are adapted as required to meet the needs of her students.
PREVIOUS SPARTAKI PRODUCTIONS
Previous SpartaKi productions include a Scottish tour of Riddanceby Linda McLean (Traverse, Oran Mor, Tramway and various community/miners’ welfare venues), A Letter from Death Row– The Kenny Richey Storyand Control, (Scottish Parliament Committee Room), The Illustrious Corpseby Tariq Ali (Augustine Church Edinburgh and STUC Glasgow), Lysistrata(Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Theatre Workshop), Stand Up SpartaKi(Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh),Leaving Georgeand Muriel of Leith, (Constitution Bar) as part of Leith Festival 2015 and 2017.
SpartaKi regularly produce plays by Dalkeith writer, Cecilia Grainger. Previous productions include Marilyn Painted Pictures, Inky Darknessand Bruised Blueall staged in Dalkeith Library in association with Midlothian Libraries and the Edinburgh People’s Festival (EPF). We Are SpartaKi, a selection of Cecilia’s sketches includingDrivin’ Roond the Bend, was performed on Cruz boat, during Leith Festival and at Inch House for EPF.
A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayerwas produced by SpartaKi in association with Edinburgh University Law School at Pleasance Cabaret Bar, as part of V-Day 2010 as a fundraiser for Victim Support Scotland.
SpartaKi produced the Scottish premiere of Caryl Churchill’s 7 Jewish Childrenat Midlothian Trade Union Council’s 2009 Mayday Benefit for Gaza (The Dean Tavern). SpartaKi performances of Jim Aitken’s Letters from Area C in November 2014, (Area C Café, Leith, November 2014), and to mark the Balfour Declaration Centenary on November 2017 (North Edinburgh Arts Centre) raised funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
In June 2018 SpartaKi performed a staged reading of James Connolly’s play Under Which Flag,as part of the James Connolly Society’s (JCS) ‘Connolly 150’ event in Augustine Church Edinburgh. SpartaKi and JCS are currently collaborating on fundraising for a theatrical and musical event based on James Connolly to tour working class communities and venues in Scotland and Ireland in late 2019/2020.
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