Illuminate Uk - Meet the Team - Further info
Karen Kyle McKenzie
Karen trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as an actor and drama educator and went on to appear in a variety of theatre productions, touring the UK, India, Canada and Greece before taking drama into education and the work place.
Working closely with Scottish tourism businesses and Historic Scotland, Karen set Illuminate UK up in January 2006 seeing an opportunity to use drama to aid and enhance learning and understanding.
Karen has a genuine passion to use drama in education and in business to develop confidence, customer service and presentation skills and to help children gain a better understanding of their heritage while developing skills for their future. Karen was awarded a HITS (Hospitality Industry Trust) Scholarship in 2007 and as a result of this travelled to the Disney Institute in Florida to study Customer Care and was part of the Thistle Award winning tour guide training team at Mercat Tours in 2001.
Please note Karen will be on maternity leave until January 2013 however its business a usual at Illuminate. See our contacts page regarding who to contact while she is away. You will find more details about these team members below
Education Team
Callan MacCormick
Callan works with Illuminate as an actor, workshop leader, script writer and historic character interpreter. Callan has worked with Illuminate as a Time Travelling teacher playing both Mary Queen of Scots and our World War II teacher in schools across Scotland.
Callan also plays a Victorian Mill Worker, Janet Scott, at our workshops at Stanley Mills each month and has facilitated early years workshops for the Scottish Government research project Illuminate was commissioned to deliver.
During Karen's maternity leave Callan shall be managing the Junior Tour Guide training programmes at Doune Castle, Claypotts Castle, Melrose Abbey, Stanley Mills, Linlithgow Palace and Huntly Castle
Jo Harte
Jo trained as an actor at RSAMD and works with Illuminate as a Time Travelling Teacher as Mary Queen of Scots and the WW2 teacher, Lily Littlefield, and also as a drama workshop leader.
In this picture you can see Jo beside the beautiful tapestries at Stirling Castle. Historic Scotland contacted us to ask for a model to pose as Mary Queen of Scots for their Stirling Castle tapestry launch - our tall, red haired and enigmatic Jo fitted the bill perfectly!
Kara Johnston
Since finishing a degree in Film and TV Kara has directed and produced a number of award winning short films, worked in various disciplines within Film & Television and also as a performer in a number of Theatre in Education roles.
Kara has been working with Illuminate UK since the beginning, delivering the Time Travelling Teachers drama workshops and more recently, has been assisting with the Junior Tour Guide and Young Ambassador training. For Illuminate Kara has also produced and directed a DVD showcasing the Junior Guides skills and worked with the Scottish Seabird Centre guides to create a podcast.
Calum Price
Calum develops and delivers learning and interpretation resources for heritage organisations, local councils and schools across Scotland. Karen and Calum have worked together to design and deliver successful training courses for National Trust for Scotland (NTS) staff and volunteers including "Working with Children and Young People", "Telling Our Story - A Guide for Guides" and "Costumed Interpretation". He has also worked with Illuminate on the My Future's in Falkirk Young Ambassadors programme.
During Karen's maternity leave Calum shall be delivering training for NTS staff and volunteers alongside Paul Nixon.
Margaret Hubbard
Margaret is a retired English teacher now working as a lecturer in media studies, tour guide, genealogist and workshop leader. Margaret works with us on the Time Travelling Teachers programme as the WW2 teacher, Annie Cringle.
Jane is a visual artist and freelance arts and heritage educator. She has worked extensively in schools throughout the Scottish Borders on expressive arts projects supporting the Curriculum for Excellence. Jane's own creative practice is driven by a passion for history, she says if she could have one magic power it would be to time travel wearing a clock of invisibility! During Karen's maternity leave Jane shall be looking after the training of the Rosslyn Chapel Junior Tour Guides.
With an honours degree in Theatre Studies from the University of Glasgow, Siobhan has focused her career around community theatre and theatre in education. She has worked across the board in youth theatres, schools and for local authorities as a drama workshop practitioner and also worked in Spain for a performing arts academy where she taught BTECH Acting. Siobhan has directed several pieces with young people including two which were performed at The Tramway and The Arches for the Government scheme "Creative Identities". During Karen's maternity leave Siobhan shall be looking after the Junior Tour Guide schemes at Arnol, Iona Abbey, Bishop's and Earl's Palaces,Craigmillar Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Whithorn Priory.
Nicola is a storyteller, historical interpreter, tour guide and trainer. During Karen's maternity leave she will be managing the summer volunteer guides at Linlithgow Palace
Business Training Team
Kate French
Kate has worked for nearly a decade in personal development, coaching and corporate training and runs her own business, Kapow Coaching. Kate's soft directive style of communication encourages deep reflective learning and personal progress. Kate works alongside Illuminate to deliver Engaging With Your Customer, Capture Your Confidence and Customer Care.
John combines over 30 years of experience in HR with Standard Life and Sopra with many years acting and directing on the Edinburgh Fringe. John works with Illuminate to provide bespoke training aimed at enabling businesses to maintain the right balance of people and business issues.
Paul Nixon
A fellow HITS scholarship award winner, Paul trained with Karen in Customer Care at the Disney Institute in Florida. Paul uses Disney techniques combined with his training in Community Drama to present lively explorations of Customer Service concepts. During Karen's maternity leave Paul will be delivering the Engaging with your Customer course alongside Kate French, delivering training for NTS staff and volunteers in Costumed Interpretation, as well as managing the Construction and Built Environment Challenge 2012-13 on behalf of Illuminate UK