A life-long fascination with storytelling in all its forms has taken Dawn into theatre, radio, TV and writing over the years. As a seasoned actor she learned how to work with an audience early on and is a joyous stage performer. She cut her teeth on radio and voice-over work in the 90s, which grew into a passion for all things audio; she now creates soundscapes for a variety of events – making stories and atmospheres to take the audience on spell-binding journeys.
Dawn is a compelling performer and likes to get under the skin of stories, finding topical relevance in the familiar archetypes. She specialises in stories from the Caucasus mountains, especially the Nart Sagas – ancient tales from the rolling, windswept plains and mysterious stone towers of the region. She fell in love with these stories and their cast of hot-headed heroes, shape-shifting sorceresses, weird births and talking horses, and performs them in theatres, festivals, schools, museums and organisations.
She founded Storytelling HQ in 2015 and has a mission to put storytelling skills into the hands of people who care about the world and want to make a difference.
Dawn is a gifted improvisor and creates on-the spot stories that fuse reality and myth. She works in Europe, the USA, Asia and Morocco, and in the UK with The Imaginarium, UWE, Pentameters, Bread and Roses, Cambridge University, SOAS, The Royal Geographical Society, as well as dozens of businesses. She is the annual Storyteller in Residence at Skyros Holidays in Greece. She often collaborates with musicians and is currently exploring a blend of Georgian songs and stories with Mazpindzeli Choir; with composer Susannah Self she is devising a show combining opera with storytelling; in 2024 she will produce a CD of Georgian stories and songs with ethno-musicologist Madona Chamgeliani.