I've raised £3000 to help us fund a full-length Actor Musician production of Swallows & Armenians, touring to UK theatres in 2024
Organised by Karen Babayan
Story
Swallows and Armenians is a fascinating story of friendship and family, love and jealousy, with a good measure of sailing thrown in. The book by artist and author Karen Babayan was brought to life in July 2022 and the actor-musician production was performed in the heart of Cumbria as part of the Cumbria Opera Group's inaugural Weekend of Opera. This production was performed by a multicultural cast whose own diverse backgrounds and family migration stories mirrored that of the Altounyan children. We now wish to take a full-length production of the show further afield to tour theatres in the UK in 2025. This project reappraises a children’s classic, uncovering and celebrating the ethnic richness of British culture. Cover photo by Asadour Guzelian.
Background:
Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons is a classic book about children having adventures on a lake. The Walker family have always been depicted as quintessentially English in the book, film and TV adaptations of the story; but what is not widely known is that Ransome modelled his characters on the Altounyans, an Anglo-Armenian family from Aleppo, Syria. Swallows and Armenians reinstates the cultural diversity of the children who inspired Ransome, delving into the very special relationship between the two families that also, spectacularly fell apart.
Swallows and Armenians began life in 2017 as a small exhibition, and rapidly grew into a book of short stories, painstakingly researched through letters and diaries from the Arthur Ransome archive at the University of Leeds Special Collections. This was followed by a devised performance with local children at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, an audiobook (available at www.audible.com) and a touring exhibition across the north of England.
Our new production:
In 2022 with a diverse cast and original score, we created the newest addition to the Swallows and Armenians catalogue. Karen Babayan adapted Swallows and Armenians for the stage, in collaboration with Persia Babayan-Taylor, a director, actor-musician and composer. An original score was composed for the production by Persia Babayan-Taylor, with support from composer and musical director Madeleine Wilshire. This was a short 45 minute production in two acts, performed by professional actor-musicians to an appreciative audience of 220 people outdoors, over two days. Our new production in 2025 will be extended to 90 minutes and will be offered as a visiting production to theatres in the UK.
The cast with Director Persia Babayan-Taylor (sitting centre) & Musical Director Madeleine Wilshire (standing centre).
What will your donations go towards?
Your kind donations will go towards helping us pay the cast and crew, help to cover the costs of travel and accomodation and help to fund the set, props, costumes and to develop the show into a full-length in-theatre production. This is the first stage of our fundraising endeavours. The money raised from our supporters will also strengthen our applications for funding from grant giving bodies.
What will you get in return?
The satisfaction in knowing you have contributed to creating an original piece of actor-musician theatre that has an important message of inclusion at its heart and which brings a positive awareness of the richness of the UK's diverse communities and their contribution to the cultural fabric of the UK
What did our audiences say?
It was absolutely brilliant, well done for such an amazing play and to all of the actors that brought it to life!
What a wonderful afternoon we have had! Pass on our congratulations to them all and our thanks to you for providing some amazing culture in Appleby.
A wonderful and varied afternoon provided by some awesomely talented young people.’
What did our reviews say?
The joy of this family is beautifully captured in the music written by Persia Babayan-Taylor. The talented actor-musicians who presented this production are perfectly cast - Haroun Al-Jeddal as Roger, and Laura Andresen Guimaraes as Susie, dancing and playing, creating the happiness of a close-knit family. Marina Papadopoulos as Dora, playing mother and Arthur's childhood friend is at the heart of the family. An English woman loyal to her husband, children and chosen culture. The energy and charisma of Titty is brought to life by Hanna Khogali.
The dancing, the music and the pure joy of life that this opera celebrates, creates drama when juxtaposed with the anger of the arguments between Arthur and Ernest and emphasises the sadness of this true story. The intensity of the score for this part of the opera was carefully crafted to create the impact of the narrative. Review by Karen Morley Chesworth 22.7.22.
About Karen Babayan:
Karen was born in Iran to Armenian/British parents and moved to the UK due to the impending Islamic Revolution in 1979. Latterly she lived in Leeds, a stone’s throw from the house in which Arthur Ransome was born. She now lives in Appleby, Cumbria. An established, multi-disciplinary artist, writer and curator, Karen has exhibited nationally and Internationally with work in many public collections including Special Collections, Brotherton Library, University of Leeds; Leeds City Art Gallery; Harris Art Gallery, Preston; Tate Britain Library, London; Museum of Modern Art, New York and Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. In 2016 she gained a PhD, published her first book of short stories ‘Blood Oranges Dipped in Salt’, and was awarded C-Art Cumbria Artist of the Year. www.karenbabayan.com
