Karen trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and she was Technical Stage Manager at Tron Theatre, Glasgow.

Her lighting design credits include Multiplex, Staircase, Lost, Happy Days, Shall Rodger Casement Hang for Tron Theatre Company. Previous large-scale projects have included The Enchanted Forest in Dunkeld and at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. She designs lighting for musical icon Horse at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow City Halls, Fruitmarket, The Barrowlands, and tours.

Karen has overseen the pyrotechnics for many large-scale events including Glasgow City of Architecture and Design, Glasgow’s Millennium Celebration, Glasgow’s George Square Christmas Lights Switch-on, and Guy Fawkes. As a Production Manager she worked for UZ Events and National Theatre of Scotland’s Transform projects in 2009-2010.

Karen has also designed for the Gaelic Theatre GU LEOR’s tour of Shrapnel in 2016; Careful by Horse McDonald at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016 and Careful the Tour in 2017; Horse’s Band Winter Tour in 2017, and various Horse performances in 2018 and 2019; the National Theatre of Scotland How To Act at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 and Scottish Tour 2018; and Pigeon with Incahootz 2019.

Karen also teaches Lighting for Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma at West College Scotland.