Hi! My name is Onur - - - as in honour and it means honour. :) I’m originally from Ankara, Turkey and to many people’s surprise it snows in Ankara. :)

As an interdisciplinary practitioner, I recognize that some might see my diverse pursuits outlined below as being a "Jack of all trades," but I believe I possess the ability to see the underlying threads that connect each of my endeavors, allowing me to transfer skills effectively from one area to another.

My professional journey has seen me work extensively both in the UK and in Turkey as a performing artist, primarily as an actor for stage and television, but also as a director, musician, music director, arranger, vocal coach, and choreographer in both professional and community settings. Alongside performing arts, I have been working as a fitness professional and most recently as a sports massage therapist.

I worked for over fifteen years in higher education as a lecturer and course leader teaching performing arts, and teaching pedagogy for lecturers.

I completed my degree in Physics before embarking on my theatre training. I graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) with two master’s degrees, one in acting and another in musical theatre. I was fortunate to receive a full international scholarship for my master’s and I won the annual Mary Marquis prize for student performance in television.

I worked as a drama coach, and script-writer. I worked a dancer and script-writer/dramaturg for the contemporary dance group [laboratuar], and I took the initiative to found and direct my university’s student musical theatre society, “The Company.”

My dedication to movement extends beyond the stage and the dance studio. I am a certified personal trainer with over ten years of experience teaching movement, conditioning, and various fitness classes, both online and in person, including dance for fitness. I have also applied my expertise as a fitness consultant in a commercial gym setting, helping individuals achieve their health and wellness goals. Complementing this expertise, I am a certified sports massage therapist, allowing me to integrate my knowledge and practical skills in fitness with therapeutic bodywork.

In higher education, I worked as both a lecturer and course leader for various institutions, including The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Rose Bruford College and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and I held the position of Head of Education at ICTheatre Manchester. My areas of specialization include Musical Theatre, Movement, Acting Technique, and Shakespeare as well as professional development for lecturers in higher education in teaching and learning. I have also developed and led workshops focusing on the application of acting techniques in both professional and personal development contexts. I completed my PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education with distinction from Liverpool John Moore’s University in 2011. In 2025 completed my PhD in Higher Education at Lancaster University, where my research focused on social class and the acting curriculum. I am a regular a guest lecturer in Ankara's State Conservatoire, sharing my expertise in both dance and acting with aspiring artists in my home country. Most recently I gave a series of workshops in Istanbul in musical theatre and acting through song, combining my findings from my research and my past experience and expertise.

My performance credits encompass a variety of roles, including The Abduction From the Seraglio (Ankara State Opera), Hamlet, and Cikisyokland Cumhuriyeti (which received the Arts Institution Award – Oteki Tiyatro). I also served as the Musical Theatre Coach for Playback (VeDigerSeyler) and appeared in a TV series in Turkey, alongside numerous concerts for international charities and diplomatic missions. My involvement in international festivals includes participation in Fabbrica Europa in Florence and choreographing for the International METU Contemporary Dance Days. Additionally, I co-wrote the lyrics for the musical “1453” with A. Sahin, which was performed in concert with a symphony orchestra in Istanbul in 1998 and as a full stage production in Ankara in 2003. Most recently I gave a series of workshops in Istanbul about musical theatre and acting through song, bringing together findings from my research in higher education and my experience as a professional artist.