Olena Singh graduated in 2002 with an MSc in Finance and Economics from the Odesa National University of Economics, Ukraine. For over 20 years she pursued a professional career as a brand, product and sales manager with companies in both Odesa and Kyiv. Since Olena fled the Russian invasion of her native Ukraine in April 2021 and settled in Edinburgh as a displaced person, she had pivoted her skills towards cultural management, translation and interpretation services on a voluntary basis. She helps manage both the Ukrainian folk dance group Kvity Ukrainy (meaning Ukrainian Flower) and the Ukrainian Community Choir of Edinburgh Oberig (meaning ‘Talisman/Amulet’). Although reinvented under this new name in November 2022, the choir was established by Ukrainian emigrants who came to Edinburgh after the Second World War with some of these founding members still performing to date. Recently, Olena undertook the Heritage Collections Summer School at the Centre for Research Collections at the University of Edinburgh. Currently, Olena is furthering her education at Edinburgh College and aiming to secure the future of Ukrainian folk dance in Scotland.

Image by Barrie Baretto