Loon
Loon, formed in Newcastle 12 years ago have evolved into a very distinctive musical ensemble. They regularly tour the UK and have worked as far a field as Europe, South Africa and Scandinavia. Loon compose and perform music for film and theatre and play and record as the band Horsewife. They also run various workshops with schools and community groups, specialising in: musical composition, Samba, Tete pipes from Mozambique and Musical Instrument making.

Loon’s performances naturally combine music and theatre, blending a wicked sense of humour with sublime musicianship, while playing a myriad of beautiful musical instruments from around the world.

“Between us we sing, play accordion, vibraphone, banjo, mandolin, trumpet, trombone, African marimba’s, Mbira, Tete pipes, drums, percussion and violin, not to forget the musical saw, peanut tins and washboard…”

Their work to date spans composition for theatre shows, street theatre, film scores and live performance. They have been the resident band for Newcastle’s acclaimed Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company for the past six years. During this period Simon composed and directed the music for ‘Elephant’ which looks to transfer to Broadway in 2010. Loon performed live on the show across South Africa in May 2005, the World Culture Summit in 2006, a three-week run at the Edinburgh Fringe and a 16 week tour of some of the UK’s no.1 theatre’s and recently the finale of the Expo in Zaragosa.

In 2006 Simon and Vick were given the opportunity by Nitin Sawhney to produce a score for Northern Sinfonia, accompanying 60+ school children who together created the film score ‘Anthem for Northumberland’ performed to a packed Hall 1 at The Sage Gateshead in October 2006. Loon have previously worked with other companies, luminaries, and prominent organisations including Northern Stage, The South bank Centre, Scottish Ballet, the W.O.W. festival, Great North Forest, and Ballet Lorent.

Theatre mi mi
Theatre mimi was founded by artistic director Pady O’Connor to create, play and devise exciting visual theatre performances. Its aims are to collaborate with national and international performers, actors, artists, directors, and musicians. Theatre mimi is an evolving ensemble of performers open to new creative possibilities through gathering stories and experiences from life. Theatre mimi can create beautiful worlds and situations that the audience can be a part of for a short time. Influences include Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Jaques Tati whose work is not only rooted in the study of life but in comic/tragic characters and situations of Commedia dell' Arte, Mime, and the pleasure and lightness of the Clown. Theatre mimi through their Big Red Round Label is committed to widening access to it’s physical style through its education and audience development programme.