STAGE VORTEX – RUSSELL MALIPHANT @ DANCE CITY

Words: Matt Young Olivier Award winning choreographer Russell Maliphant is set to bring his latest creation, VORTEX, to Dance City in Newcastle on Thursday 22nd June. It’s a highly anticipated performance that promises to be a mesmerising experience for audiences. Influenced by the works and process of Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism, it employs Maliphant’s own blend of contemporary dance and martial arts. VORTEX creates a work which paints his own interpretation with movement, light and shadow to create a visually rich journey, with the exceptional dancers of Russell Maliphant Dance Company. Established in 1996 as the framework for the choreographer to create productions with artists and collaborators, and to work with his own chosen ensemble of dancers, the company has gone on to win plaudits and awards worldwide.

VORTEX sees the dancers become magically fluid, sinuous and expansive as their movement plays with gravity, light and shadow. Audiences can expect a visually stunning performance, with choreography complemented by the painterly use of props, scenery and light, adding a further dimension to the contorted movements on stage. VORTEX promises an immersive experience that draws the audience in. Don’t miss your chance to witness this captivating exploration as Maliphant brings his latest creation to the region.

VORTEX by Russell Maliphant Dance Company is performed at Dance City, Newcastle on Thursday 22nd June. www.dancecity.co.uk

Music

WILLI CARLISLE @ THE GLOBE

Words: Mera Royle

The peg on which Americana star Willi Carlisle hangs his hat is forged in a cultural history. Coming to The Globe on Friday 23rd June for a headline show, Carlisle’s untouchable magic of music, stories and poems brings a telling insight into the world and art of Americana going back generations, with the celebration of new modern contexts at its forefront.

In his work, Carlisle uses the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks in Missouri where he lives, to express compelling arcs and diverse styles, drawing together topics such as queer heartbreak with sardonic trucker Ballards and existential talkin’ blues. He uses his emphatic talent, quick wit and passion to demonstrate a keen knack for appreciating the work of our forbearers whilst growing new ideas and telling stories relevant to our times, in a show which, at its deepest, evokes the importance of looking out for one another and connecting through the tribulations of life.

Supporting him is the local folk/swing-rock legend Rob Heron, performing solo for a rare, vibrant appearance away from his Tea Pad Orchestra. A night of acclaim and fine Americana, this pairing promises to bring a refreshing brilliance to our North East plains. Willi Carlisle and Rob Heron play The Globe, Newcastle on Friday 23rd June. www.willicarlisle.com

ART & LIT SAIBA – ALL BONES TURN TO DUST @ VANE GALLERY

Words: Tom Astley www.vane.org.uk

Saiba – All Bones Turn To Dust is a new exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist and academic Amy Dover, which runs from Wednesday 7th June-Saturday 1st July at Vane Gallery.

Bringing together Dover’s work during a residency living with indigenous Kuna communities in a remote Panamanian village, a liminal space between forest and ocean, this exhibition offers an eclectic mix of media, from sound sculptures to drawings, preparatory notes and prints, all of which form a mosaic that asks fundamental questions of the connections, and often brutal interactions, between human and non-human animals, the nature of conservation, and the framing of non-human animals within a human-centric cultural lens.

The work offers a fascinating look at this complex world, and does so with compassion, detailed knowledge and a determination to rebalance the speciesism that Dover finds prevalent in depictions of her subject. This collection does not hold back, and viewers will find a visceral, even confrontational, exhibition, that provokes deep contemplation about the prejudices and relationships to the natural world.

Saiba – All Bones Turn To Dust is at Vane Gallery, Gateshead from Wednesday 7th June-Saturday 1st July.

Music Holme Festival

Words: Amy McGarahan

Returning for its second year, Holme Festival will be transforming a secret location in County Durham into a magical playground for a weekend of music and wellness. Taking place from Friday 30th June–Sunday 2nd July, Holme Festival promises to be full of partying, dancing and relaxation.

The festival will kick off with a spectacular drag show, and Saturday evening will see Newcastle trio The Glamour Ghouls perform a spooky, yet sensuous burlesque set. For the music lovers and ravers, Holme Festival will play host to some of the North East’s most well regarded DJs, with a colossal sound system powering the party. The line-up includes Pad Thai HiFi, Cosmifrica, DJ Mayonnaise, Dynamite Disco Club, Cole Newton, Cass Lamb, Random Mat, Diz, Richard Finch, Becky Woodcock and more. If you’re looking to find your Zen, there is a healthy roster of wellness sessions, led by yoga and meditation teacher Hanna Truu. If a night’s sleep in the tranquil camping meadow doesn’t do the trick, Hanna’s nourishing and energising workshops will set you up for a jam-packed Saturday of dancing and absurdity!

All food on-site is vegan; expect burgers, smoothies, coffees, and treats… and a fully loaded woodland bar! The top secret location is to be confirmed nearer the time… Holme Festival takes place in County Durham from Friday 30th June–Sunday 2nd July. www.holmefestival.com

COMEDY DEAD MEN TALKING @ MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL

Words: Jonathan Coll www.deadmentalkpod.com

Podcast Dead Men Talking have carved out a niche within the murky underworld of dark humour and their so far meteoric rise has taken them to the top of iTunes charts and on a nationwide, headline tour. Hosted by award winning comedians Freddy Quinne and Rob Mulholland; the duo were enjoying burgeoning solo comedy careers before their joint love of edgy humour brought them together in a podcast studio.

Their usual live show treads a fine line between the podcast format in which they’ve made their name and more conventional stand up routines. Audiences should expect a comedy roast, with the three panellists vying to deliver the hardest, most brutal roasts to their fellow panellists and willing participants from the audience.

If you like your comedy to be slightly nearer the knuckle, then this all takes place on Thursday 22nd June at Middlesbrough Town Hall, with guest roaster Fin Taylor. But be warned, it’s an invitation not to be taken lightly and nothing is off limits!

Dead Men Talking come to Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday 22nd June.