Kenrick Sandy MBE: Hip Hop
Born in east London, Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy is Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director of Boy Blue Entertainment, Associate Artist at the Barbican, London, and one of the top choreographers and performers in the UK urban, commercial and theatrical scenes. In January 2017, Kenrick was awarded an MBE for services to dance and the community in Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.
Mikey Asante: Hip Hop
Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante is a producer, composer, singer, dancer and DJ who is at the forefront of the UK urban music scene. Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director of Boy Blue, who are an Associate Artist at the Barbican, he is a leading UK producer of live events.
Recent releases, include George the Poet’s Wotless with production and musical direction for George’s sold out Search Party tour; and engineering and production on Kano’s critically acclaimed album Made In the Manor (Mercury Prize and BRIT nominated, and winner of the MOBO Best Album Award) with whom he has collaborated extensively on the albumsHome Sweet Home, London Town and 140 Grime Street. Mikey is currently collaborating with the new Sony/ Plan B signing Ryan De La Cruz.
Past production credits include Delilah’s Inside my Love (From The Roots Up), Raleigh Ritchie’s Stay Inside, Mikey J and the female All-stars, Estelle’s Back to Love Remix and Mz BratGet Dark.
In 2012, Michael worked closely with Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, director Danny Boyle and Musical Directors, Underworld, creating musical compositions for the Frankie and June say thanks Tim… section of London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
Michael has produced music for TV, theatre and film including Boy Blue’s Olivier Award nominated production, Blak Whyte Gray, The Five & the Prophecy of Prana, Olivier Awardwinner Pied Piper: A Hip-Hop Dance Revolution, Touch, Legacy as well as the UK box office hits Street Dance 3D and All Stars.
A Professor and member of faculty for Guildhall School of Music and Drama on their Electronic Music Course, Michael is additionally Music Director and Lead Composer on the 14-18 NOW and Royal Court Theatre commission of Debris Stevenson in the autumn of 2018.
Otto Gumaelius: South African Music
Otto Gumaelius is a London based, Botswana raised, percussionist specialising in the Kwanongoma marimba of southern Africa. He writes and performs, and teaches music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana through his company, African Marimba Music Ltd.
Otto has run marimba workshops at various events and festivals in the UK, including Midnight Run and ZimFest Live. Otto runs weekly African marimba music classes in Bethnal Green, London and in 2017 launched Taste of Southern Africa Cultural Arts Festival.
Mbulelo Ndabeni: South African Dance
Mbulelo Ndabeni is a South African born London based choreographer, performer, teacher, movement director, founder and artistic director of N’da Dance Company.
Ndabeni’s creative practices researches and develops dance and theatrical narratives exploring his African roots specifically his Southern African culture and heritage from a different perspective breaking the stereotypes surrounding them to empower himself and the artists he collaborates with, to effect positive change in our communities.
Ndabeni has perfomed with companies such as Cape Town City Ballet, New Adventures, Rambert, Cape Dance Company, Didy Veldman, Company Chameleon, Alesandra Seutin Vocab Dance, Company Wayne McGregor, Tavaziva Dance and Ballet Black touring the U.K and internationally including being part of creative teams both as a choreographer and dancer with international award winning artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Goshka Macuga, Daniel Brandt as well as movement directing The Royal Shakespeare Company ‘Hamlet 2016/2018’ directed by Simon Godwin, ‘Trouble in Mind 2017’ directed by Laurence Boswel, ‘Sankara 2018’ directed by Riccardo Dujany with numerous performances in prestigious U.K and international venues.
Stella Howard: Contemporary Dance
Stella Howard is a dance artist with a keen interest in creativity, the body and wellbeing. She works as a Dance Practitioner for Learning and Participation (Dance) at Trinity Laban, where she dances with a wide variety of age, ability and social groups promoting dance access and inclusion to all. Stella promotes the artistic value of dance and moving creatively, whilst encouraging individual exploration and ownership of our moving bodies.
Sarah Freestone: Creative Music Making
Sarah Freestone is a multi-instrumentalist and violinist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and can often be heard on “Friday Night Is Music Night”, the world’s longest-running live music programme on radio. Her work with the orchestra has included recent performances with Kylie Minogue, Kiki Dee, Westlife, Madeleine Bell, Petula Clark, Alfie Boe, Nigel Kennedy, Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, Barry Manilow, Robbie Williams and Tom Jones.
Sarah has worked in a wide variety of musical genres, as both writer and performer, from classical music to jazz, rock and pop. For the past eighteen years she has been the director of the Lullingstone String Quartet and has also written and performed string parts for T.V., pop & rock studio recordings and live performances.