Laura Connolly clog dancer, Stewart Hardy fiddle

Laura graduated from Newcastle University in 2005 with a degree in folk and traditional music and was the first person ever to gain a degree in foot percussion as a first instrument.

For five years she worked as a music practitioner in the Early Years Learning Department at The Sage Gateshead and also freelances as the lead creative practioner of the ‘Movers & Shakers’ group who work mainly with primary schools.

Laura is a Northumbrian champion clog dancer and is a member of The Demon Barber Road Show, was the best live act in BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009 and Best Live Act in Spiral Awards 2010. In December 2010 she took the leading part in a BBC Channel Four clog dancing programme presented by Charles Hazelwood.

Stewart has been a member of many Northumbrian folk groups, has enthused every age group in concerts, workshops and summer schools throughout the north-east including the Minstelsty Concert at The Sage Gateshead in 2013.

Stewart is an internationally-acclaimed performer, composer and teacher with numerous recordings and broadcast credits to his name. Based in the North East of England, a love for the traditional music of Northumberland and Scotland shines through his repertoire and influences his own compositions. Stewart’s teaching is diverse, and has covered many projects from international workshops to the Newcastle University folk degree course. He spent six years as an influential member of the very popular John Wright Band and has toured throughout the world playing traditional folk, pop, rock, jazz, country and western swing music.