Co-creation and participation
A Treasury of Tyneside Tales
Moving Parts Arts
An ambitious community heritage project celebrating the stories and voices of Tyneside residents, as well as local folklore, using hand-crafted Crankies.
A Crankie is a traditional storytelling device — essentially a large box with a screen cut into the front, through which an illustrated scroll is hand-cranked as a story is told. Crankies often combine puppetry and shadow work to create a rich visual and theatrical experience.
A Treasury of Tyneside Tales includes an exhibition of over 100 Crankies as well as a large-scale professional Crankie show.
Jonluke was lead artist and coordinator of the project, and director of the Giant Crankie show.
The project is funded through National Lottery Heritage Fund, Community Foundation North East/Newcastle City Council (Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund) and Hays Travel.
Working with young people from Swinton Lock Activity Centre, this project focussed on the creation of a large-scale parade banner celebrating Rotherham, Swinton and memorialising Cyrus, a friend of the groups who had tragically passed away the previous year.
The banner lead the Roots carnival parade which served as the opening ceremony of Capital of Children’s Culture year of events.
Funded through Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Children’s Capital of Culture. Supported with funding from UK Shared Prosperity Fund, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Rotherham Roots Carnival - Banner Design
Rotherham Capital of Children’s Culture 2025
Listen up, Speak out, Pass the Mic
Glow, Newcastle Cultural Education Partnership and Hawthorne Primary School
As Artist in Residence at Hawthorne Primary School Jonluke co-created this illustrated story for film, exploring communication and kindness with year 3 and year 4 pupils.
Jonluke used drama games and techniques to help the children identify attitudes and behaviours which can challenge communication and ways we can respond creatively to these challenges and keep talking, keep listening.
Jane Dube, Headteacher at Hawthorn Primary School, said the work helped children be “the representative for someone who doesn’t have a voice.” According to Jane, as a result of the project children have been “looking out for each other and encouraging each other. Staff have noticed how children will wait for someone else to speak, listen and “say yes to ideas” following their work with Jonluke and GLOW Newcastle.
We Are Here - a map of memories in Thirsk
Rural Arts
Co-created with an intergenerational group in Thirsk, this illustrated map focusses memories rather than landmarks. Each illustration, co-created with a participant, links to story, exhibited alongside the map.
The map was exhibited at the Old Courthouse, Thirsk ahead of a local tour of venues.
