Mike Bettison

Mike is the artistic director of Blaize, a community arts company. He is a director, actor singer and musician working mainly, though not exclusively, on Blaize projects. He is the lead researcher for the Music@the Heart of Teesdale youth music project. This provides material for the youth bands ‘Cream Tees’ and ‘Wear’d Aliens. He runs regular singing sessions for dementia groups in Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale. He was the Arena Theatre Director at the Sidmouth International Festival 1999 – 2004. He is the Towersey Festival Showground Director 2009 – present. He performed with the Fabulous Salami Brothers street theatre act 1979 – 1999 including performing at the World Expo’s in Vancouver 1986 and Brisbane 1988. He played melodeon and sang with the folk group Flowers & Frolics. They recorded three albums. There are occasional re-union performances.