Humber Taiko

Supporting & promoting the development of Taiko Drumming in the Humber Region. Info about school projects, community groups and professional performances.

Humber Taiko was established in 2014 by local Taiko artists, Lisa Oliver and Emma Middleton who have both spent the past 6 years training in, teaching and playing Taiko.

Their first Taiko project together was in 2008 with a production of The Monkey King in Scunthorpe as part of the Buzz Youth Arts Festival. As artistic director, Emma met with Lisa to discuss including Taiko Drumming in the production following Lisa's recent training with Mugenkyo in Scotland and it was a huge success. Since that project and Lisa's own freelance music work (teaching 'Bucket Taiko' in schools) they got support from North East Lincolnshire's Music & Performing Arts Service as well as North Lincolnshire Music Service to set up regular weekly groups in both Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
Lisa and Emma founded Gyoko Taiko (meaning Fishing Port Drums) in Grimsby in 2010 and deliver 3 weekly children's groups and 1 weekly adult group. Lisa then set up Saturday morning Taiko groups in Scunthorpe for young people to learn and since then they have delivered additional work in the area and have been asked to set up and run more weekly groups in North Lincolnshire!
Alongside all of this, their work in schools and teacher training programmes have really taken off with several schools running regular Taiko projects and clubs.
Lisa and Emma are currently working together developing and touring their own Taiko performances on a professional level at schools, festivals and events.

Humber Taiko was formed in order to support the development of the various different groups being created and run across the region as well as to raise money for new equipment to share and use throughout the local communities. Through this new organisation, Taiko projects, shows and opportunities can be promoted and supported with the longer term plan of eventually running a regular regional festival of Taiko.