North East Voices Blue Lamp Showcase
North East Voices brings together a powerful mix of comedy, music and poetry in a one-night-only showcase celebrating the diversity and talent of the North Easts creative scene. Hosted at The Blue Lamp as part of WayWORD Festival, the evening features five distinctive voices pushing artistic boundaries in their own unique ways: Fiona Sae Paing, Aiden Cowie, Jamie McCormick, Daisy Mugadza andSheena Blackhall. Expect laughter, lyrical beauty, haunting soundscapes and bold performance from this electric lineup of artists. Whether you come for the
storytelling, the satire or the songs, this is a rare chance to experience some of the regions most exciting performers live and loud, all under one roof.
Sand, Silt, Flint brings to life musician Fiona Soe Paings acclaimed alt-folk album of the same name, described by Iggy Pop on BBC 6 Music as advanced and beautiful. Scotlands darker ballads and folklore are reframed in a cinematic fusion of music, myth and moving image, charting a dreamlike journey through time and place. Melding electronic textures, archive material and location footage with otherworldly vocals and recorded contributions from some of Scotlands finest musicians, Sand, Silt, Flint offers a mesmerising twist on tradition. Praised by The Scotsman and Songlines , the show has been supported by Creative Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts.
Aiden Cowie is a stand-up comedian whose journey began after surviving a life-altering cancer diagnosis at 19. Embracing comedy as a new path, Aiden has performed in iconic venues including the SEC Armadillo and the Royal Albert Hall, and has supported major acts like Gary Meikle, Carl Hutchinson, Lee Ridley (Lost Voice Guy) and Romesh Ranganathan. Now 26, Aiden is committed to refining his stand-up craft, blending sharp wit and personal experience in performances that both uplift and entertain.
Originally from South Africa,Daisy Mugadza finds herself in Aberdeen as a PhD researcher. In her free time, however, she has always enjoyed singing and has also been a self taught guitarist and bass player since 2017. Daisy takes great influence from a variety of folk and singer songwriter artists such as Sufjan Stevens and Paul Simon as well as some local South African artists like Freshlyground.
Jamie McCormick is a neurodivergent, pansexual, nonbinary trans masc singer, songwriter, musician, performer, poet and writer from Aberdeenshire. Their act is eclectic and merges original music, comedy, choreography, drag artistry, burlesque and poetry, all delivered with an authentic voice that captivates the listener. With an emphasis on mental health awareness, gender issues and general queerness, their
writing ranges from serious and soul-searching to self-deprecating and satirical, but with a constant underlying theme of great hair. They may wear cat ears for the show. They will probably wear too much eyeliner. They will definitely wear their heart on their sleeve.
Sheena Blackhall is a writer, illustrator, traditional ballad singer and storyteller rooted in North East Scotland. From 1998 to 2003 she was Creative Writing Fellow in Scots at the Elphinstone Institute. She has published four Scots novellas, fifteen short story collections, over 213 poetry collections, and many owersets (translations) of classic literature. In 2009 she became Makar (poet laureate) for Aberdeen and the North East, and was named Makar for the Doric Board in 2019. In 2025 she placed second at the Portsoy traditional ballad singing competition.
Find the full programme, including accessibility information, at www.waywordfestival.com [//www.waywordfestival.com]
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