Hi. My name is Luke Crookes. I am a bassoonist, workshop leader & presenter. I work with museums, galleries, heritage sites, cultural institutions, SEND schools, schools, community groups & hospitals. I also collaborate with artists, musicians, dancers, sculptors, architects and all sorts of other people.
My practice is about making space for individuals and the group to arrive in their bodies rather than staying solely in their head, making space and time to absorb what comes up and tuning in to energy, atmospheres & qualities. Creating space for participants to arrive, absorb, explore & express their imagination and body free from judgment. From this starting the group can include their body and imagination; promoting embodied music making, sounding, expression & creativity.
Please get in touch if you’d like to know more or have any questions. There is a contact box at the bottom of the page.
A participant
“I could feel my creativity being tapped into. I loved working with you on the track, I thought the way you were so inclusive and encouraging with everyone was great, a rare skill!“
A Teacher
“Thanks for an amazing project. It was inspiring, creative, educational, and most importantly FUN for the staff and the pupils”.
Kerri Ovel. Deputy head of Beatrice Tate Special School. Museum of Docklands. Feb 2020.
A collaborative artist
“Brilliant work with children working with @luke_crookes – inspiring music practitioner – truly talented and genuinely searching for the innate power of creativity in young people”. Carran Waterfield. Theatre and performance maker. August 2019
Adhoc Community Dance on Zoom
It’s fab! Amazing to be part of this!
Here are some of the organisations I have worked for:
BBC. THE NATIONAL GALLERY. THE PRINCES TRUST. THE MUSEUM OF LONDON. THE BRITISH MUSEUM. THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC & DRAMA. THE ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL. WIGMORE HALL. THE WALLACE COLLECTION. THE MUSEUM OF LONDON. THE BARBICAN. PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA. EVELINA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. CREATE. THE ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL. SIRF (STOCKTON INTERNATIONAL RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL.OPEN CITY.OPERA NORTH. HERON CORN MILL. LEIPZIG GERWANTHAUS ORCHESTRA. THE SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. BT. THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA. BARINGA PARTNERS. INTERCRUISES. GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY.
Dissolve SIRF
This is a human story rather than a love story… with water.
‘Beautiful’
Stella Hall, Festival Director of Festival Of Thrift, Redcar and programmer.
‘Stunning’
Rachel Swanwick, Promoter/ programmer, Oldham Council.
The North Sea radio Orchestra
MANCHESTER ART GALLERY CERAMICS & ADHOC DANCE
A moving and meditative performance by Adhoc and bassoonist Luke Crookes creating a sense of Halima Cassell’s sculptures almost becoming alive. Beautiful!
Project manager
OPEN CITY SPECIAL SCHOOLS ARCHITECTURE
DOCKLANDS MUSEUM
“Not only is your sensitivity to the dance amazing but the fact that you seem to produce it in such a short time” Liz Patrick, participant.
“Thank you all for a wonderful project and experience” Class Teacher
“Thank you so much for all the fantastic work you put into the project. It was a pleasure to work on this with you.”
“The mystery of interpretation of OWCH’s journey became a joyous recollection which was a quite different way of owning the feelings in which we normally express ourselves.” Participant.
ORCHESTRAS
Musicianship – creativity – performance
Nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award 2015
“Your musicality, professionalism, collaboration, communication, team work & dedication is such a joy & pleasure to work with.” Project Manager.
“Thank you for last night. I really enjoyed it and found it very compelling……. a visual treat. Loved the bassoonist…..live music just adds that extra magic!! I left feeling very uplifted!!” Audience member Pauline Gibson.
“it was absolutely magical – to see how the painting became alive through the careful selection of detail and then interpreted through music, singing and movement and back to painting – all of it was wonderful ! I met one of the pupils yesterday and she was talking to me about “the baby” ( signing actually). the speech therapist that she was with said the class team said it was the best trip they’d been on.”
“Thank you so much for this morning. It was absolutely brilliant and all of the teachers and people involved in the project said how amazing it was” Project Manager
ORCHESTRAS
Scottish heritage & poetry
“A very inspiring project that led to real creative freedom and an end result that was entirely the students.”
Teacher, Candlebird Creative Composition Workshop, 2015.
BASSOON
Greek folk songs and classical music
Bassoon concerto with the Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra.
Tuning In 