Who we are

Blind Tiger is led by Teesside Community Engineer Mike McGrother. Mike has been working as a music practitioner, creative partner, teacher and performing arts producer...

...in a host of educational, local authority, health, community and criminal justice settings across the North East of England for the past 30 years. He is also the frontman of The Wildcats of Kilkenny, a ‘musical tour de force’ who have taken their hybrid Teesside / Irish sound across the globe with regular performances across Europe, China, Ireland and New York.
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Mike’s work has been described as ‘transformative’ and ‘life changing’ and his many awards and accolades are testament to what he describes as his ‘vocation’ : fostering community spirit and reminding people how important their story is.

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Within the world of education, Mike was responsible for establishing the then Stockton & Billingham College, (now Stockton Riverside College) as the UK’s first Centre of Vocational Excellence in Performing Arts. As part of his vision for the CoVE, Mike was seconded to work with the arts council to re-open the closed down Stockton’s ARC arts centre and has remained an integral part of ARC ever since – still retaining a role as associate artist within the building for the past 15 years.

He continues to champion the building as a space where all people can discover and be supported to develop their ‘creativity’ in the widest sense.
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Mike was commissioned to become Stockton Council’s Creative Partner for an initial two year period in 2013. With a remit to embed new, creative approaches to community development and partnership working, Mike also developed creative projects to tackle physical and mental health inequalities, dementia awareness, and overall approaches to reducing isolation. Mike infamously ‘took on’ Channel 4 and Love Productions by rallying the community of Stockton to become ‘Lovelier Productions’ when faced with the filming of Benefits Street in the Borough. The consequent ‘PSST!’ Campaign – focusing on positivity and raised aspiration won the ‘Best Community & Neighbourhood Initiative’ award from the Association for Public Service Excellence in 2014. The role evolved into a five year commitment with Mike’s work very much informing and underpinning the current high street transformation as a place for people to gather as a community space.
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As ‘The Wild Rover’ Mike ‘tells stories’ by setting off, guitar in hand and sharing the tales of communities as he walks: from Monaghan to Middlesbrough; Stockton to Kilkenny; Stockton to Poperinge and shortly, The Cleveland Way. The first of these epic walks explored the formation of Teesside’s community from the viewpoint of his own Irish roots and this led to his creation of ‘Pub Operas’ – a performance hybrid style combining the traditions of music hall, operatic storytelling, early 20th century social clubs and Irish Saloon Bars. ‘Blind Tiger’ is the consequent community interest company and Mike is proud to be developing it in partnership with Teesside University’s School of Social Sciences and Humanities.
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Blind Tiger uses story, musicking and humour to unleash the past and the present of community spirit and, whether it is through the loud and proud homage to social club culture of ‘TubThump!’, the sociable gatherings for older attending The Speakeasy, or the ‘Free and Easy’ singalong tradition of his choir for men, Infant Hercules, Blind Tiger strives to give people in the community a louder – and a ‘listened to’ voice.