When I started to talk with my team about how to celebrate Northern Stage's 40th Birthday in 2010, we thought about the reputation of our company for innovation, debate and for introducing theatre artists from all over the world to Newcastle.  We also thought about our name, as it has changed a few times over those years and because we are often asked exactly what it is that makes us northern.

We mostly answer simply that we are based in Newcastle upon Tyne so we make and present theatre in the North of England, but we know that underneath the question lurks a series of other questions. Can we call ourselves northern if we work with such a diverse range of artists? Does northern imply a style and attitude or point of view on the world? Where is the mark of northern landscapes or histories in our work? What is the perception of our work when we tour outside of the north. Is northern a state of mind? What defines a northern stage?

These questions really intrigued us, and as Northern Stage, in its 40 year history, has never been bound by narrow definitions, we decided we would try to answer them in the most open and revealing way we could. We became aware that we had lots of "Northern colleagues" but that not all of them came from the traditional North, some came from the North of China, or the North of America. And we also noticed that each person's individual journey gave them a different sense of identity in relation to North and South. I was born in Harrogate, lived in Barnsley until I was seven, moved "down South" for 27 years and now live and work in the North East. Does that make me northern? On some days it does. Does that give me the right to call myself northern? When do I want to, and when does it matter?

So we began a quest, to start 40 conversations about northernness, theatrical in 40 different ways, and northern in 40 different ways.

This quest had two very simple criteria; the artists we spoke to had to be from either the north of their country or the north of their continent, and they had to intrigue the team in Newcastle. We didn't limit ourselves to the Northern hemisphere, nor to cold climates, and we wanted to include photographers and musicians alongside actors and directors.

On our journey we have unearthed stories of landscape, politics, loss, family, beauty, determination and great humour. Our search has ranged from North Wales to Northern Iran to North Africa and back to Northumberland. We have learned a lot already and we have only just begun. We will be sharing these "conversations" all the way through our Birthday year. You can follow the journey here online and through a year long festival of the work of our northern friends in the Northern Stage building. And most importantly we want to hear from you. There are some simple questions on this site to help us build a picture of Northerners (and Southerners) from all over the world, please do take the time to take part here.

We don't except to have any straightforward answers to our questions, but we do hope to go on a kaleidoscopic journey which will open our eyes and ears to many different versions of what Northern can be. I very much hope you will enjoy coming with us.

Erica
(Chief Executive of Northern Stage)

Thanks go to Northern Rock Foundation for their support of this project.

We would also like to thank all of the artists who have played a part in this project, and all those people who have shared their thoughts about northernness with us, on this journey.