Directors & Creatives
Adrian C. Falconer
Co- Founder, Artistic Director & Fight Choreographer
Adrian is a former WSA (World Sport Arnis) British Champion in Filipino Martial Arts. a close quarter combat system that covers a wide range combat disciplines including, Kali Sticks, Blades, Bankaw (Bo Staff), Katana, Knife Defence, and Basic Firearms Safety. Adrian also trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and now works independently as an Actor, Stunt Performer and Fight Choreographer around the UK.
Adrian has established himself across many platforms that include Film, TV, Music Videos and Theatre. Most recently in Adrian's rep of work includes Fight Coordinating in Little Simz's upcoming music video, alongside Legendary American Music Video Director Dave Meyers and Movement Director Kloe Dean, as well as Fight Directing with Olivier Award winner Ivan Michael Blackstock in his highly acclaimed production ‘TRAPLORD',
Before stepping in Martial Arts Adrian performed in theatre productions such as: Original London run of ‘CAGES' at Riverside Studios, London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Brit Awards, West End Live’s ‘& Juliet’. His work with celebrities also includes Taron Egerton, John Cleese, Leona Lewis, Kath Ryan, Fleur East, Plan B, Alesha Dixon, Steps and Spice Girl Mel C.
As such Adrian also enjoys sharing his knowledge within the industry with others. His Fight Design Company ‘TAKA’, is not just his creative outlet, but it also functions as a way of developing a community where actors, dancers, martial artists and even beginners can each discover more about themselves as performers whilst learning new skills.
Joni-Ann Falconer
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Originally from South Africa, Joni Falconer has enjoyed an internationally based career, which began in Hong Kong as a Drama Teacher and Stage Manager.
Joni gained more experience working as Stage Manager for Cunard Line, working with entertainment industry veterans such as Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall, Gregory Porter, and Herbie Hancock.
After 5 years at sea, refining her skills, Joni moved to the UK and began working as a Production Coordinator for Living the Dream where she organised the opening ceremony of WE Day 2020, starring Leona Lewis. She then served as Living the Dream’s Operations and Programme Manager at EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
Joni’s focus has become centred on Production Management for UK based dance works with The Place, BirdGang LTD, Walker Movement Theatre Company, Third Version Creative and Pagrav Dance. She is currently the Company Stage Manager for Trinity Laban.
Joni is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Taka Strike Club. Their most recent project was a collaboration with Ivan Blackstock on the Olivier Award winning ‘Traplord’ for Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells, integrating action performance with Hip Hop theatre.
Ericson Mitchell
Co-Founder, Senior Coach, Actor, Performer
Ericson Mitchell is an acrobat/gymnast, Circus Artist (specialising in Chinese Pole and hand-to-hand) Stuntman, martial artist, Parkour specialist, Dancer, and performer. Ericson trained at East 15 on their BA(Hons) Acting and Stage Combat course, and has been working in the industry for over 10 years, learning, expanding, growing and gaining new skills and inspiration.
His work has spanned a huge range of styles and he has worked across the globe with such prolific companies as the English National Ballet, La Scala (Italy), Secret Cinema (London and China), the English National Opera, and 20th Century Fox (Malaysia). His stunt work has also taken him to many countries, filming for Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla, Betfair, and webuyanycar.com to name a few. Ericson has doubled on Winx: The Fate Saga, BBC's Waterloo Road, and Sky Sports 'the greatest showman' campaign.
Ericson has a passion for movement and has spent years expanding his physical knowledge, learning new skills and training consistently. Ericson has been passionate about martial arts, fighting and weaponry from a young age, and has been consistent in his training and discipline. Most recently he took part in the Cascade University Campus (CUC) stunt intensive, honing existing skills such as high falls, stair falls and car hits, as well as continuing his training in weapons, combat, martial arts and fight choreography.
Ivan Michael Blackstock
Creative Consultant & Movement Director
Ivan Micheal Blackstock is an Olivier Award Winner, with his highly acclaimed production 'Traplord'. The show has been slowly cultivating from strength to strength for a decade to a point where Ivan and his team are now on a journey to include new elements and new skills into their repertoire.
Very recently Ivan and his Traplord members have been training regularly with Taka Strike Club and soon realised that they wanted to discover a way to utilise their new skills and include them as a another medium for expression through their show that include Martial Arts and Action Performance.
Kofi Mingo
Co-Founder, Creative Consultant, Performer
Kofi's vast experience in the performing arts industry ranges between a multitude of levels including, competitive and dance performance, as well as mass choreographic from local (grass roots) all the way up to international arena such as, Olympic & Paralympic Games, International dance competition stages (Red Bull Dance your style 2019 uk champion & world top 8), Circus work (Upswing Circus) and museums spaces (British Museum, Montresso Art Space, Marrakech), and most recently the Film Wicked 2024.
As a dance specialists, he teaches free movement with his UN1VERSE (you in 1 verse) freestyle dance program to all ages demographics, as well as adapting this program for both dance competition and performance environments.
His skills include: Capoeira, Shaolin, Taekwondo, HipHop (Bboy, Hiphop freestyle, Popping), UN1VERSE (fusion artform), Circus (Single/Double harness, Chinese Pole).
Kofi is also self taught in STREET STICK (fusion of Acro-Stick, B-Boy, HipHop), Rope Dart, POI (single/double, with/without Freestyle with above skills).
Kofi applies all his experience that challenges the actors embodiment of movement, and how they navigate and perform in a given environment or set scene.
Casey Gonsalves
VFX Artist & Action Filmmaker
Casey specialises in VFX and video editing, bringing cinematic moments to life through dynamic post-production techniques. His influences derive a love for anime and action driven camera choreography. These artistic mediums help to fuel his creativity and inspire him to blend high-energy sequences, expressive motion, and stunning effects to recreate the intensity of anime-style combat in live action.
Casey have a deep passion for storytelling through artistic references, so ultimately most of his work has been designed with notions of recreating the visual sensations that feel straight out of an anime or graphic novel. 'I like to give audiences an opportunity that enables them to immerse themselves in a high-octane and climatic experience through my work. I’m committed to pushing the boundaries of action filmmaking with creativity and passion'.
Casey also trains in dance and martial arts. These disciplines play a major part in his creative development particularly when adapting visual effects technology to various forms of movement on screen, which is present throughout most of his work. Most notably Casey is on the creative team working with Action Design Company ‘TAKA S.C.’. who specialise specifically in cinematic action and combine martial arts and stunts. 'My role as their VFX editor has been to consult and edit on moments that make them visually more striking.'
