Tees Valley is placing itself at forefront of the creative industries

Tees Valley is rapidly placing itself at the forefront of the creative industries with new and ongoing programmes to boost businesses and support our excellent creators and entrepreneurs.

Supporting the thriving culture and arts scene in the region is vital to becoming the powerhouse we can be – and ensuring these exceptional individuals and cultural organisations are acknowledged is a great way of doing that.

Outside of the North East Culture Awards, five local artists have been named as the first successful Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2024. Run by Tees Valley Combined Authority, this supports leading local artists with a career-changing £30,000 investment, as it develops the region as an engine room for creatives.

They are Middlesbrough singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn; Darlington author Lisette Auton; Stockton -based visual artist Claire A Baker; theatre-maker Scott Turnbull and Stockton film-maker Andy Berriman.

The award is part of a wider £20.5million programme of investment by the Combined Authority to grow the region’s creative and cultural industries and visitor economies.

Another pioneering partnership is nurturing talent, supporting TV and film creatives and businesses to bring blockbuster films and returning series to the region – boosting the area’s profile and industries.

The BBC ’s agreement with the North East Screen Partnership (NESIP) brought a push to boost homegrown talent in our region on its launch in 2021. In that time, Teesside has hosted the filming and premiere of star-studded movie Jackdaw, as well as seeing a rise in a raft of TV and film productions coming here. This includes Smoggie Queens, debuting on BBC Three this autumn.

The £11.4million North East Screen Industries Partnership, backed by £4.5million of investment from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, is being delivered by North East Screen.

And in music, Sonic Futures is a new TVCA-funded programme to develop new local talent, support the area’s live music venues and recording studios and build its profile as a centre for music creativity.

Delivering more than £2million of investment to key areas, this new partnership led by North East music industry specialists, Generator, and Tees Music Alliance, will set the next generation of talent up for success.

Visit www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/creative-place to find out more about exciting work happening in the sector.