Newcastle actor Daniel Zareie, known as Dani, was widely acclaimed for his professional debut in Live Theatre’s world premiere production, Champion. The 18-year-old was on the Project A actor training course at Newcastle Theatre Royal when he was chosen for the challenging role of Azeem in Ishy Din’s new play about a mixed race family in South Shields at the time of Muhammad Ali’s famous visit to the town in 1977. Dani performed alongside seasoned performers Christina Berriman Dawson and Jack Robertson in the play directed by Jack McNamara. Critics variously called his performance “nuanced and powerful” and “heartfelt and dynamic”.

Ensemble ’84, a groundbreaking new theatre company in Horden, County Durham, burst onto the scene with a stunning debut production of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children, newly translated by Lee Hall and directed by Mark Dornford-May. It saw local recruits to the acting profession, chosen for paid training through open audition, perform alongside members of the celebrated Isango Ensemble from South Africa. Staged in Horden Methodist Church, company HQ, it garnered widespread acclaim and national media coverage. The production, recently revived at Live Theatre, was followed by Pits, People and Players, performed with equal verve by the County Durham actors alone.

Laura Lee Daly is an ambitious and dedicated North East writer, director and actor with a passion for storytelling. She has writing credits, notably for her Mam Anthology series of short films, which also showcased her directing skills, and has appeared as an actor on screen, notably in Ken Loach’s film The Old Oak. Despite her relatively recent entry into the industry she has built a diverse portfolio career, demonstrating her range and professionalism. She is also the co-founder (with chief technology officer Christopher Darby) and chief executive of CinePlatform, an initiative designed to equip film-makers with efficient production planning software.

Nana Kofi Asamoah-Adu, a postgraduate student at Teesside University, is also a keen and insightful photographer. Commissioned as part of a student placement supported by Art Fund, his photographs were shown as part of The Secret Lives of Bottle of Notes at MIMA alongside that of renowned artists. In 2024 he worked with MIMA on an evaluation piece which involved winning the trust of a diverse North East community and won a Middlesbrough Council competition to photograph the Old Town Hall. He also won an award for Excellence in the Arts, presented by the Taste of Africa network at the Black History Youth Awards.

For over five decades, photographer Ian Macdonald has captured the soul of Teesside and its people with extraordinary honesty and care. His retrospective Fixing Time, presented by Sunderland Culture across two major venues, celebrated a lifetime of documenting the North East’s industrial and post-industrial landscape. Through powerful portraits and atmospheric imagery, Ian honours working-class communities, revealing both the dignity and fragility of lives shaped by change. His work, widely acclaimed and admired, stands as a passionate depiction of a region and its people.

Artist Narbi Price continues to redefine how we see environment, history, and memory through his meticulous, research-driven practice. His project Going Back Brockens revisited the former mining community of Horden, unearthing layers of loss, labour, and lived experience within the landscape. His paintings portrayed former colliery sites as they stand today - silent spaces once central to working-class life, now reclaimed, repurposed, or left behind. Narbi’s commitment to painting sites shaped by labour, loss, and resilience makes his practice both vital and distinctive. Grounded in the North East yet nationally recognised, his work challenges how we record and remember our surroundings.

Ruth Flowers is a County Durham-based visual artist whose work explores folklore, community, and everyday magic in the North East. Working across ceramics, illustration, and socially engaged practice, she creates art that celebrates people and place. In 2025, she led Nana’s House in Peterlee, transforming an empty shop into a welcoming creative space honouring local women’s lives. A proud member of STRIKE, a women+ led art collective championing women and other marginalised groups, Ruth also explores how digital technology can extend participatory art through projects like Rivers Within and Deep Seed, combining craft, innovation, and community storytelling in powerful new ways.

For three decades, Dominic Nelson-Ashley has been a distinctive creative voice in the North East - a writer, performer, and musician (Domineeky) whose work bridges artforms and communities. His latest collection, Riot Music, transformed the shock of the 2024 Middlesbrough riots into poetry about love, joy, relationships, fatherhood, identity, and belonging - an intimate examination of who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we are going. A BBC New Voice and mentor to many, Dominic is also the official voice of Middlesbrough Uncovered, where he continues to celebrate the city’s stories, past and present.

Dr Ruth Raynor, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning at Newcastle University and co-founder of contemporary new writing theatre collective, Albatross, creates powerful, socially engaged work that listens as much as it speaks. Her play Grounded marked the fifth anniversary of Covid-19 with heart, humour, and live music-affirming life by confronting death. Developed over three years with people bereaved during the pandemic, the play transforms real testimonies into an exploration of love, loss, and solidarity. A sell-out success at Alphabetti Theatre, Grounded was praised for its honesty, tenderness, and innovation, offering audiences-many first-time theatre-goers-a space for remembrance, healing, and shared humanity.

Tom Machell and Lauren Pattison are two of the North East’s most exciting comedy writing talents. Their BBC Radio 4 sitcom Tom and Lauren Are Going OOT! - produced by Candle and Bell - showcased their sharp, heartfelt, and hilarious writing, bringing authentic North Eastern voices to a national audience. Blending warmth, wit, and brilliantly observed character-driven storytelling, the series captured regional life with universal appeal. Featuring guest stars including Julian Clary and earning strong acclaim, the show returned for its second series in mid-November 2025.

The Autonomy Project is a groundbreaking initiative empowering autistic young people in Sunderland through creativity, collaboration, and leadership. Co-designed and led by participants, it offered space for artistic exploration, connection, and confidence-building. From photography and printing to animation and curating, young people shaped every stage - interviewing staff, commissioning neurodivergent artists, and creating their own Special Interest Club. Their work was exhibited at the National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, celebrating individuality and creative excellence. Autonomy has transformed how inclusion in the arts can look - proving that when young people lead, they not only create art, they create change.

West End Skies are a theatre group born out of work students at Callerton Academy created through New Writing North’s Young Writers City programme. In April 2025 they presented Lost Teenagers, a powerful, original play devised by young people for young people. Performed at Northern Stage, the show explores identity, perfection, and control in the digital age, as five teens are drawn into the seductive yet sinister world of an app called Happy High Life. Many of the group were first-time writers and performers, yet delivered an exceptional piece of theatre that was bold, inventive, and emotionally resonant. Through Lost Teenagers this committed group made sure the world in which they live was seen, heard and compellingly brought to life.

The Young Producers are a collective of 16-25-year-olds transforming museums and galleries across the Tees Valley. Working with teams in Hartlepool, Stockton, and Darlington, they design and deliver their own exhibitions and events - from silent discos and protest-themed shows to historical dress up photography events and international collaborations. Managing budgets and programming decisions, they’ve partnered with the British Museum and hosted a cultural exchange with Berlin’s Jugend Museum. Taking the lead in programming cultural events, Young Producers are breaking ground and shaping how museums engage with their communities.

Aaron Bowman is a creative producer whose work is enriching the North East’s cultural landscape. Over the past year, they have delivered standout projects including HOME with TeesDance, Nana’s House by Ruth Flowers, Quilterlee with Workish, and the SCRAN takeover in Peterlee-each blending artistic ambition with deep community connection. A consistent advocate for LGBTQIA+ representation and inclusive practice, Aaron champions values-led work that celebrates creativity and care. Through their new organisation, SIDEQUEST CIC, they produced the Pop-Up Cardboard Museum of Natural History from the Future, inviting families to explore ecology through play and storytelling - proving that creativity can be both joyful and transformative.

Helen Green has been a driving force behind Sunderland’s cultural transformation. As Head of Performance at Sunderland Culture, she shaped an ambitious programme that brought world-class work and local talent together. Her final project before moving on, Public Record - created with the National Theatre’s Public Acts - was a joyous, large-scale celebration of Sunderland’s people and music, transforming The Fire Station into a live recording studio with over 100 community performers and professional artists. Typical of Helen’s bold vision and collaborative spirit, Public Record was a fitting finale to a tenure that has redefined what’s possible in the city’s creative landscape.

Lucy Marie Curry is a powerhouse of creativity and care whose work is transforming the North East theatre community. Through her company Peachplant Productions, she writes, directs, and produces original work while championing wellbeing, inclusion, and connection across the arts. In 2024-25, Lucy co-wrote and co-directed Subterranea at Laurels and worked as Movement and Intimacy Director on acclaimed productions Gerry and Sewell and Dogs on the Metro, respectively. She also founded The Reconnection Retreat, a free wellness retreat supporting women in the creative industries. Tirelessly dedicated and deeply compassionate, Lucy continues to elevate what it means to create off stage.

Moving Art Management celebrates ten years as one of the North East’s most dynamic and influential producing organisations. Founded by Rachel Jean Birch and Hannah Moreno, the company has spent a decade championing artists, growing audiences, and enabling ambitious dance and performance projects across the region and beyond. With over £3 million raised for artists and partners, their work spans contemporary, South Asian and inclusive dance, narrative ballet, and site-specific performance. Rooted in collaboration, sustainability, and care, Moving Art Management continues to prove that bold ideas and thriving creative communities depend on exceptional producing.

The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass was a community-led project celebrating 60 years of Washington New Town. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it incorporated oral histories, music, art and digital storytelling. Residents shared memories of roundabouts, underpasses and the notorious concrete crocs which were turned into podcasts by sound designer Grace Stubbings with songs by Paige Temperley, David Brewis and young musicians. The project was delivered by Sunderland Culture at Arts Centre Washington along with Washington Heritage Partnership, We Make Culture and the University of Sunderland. It resulted in exhibitions, a publication, a banner and a celebratory event.

Matthew Rosier's Berwick Parade was produced by the Maltings (Berwick) Trust as part of the Living Barracks Project, funded by Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund and supported by Create Berwick, funded by the North East Combined Authority and Northumberland County Council. On three February nights, multi-media artist Rosier animated Berwick-upon-Tweed’s historic barracks, creating a spectacular parade of giants around the walls. Over 800 local people joined a filming day, parading before a set directed by artist Chloë Sayers and filmed by Carl Joyce. Footage was edited by Rosier’s team and projected on a monumental scale. Audiences on the parade ground watched the filmed figures process to arrangements of traditional King’s Own Scottish Borderers parade music performed live. More than 2,500 people attended an event not easily forgotten.

Most Creative Station, delivered by arts organisation Navigator North in partnership with TransPennine Express and Middlesbrough Council, was a colourful programme of artist commissions at Middlesbrough’s Grade II-listed station, built in 1887. Twelve artists were chosen from among more than 60 applicants to create 10 artworks that would animate the station – then undergoing major redevelopment – in what was a significant year for railway heritage, with Tees Valley celebrating the Stockton and Darlington Railway’s 200th anniversary. The participating artists were Emma Bennett, Catherine Bertola, Ed Carter, Nell Catchpole, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson & Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, KEINO, Helen Pailing and Adam Shaw.

Ensemble ’84, a new theatre company based in Horden, County Durham, has made an immediate impact on stage – notably with its stunning premiere production of Mother Courage and Her Children, directed by company artistic director Mark Dornford-May – but also off stage, providing a route into professional theatre that once didn’t exist. The company has shown with its two shows so far, the second being Pits, People and Players, that there’s an abundance of talent across County Durham and an untapped audience for live theatre if it’s as compelling as that produced by Ensemble ’84 which Arts Council England has been proud to support.

This year’s Masala Festival of South Asian arts and culture opened with a virtuoso display of dance by the Aakash Odedra Company at Newcastle Theatre Royal. Songs of the Bulbul was a stunning solo performance by Aakash Odedra inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of the captive bulbul (nightingale) which sings more sweetly the darker it gets. The work, featuring choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan, was the first of many memorable attractions at the festival presented by GemArts director Vikas Kumar and his team. A programme showcasing music, visual art, literature, dance and food captivated people of all ages and backgrounds.

Vici Wreford-Sinnott, writer, director, actor and leading light in the disability arts movement, is also an Associate Artist at ARC Stockton where her latest play, UNRULY, premiered ahead of a national tour. Directed by Bex Bowsher, it had Marina (Vici) reflecting on her life with Suze when they had sought to change the world as “a post-punk, police-agitating, b****cks-shouting duo”. Performing alongside musician and composer Beccy Owen, Vici ensured her play more than matched its billing as “a powerful, urgent show about refusing to be invisible in hostile environments and the power of friendship and community to get us through”.

The third iteration of Between the Tides, Redcar & Cleveland’s free festival for young people and families, took place in August in the grounds of Kirkleatham Museum which was given over to theatre, puppetry, circus, dance, storytelling and music. Once again designed and curated by young people from across the borough, it was a spectacularly colourful affair. Entertainment was provided by the likes of artist Umar Butt, Theatre Hullabaloo with The Giant’s Picnic and Tees Valley Dance. Many explored the Imagination Playground. More than 20,000 people attended and not all were from the local area, such was its pulling power.

Hartlepool Pride 2025, delivered by LGBTQIA+ arts charity Curious Arts, featured more than 30 artists and performers and saw last year’s pop up event progress to town centre takeover. Part of Pride in Tees Valley, it embraced venues including Hartlepool Art Gallery and The Northern School of Art and included live music and drag acts, makers’ markets, clothes swaps, street chalk art and a parade. The event was an expression of inclusion and community togetherness whose impact extended beyond the day. The headline sponsor, Thirteen, was supported by Arts Council England, Tees Valley Combined Authority, Hartlepool Borough Council and others.

“So much more than an art exhibition,” remarked one visitor. “It brought people of all ages together to acknowledge our history and look to the future.” Commissioned by No More Nowt and produced by Building Culture CIC, Going Back Brockens united painter Narbi Price, filmmaker Carl Joyce, and Mark Hudson, author of 1994 book Coming Back Brockens: A Year in a Mining Village, to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike. It featured 40 new paintings, interviews recorded in East Durham after the strike and new films telling stories from former pit villages. It was shown in Bishop Auckland, at Redhills to coincide with Durham Miners’ Gala and in Horden.

Newcastle theatre company Cap-a-Pie, through creative, participatory projects, enriches cultural and scientific education for children and encourages teachers to be creative in the classroom. Over the past year the company worked with eight schools and Newcastle and Durham universities. Its projects, developed with teachers, scientists and researchers, have inspired confidence, teamwork and a deeper understanding of curriculum topics. Coal & Climate explored our coal mining heritage and visions for a sustainable future, Marvellous Microbes brought science to life for young children through storytelling, music and movement while The Vanishing Act used cabaret-style theatre to explore insect decline.

For three years until June 2025, Sunderland Empire and Sunderland Culture joined with the National Theatre to deliver its Speak Up programme, empowering young people to explore issues that mattered to them through creativity, social action and performance. They were at the centre of all the work, supported by teachers, artists and cultural practitioners. It showed what can be achieved when arts and education organisations work closely together. The programme, involving curriculum-linked workshops, after-school projects, creative writing, podcast-making and youth-led performances, leaves a legacy of empowered young voices and stronger connections between schools, the arts and the wider community.

New Writing North's Young Writers City programme at Kelvin Grove Primary School, Gateshead, has been running for seven years. Key to the partnership in this diverse area is the multilingual nature of the activities. Over the past year writers Emily Wiseman and Lucie Brownlee, and audio producer Calum Howard, worked with pupils to create a series of podcasts inspired by places they had previously called home. They were celebrated at a special event at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. This long-term programme shows the value of embedded partnership working across arts and education and the power of creative provision to change lives.

ARC, the only dedicated arts centre in the Tees Valley, may be situated in Stockton’s most deprived ward but it has served local communities royally over the years. Its five floors house an experimental studio space, a traditional black box theatre, a flexible gig and event space, an informal gallery space and an independent cinema. Under new leadership since September 2024, it has introduced a raft of new initiatives. They include Make New Work, a programme of open commissions selected by community panels, Culture Kitchen, aimed at reducing food waste, and the New Revolutions theatre programme focused on bringing great work to the region.

Gosforth Civic Theatre (GCT) is an independent arts venue and community hub created by and for people with learning disabilities. It opened in 2016 and is run by Liberdade Community Development Trust. Recently expanded and much improved, with a new energy-efficient heating system, it welcomes thousands of people annually to activities including theatre, live music, cinema, gigs, talks, festivals, workshops, summer schools, markets and community gatherings. Its café, GCT Kitchen, and licensed bar make it a place for conversation as well as creativity. One regular called it “a wonderful, creative and inclusive space in the heart of a local community”.

Land of Iron, which celebrates the region’s ironstone mining and steelmaking heritage, occupies the site in Skinningrove of the first ironstone mine in Cleveland. Having reopened to the public in 2023 after major redevelopment, the proudly independent museum has returned with a bang. Thousands flocked to it last year, attracted by a busy programme of cultural, educational and community-focused activities. This year, for the first time, Land of Iron was awarded a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award. More tangibly, it opened The Iron Shed, a men’s shed for mental health and wellbeing, and secured over £650,000 from the Museum and Estates Development Fund to refurbish and reopen mining tunnels closed since 1958.

The Tute used to be the miners’ welfare institute in Cambois, near Blyth (hence the name) but under the stewardship of Esther Huss (dance artist) and Alex Oates (playwright) it has become a cultural hub and an inclusive space for creativity and connection. An example of its dedication to high quality arts activities is its programme Rude Health. Last year it included a performance of Krapp’s Last Tape, by Samuel Beckett, performed by actor Trevor Fox, and Musical Boxing with Maggie Nichols and Tim Dalling. The Tute, which prides itself on supporting freelancers, also works extensively with schools and care homes in the area.

With shared values around social mobility, building company Hodgson Sayers has worked with North East Museums to equip young people for careers in the STEAM subjects: science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. It has supported over 160,000 learning engagements and groups including the Stephenson Steam Railway youth group and L-INK, a youth-led art group at the Laing and Hatton galleries. John Sayers, managing director of the County Durham-based company, says: “We recognise the importance of developing young people and allowing them to flourish. Apprentices are our lifeblood and ensuring we give them the best platform to grow is the right thing to do.”

Most Creative Station was a programme of artist commissions at Middlesbrough Station delivered by artist-led organisation Navigator North, train operator TransPennine Express and Middlesbrough Council. More than 60 artists applied to animate the station and 12 applicants were chosen. Ten works by artists Emma Bennett, Catherine Bertola, Ed Carter, Nell Catchpole, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson & Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, KEINO, Helen Pailing and Adam Shaw were displayed over 12 months. The partners worked closely and the project was so well received that TransPennine Express took ownership of three works which will remain at the station for the foreseeable future.

No More Nowt, which provides opportunities for people across County Durham to get involved in creative activities, worked closely for a year with Peterlee’s Castle Dene Shopping Centre to transform empty shop units into creative test sites. It was a project enabled by Place Lab, an initiative by Durham County Council and partners to embed culture in people’s everyday experience. This certainly happened at the shopping centre where customers came across Nana’s House, a living room installation by Ruth Flowers, helped in the making of a community quilt and got stuck into SCRAN, billed as an experiment in food, art and community.

Middlesbrough-born singer-songwriter Finn Forster is fast becoming one of the North East’s most compelling new artists. His EPs Grey Skies and Embers showcase anthemic songwriting rooted in honesty and experience, blending soulful melodies with heartfelt lyricism. Finn has headlined Sage Two at The Glasshouse, performed at SXSW through Tees Valley’s Sonic Futures initiative, and was named Tees Valley Artist of the Year. He continues to gain national recognition, supporting acts including the Stereophonics, Rag’n’Bone Man, Bastille, and fellow North Easterner, JADE for an unforgettable BBC Proms concert at The Glasshouse in the summer.

Kay Greyson is a dynamic performer, lyricist, and cultural leader whose impact reaches far beyond the stage. Her debut album Chekhov’s Gun, released on EMI North, showcased her sharp lyricism and fearless storytelling, cementing her as one of the UK’s most distinctive hip-hop voices. A standout performance at the MOBO Fringe highlighted her magnetic presence and authenticity as the region revved up to host the MOBOs for the first time – and ensure its legacy was long lasting. Kay is also leading the creation of a new network supporting and amplifying Black and Global Majority artists across the North East.

Actor, singer and performer Micky Cochrane has delivered a remarkable year of stage performances across the North East. From his acclaimed turn in Carrying David at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal, to The Moth, The Cramlington Train Wreckers and Blitzen on the Tyne, Micky has demonstrated extraordinary range, depth and craft. His portrayals - whether a world-champion boxer, a tormented ex-soldier or a festive storyteller - combine emotional truth with magnetic stage presence. Deeply rooted in his Dunston upbringing, Micky’s performances honour the stories, humour and resilience of the region.

Ensemble ’84 and Isango Ensemble’s production of Mother Courage and Her Children - written by Bertolt Brecht, translated and adapted by Lee Hall, and directed by Mark Dornford-May - was a landmark moment for North East theatre. Staged in a reimagined Methodist church in Horden and recently enjoying a successful run at Live Theatre, Newcastle, the production united local raw talent with members of South Africa’s acclaimed Isango Ensemble. Earning rave reviews for its power, urgency, and emotional depth, it brought Brecht’s story of resilience and survival to life for a community that recognised its truth - proving that world-class theatre has a home in County Durham.

Public Record was a landmark community production from the National Theatre’s Public Acts programme, created in partnership with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire. Performed at The Fire Station, it transformed the venue into a live recording studio where over 100 Sunderland residents – aged from newborns to 94 – took to the stage alongside professional artists. Created by Dan Canham and Emily Lim with the people of Sunderland, with music by Ross Millard (The Futureheads) and words by Stewart Pringle, it earned glowing reviews for its honesty, joy and artistry. Public Record captured the sound of Sunderland and the soul of its community.

Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light, written by Allison Davies and directed by Karen Traynor, is a tender, funny, and powerful exploration of self-understanding through a female lens. Inspired by Davies’ own experience of autism, the play follows Elsa’s journey toward acceptance and belonging. Produced by Chloe Stott in association with Alphabetti Theatre, it created an accessible, sensory-safe experience that invited audiences to step into Elsa’s world. Following its acclaimed national tour, the production was celebrated for its honesty, humour, and heart - a moving reminder of the beauty, complexity, and joy found in embracing who we truly are.