WHEN Darlington Arts centre closed, it seemed as though the lights were going out for the arts in Darlington. Now, as plans emerge for expanding its teaching area, creating a new cafe and increasing its live music capacity, The Forum Music Centre, on Borough Road, Darlington, is increasingly thrusting itself forward as a hub for the arts in the town.

On any given night, you can find all sorts of things going on there. It’s a diverse venue, predominately about music, but dipping into all areas of culture. From the R’n’B Club to comedy nights, from cinema clubs to bands playing live sets, The Forum now plays host to a number of clubs and nights which were left homeless by the loss of the art centre.

“We have the live music side, lots of educational activities during the day and the social arena by night. And on a weekend, it’s a totally different venue,” says Allison McKay, manager of The Forum and Humantics, the community interest company which runs the venue. “We have lots of different artists and genres. We also have comedy clubs. It’s a very vibrant place.”

But despite its growing success, a lot of people don’t yet know about the good work which is being done there, partly because it’s a little off the beaten track.

“The entrance isn’t very inviting, but when people walk into the building for the first time, they’re surprised it’s such a friendly and vibrant place. It is an old building, but the facilities are very good.

We are actually nationally well known and recognised, and find a lot of artists and organisations want to put on a showcase here.”

As well as being a live music venue, The Forum also hosts an education course, named Access to Music, which aims to get young people into the music industry.

They came across the course in early 2011, when Humantics took over the running of The Forum, and it combines education with real life experience in a working venue.

“”It’s a perfect arena for learning, so we saw it as a natural progression to establish an educational college within The Forum,” says Allison. “Access to Music is purely a music industry course. If you’re passionate about the industry, if you have a talent and are willing to work hard, and if your goal is to set yourself up in business in the industry, then it’s a fantastic course.

“We try to give students as many opportunities to perform as we can, as that’s the sort of experience they need. So if we have a band on and we’re looking for a support act, we will open those opportunities up to the students.”

The Forum’s expansion plans are ambitious: they include a cafe, a new floor dedicated to teaching and an increased capacity for the main hall, which could attract bigger and better bands.

Ian Ross, director of the Darlington R’n’B club, which is now based at the centre says: “We looked at a number of options for relocation and decided to approach the Forum, because it is is a dedicated music venue with excellent sound facilities. Despite reservations about its location, it’s proved a great move.”