THE local folk music scene moves into a New Year buoyed up by the continuing success and new music that we’ve seen and heard over the past 12 months. As I go around the clubs and venues of the region, I’m amazed by all the enthusiasm and excitement that confronts me from every side.

Looking ahead to what we can expect in 2015, there are several aspects to all this that fill me with optimism. Firstly, most of the folk clubs seem to have settled down with a healthy following and regular audiences, and even on quieter nights, there’s no shortage of performers.

We may have lost some clubs in recent months, but there are new venues springing up all the time. I’m pleased to see that there is folk music once again on a Monday night at The Stapylton Arms in Hawthorn, near Seaham, which was a cradle of folk entertainment back in the 1990’s. Larger venues like The Witham in Barnard Castle, and Bishop Auckland Town Hall continue to present some great concerts, and further north things continue to thrive. The emergence of afternoon singarounds around Tyneside is an interesting development, and the establishing of clubs presenting blues and good-time acoustic music is also a positive step. Musical boundaries and divisions are certainly being breached and overcome.

This coming year will also see the relaunch of Folkworks, the ground-breaking music development and promotion team that was very active around a decade ago, before being absorbed by Gateshead’s Sage. It is now stepping out of the shadows once more, and will be looking towards establishing a presence right across the region in the months ahead. Meanwhile, live music venues themselves will be getting back into gear with full programmes in the next few weeks, and I’ll be doing my best to keep you informed.