Jim Mawdsley of Generator has linked up with From Teesside with Love to create three days of music advice at Stockton's Arc. Viv Hardwich reports.

FOR over a decade now Generator, the North's popular music development agency, have been pushing the talent of the region beyond its boundaries to the wider London-based music industry. Now Generator have teamed up with Tees Valley based organisation From Teesside With Love to produce the first music convention for anyone and everyone who has a connection to the North East's music scene.

Currently taking place for three days at Stockton's Arc - yesterday, today and tomorrow - the team hope to make this an annual fixture in the region's expanding musical calendar. North-East music is on the up with around half-a-dozen of the region's bands being signed to major or large independent labels in the last 12 months and now is the time to try even harder as Generator's Jim Mawdsley explains: "After years of pushing people to arrange gigs, events, manage themselves, start record labels etc we are seeing the fruits. Increasingly the recording industry is looking towards the North-East for fresh innovative talent."

Whether you're a musician or a manager, performer or promoter, a label or recording artist, educator or student, DJ or designer - you can attend to learn, ask questions, network with music industry professionals and meet people from around the region.

In a move that underlines the fact that the North-East music business isn't just focused in Newcastle, the organisers invited over 20 music industry experts to Stockton. They are offering their expertise and giving a full insight into how artist may be able to improve if they want to work in the industry. The highlight of the week is tomorrow when the Government's new live music Guru, Feargal Sharkey, visits to talk about the work being done by the newly formed Live Music Forum. But in addition A&R, label bosses, managers, promoters, song writers, producers, publishers and a collection of industry organisations (MU, PRS, ASCAP, MCPS, AIM) will all be on hand to answer questions, talk music and share their knowledge. Jim explains: "The main aim of the seminars and workshops is to empower and enable the people of the North-East to produce and distribute music for themselves and achieve their goals from within the region."

All of this will be complimented by live music events which will see the brightest hopes from Teesside taking advantage of the great facilities at the Arc and Stockton's nearby Georgian Theatre.

For more information about the seminars please call Generator on 0191- 245 0099 or look at From Teesside with Love's website on www.ftwl.co.uk or to book a place at the evening gigs call Arc's Box Office on (01642) 525 199

Published: 13/05/2004