A TOP team has been assembled to run a world-class music facility being created in the region.

Two new directors have been chosen who will help ensure the success of the Music Centre, at the Gateshead Quays - the art and cultural quarter on the south bank of the River Tyne.

Brian Debnam, who joins from Northern Arts, where he is head of performing arts, has been made director of resources.

He will be responsible for managing finance and personnel matters and establishing the North Music Trust.

Lucy Bird, who is head of marketing and development for Northern Sinfonia, will managing marking, communication and audience development. The Music Centre, which will provide an international venue for music of all kinds, is being built on a riverside site next to the Tyne Bridge.

The £70m project is funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England. It will house a 1,650-seat concert hall, a 450-seater second hall, music education centre and specialist information centre