Focus: Tees Valley Artists Of The Year 2025

Image by Dawn McNamara

Tees Valley Artists of the Year continues to champion bold creatives, offering £28,000 in funding alongside industry mentoring and business support to help them level up. Launched in 2024 by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, the initiative debuted last year with five pioneering talents, including singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn, author Lisette Auton, visual artist Claire A Baker, theatre-maker Scott Turnbull, and film-maker Andy Berriman.

This year’s artists, revealed at Stockton’s ARC on 13th May, will receive tailored guidance, a real-living wage bursary, and a professional development budget to fuel their next chapter.

We find out more about this year’s successful artists…

Umar Butt – A theatre-maker, writer, and director whose award-winning work is shaped by his journey as a first-generation migrant and the communities that inspire him.
Find out more about Umar here.

Finn Forster – Middlesbrough-born singer-songwriter blending heartfelt storytelling with rich, guitar-driven melodies, rooted in the landscapes of Tees Valley.
Find out more about Finn here.

Will Hughes – A multi-disciplinary artist whose concept-driven practice explores identity, informed by their lived experience as a queer, non-binary person in the UK.
Find out more about Will here.

Beth Wilson – A Middlesbrough-based embroidery artist creating intricate, personalised textile pieces through digital embroidery.
Find out more about Beth here.

Boo – A visionary DJ and electronic artist, crafting every aspect of her sound—from production to composition—while developing a live audiovisual show.
Find out more about Boo here.