Off-air recording of the first Northern Electric Arts Awards presented by Melvyn Bragg and recorded 13th December 1989. The first two-thirds of the programme showcase some of the artistic achievements within the region in theatre, poetry, television, and cinema as well as the visual arts and music. The final third consists of award presentation for various arts projects from across the Northern Arts, Tyne Tees and Border Television areas being presented by Melvyn Bragg alongside Edward...

Off-air recording of the first Northern Electric Arts Awards presented by Melvyn Bragg and recorded 13th December 1989. The first two-thirds of the programme showcase some of the artistic achievements within the region in theatre, poetry, television, and cinema as well as the visual arts and music. The final third consists of award presentation for various arts projects from across the Northern Arts, Tyne Tees and Border Television areas being presented by Melvyn Bragg alongside Edward Wilson, chairman of the judging panel and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre. Five members of The York Waits perform for the audience seated at table for the Northern Electric Arts Awards. The tune comes to an end and the audience applauds. Title: Celebration '89 The presenter for the evening Melvyn Bragg comes forward to introduce this the first Northern Electric Arts Awards. Sitting at a nearby table the judging panel which includes the writer Michael Chaplin and head-judge Edward Wilson. A montage sequence begins with aerial footage of both urban and rural landscapes followed by some of the artistic activities and nominees featured in the programme. Melvyn Bragg introduces a scene from a production of the Cecil Philip Taylor play 'Good' recently performed as part of a CP Taylor Festival. Two actors perform said scene on a stage followed by two other actors performing a scene from a second play: 'Bandits'. Returning to Melvyn he then introduces scenes from the play 'Someday Soon' performed by members of the Pocket Theatre Company. Back at the awards venue Melvyn Bragg introduces members of Folk-Works, a new organisation with a special emphasis of passing on traditions to younger people. They perform several folk song and dance routines for the audience that features both the Northumbrian pipes as well as sword-dancers. Title: Celebration '89 The programme is paused for a commercial break. Title: Celebration '89 The programme returns with Melvyn Bragg talking about the region wealth of writers and two important smaller regional publishers; Stand Magazine and Iron Magazine. Both features printing presses, officer workers and the editor of Iron Magazine, Peter Mortimer at work. Back in the studio two local poets perform for the audience beginning with Chris Challis reading his poem 'School Bully' followed by Cynthia Fuller and her poem 'Sons'. Melvyn Bragg discusses how students of the North East Media Training Centre (NEMTC) are able to use the Tyneside Cinema as a venue to show the products especially during the Tyneside Film Festival. A clip is shown from the NEMTC production 'Waitresses' as well as from the film 'My Left Foot' staring Daniel Day-Lewis. Melvyn Bragg discusses art in the landscape that briefly features a sculpture at Grizedale Forest in Cumbria as well as aerial view of an unidentified landscape sculpture in the north-east. In a studio and set up on a table several smaller sculptures and ceramics surrounded by various paintings and drawings, examples of the traditional visual arts in the region. Returning to Melvyn Bragg he talks about the Wilding Report which proposes merging Northern Arts with Yorkshire. Northern Arts are against the proposal as it would mean a loss of character and power for the region as well as a decrease in funds. Next, indigenous music and a montage of various musical bands, groups and choirs performing several styles of music beginning with the Northern Sinfonia. Melvyn Bragg discusses the third part of the programme which will feature the first Northern Electric Arts Awards. Title: Celebration '89 The programme is paused for a commercial break. Title: Celebration '89 Melvyn Bragg and Edward Wilson stand behind a table decked out in the colours of Northern Electric. Edward talks about how the nominations came in from the general public and how hard it was from him and the rest of the judging panel to come up both with three nominations for each awards as well as the overall winners. Melvyn Bragg introduces Jack Harmsworth, Managing Director of Northern Electric to present the awards. He comes out to the applause of the audience. The first award is for the performing arts award with the nominations are Live Theatre in Newcastle, Northumbrian folk musician Kathryn Tickell and the theatre company Welfare State International based at Ulverston in Cumbria. The winner is Kathryn Tickell who comes up and collects her award. The second award is in publishing and the nominations are literary publish house Bloodaxe Books based in Newcastle, the printers Frank Peters Printers based near Kendal in Cumbria and Viz comic. The winner is Bloodaxe Books and the award is collected by its founder Neil Astley. The next award is to local authorities who have made new investments in the art. The nominations are Darlington Borough Council, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council and Cleveland County Council. The winner is Darlington Borough Council with the award collected by Peter Bevan. Next the visual arts award with the nomination being landscape artist Richard Harris currently working on a piece in County Durham, the Bede Gallery in Jarrow and its curator Vince Ray and Andy Goldsworthy, another landscape artist working near Brough in Cumbria. The winner is Andy Goldsworthy who is presented with the award by Edward Wilson in a filmed item shot in Dumfriesshire. This is followed by a clip from a Border Television Channel 4 production 'A Sense of Place' in which the artist accidently destroys one of his own works of art. Next, the arts sponsorship award, the nominations being English Estates, Provincial Insurance in Cumbria and British Telecom. The winners because of its range of interests and record is English Estates. The award is collected by Tony Pember. Next, the Ambassador Award for outstanding achievement to promote the region both in the United Kingdom and abroad. There was no 2nd or 3rd nomination, the winner being Jarrow born playwright Alan Plater who talks about his work while walking along the banks of the River Tyne near Jarrow. Alan is not in the studio but is filmed at his home being presented with the award by Edward Wilson. The final award of the evening is an individual award for outstanding service to the arts in the region over a number of years. The nominations for this awards are Nerris Johnson, former curator of the DLI Museum and Art Gallery, Bill Grant from Grizedale in Cumbria and founder of Theatre in the Forest and Dennis Kirk, Artistic Events Director of Cleveland County Council. The winner is Bill Grant who comes forward to collect his award. The programme comes to an end with final words from both Edward Wilson and Melvyn Bragg. The audience applauds as Kathryn Tickell plays out over the closing credits. Credit: Celebration '89 was introduced by Melvyn Bragg and Edward Wilson Titles: Border Television Production Assistant Alison Middlemore PSC Cameras Eric Scott-Parker, Tom Richie Sound Allan Tarn, Cliff Goddard Lighting David Atkinson PSC Editor Trevor Wonfor Designer Ian Reid Director Tony Nicholson Tyne Tees Television PSC Cameraman Steve Ilston Sound Ed Gray Lighting Lewis Hedley Studio Cameras David Petrie Sound Charles Heath Lighting Bob Wilson Floor Manager Thomas Guy Production Assistants Eileen Young, Joanne Armstrong Production Secretary Joan Knighting Visual Mixer Alan Todd Graphics Jon King PSC Editor Brian Sansom VT Editor Peter Telford Executive Producer Jim Manson Designer Tim Putnam Researchers Peter Chapman, Mark Lavender, Marion Tighe Associate Producer Alex Murchie Producer Heather Ging Director Barrie Crosier A Tyne Tees Television production for ITV © MCMLXXXIX