TICE FEST

A Different Kind of Experience

Inspired by the creatives, thinkers, and innovators who have lived, studied, and built their careers in the North East, TICE Fest celebrates the region’s place within the wider creative industries.

This is an opportunity for students to see what’s possible on their doorstep, connecting with professionals, exploring ideas, and gaining real insight into where creativity can take them.

2026 dates to be announced soon.

The Only Experience of Its Kind in the North East

TICE Fest is a unique opportunity for students in the region to access a large-scale creative careers conference that brings together industry, education, and young people in one space.

What Students Experience.

A structured experience combining student work, industry insight, and practical tasks designed to help students understand how the creative industries work.

  • Hear directly from professionals across a range of creative fields, offering insight into their roles, career journeys, and the realities of working in the industry. These sessions give students a clearer understanding of what different creative pathways look like.

  • Short, structured activities designed to build understanding of creative roles and how the industry works. Students apply their thinking in real time, developing confidence and awareness through practical challenges.

  • A curated exhibition of TICE Live Briefs, showcasing creative work developed by students across participating schools. This gives young people the opportunity to see their work in context and gain inspiration from others.

PAST PANELISTS

  • Adam Cutting

    A&R & LABEL OPERATIONS AT INTERVAL RECORDS, DJ/PRODUCER

    Adam is the founder of RAW CUTS, a Newcastle-based underground techno label and event series focused on immersive experiences and championing local talent. With a background in music promotion and social media, he’s built a global audience of over 400,000 followers and, as an independent artist, amassed 10 million+ streams while working with major labels including Warner, Sony, and Universal.

    He is currently A&R at Interval Records, a joint venture between EMI North and Generator, where he supports and develops emerging artists from outside London.

  • Meg Jepson

    PHOTOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR

    Meg Jepson is an award-winning British visual creative based in Newcastle upon Tyne, working across photography, directing, and editing. She has collaborated with global brands including Adidas, Netflix, Amazon Prime, BAFTA, Levi’s, Pinterest, Greggs, and Balenciaga.

    Influenced by her upbringing in Scarborough, her work documents the lives and resilience of marginalised communities in the North of England, earning national recognition including two Portrait of Britain awards from the British Journal of Photography.

  • Meg McWilliam

    EDITOR IN CHIEF OF RADGE MAGAZINE

    Meg McWilliam is a multimedia collage artist from Darlington, County Durham, whose work blends current affairs, pop culture, and her working-class upbringing with a satirical edge. Through her practice, she explores how politics directly impacts everyday life, aiming to make complex, jargon-heavy issues more accessible and inclusive.

    She is also the Editor-in-Chief of RADGE, a magazine she founded in 2025 to platform working-class artists, journalists, and photographers, championing creative voices from the North and challenging the idea that opportunities only exist down south.

  • LANA SKYE CAVEN

    SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING MANAGER & CONTENT CREATOR

    Lana is a Fashion Communication and Promotion graduate from Nottingham Trent University who has built her career at the intersection of social media and marketing. After early experience in the fashion industry, she moved away from traditional in-house roles to pursue self-employment.

    Over the past four years, she has worked independently in social media marketing, helping brands grow their digital presence while also creating UGC content with major clients and developing her own platforms.

  • DAVID DE LA HAYE

    FIELD RECORDIST & ECOLOGICAL SOUND ARTIST

    David’s career centres on multifaceted approaches to listening and sharing sound. Formally trained in Jazz, he quickly developed an interest in experimental music-making and the creative possibilities of the recording studio. He has toured internationally as a freelance bassist, moving through genres including electronica, free improvisation, and folk.

    Alongside ongoing work as a performer and sound engineer, his primary focus is now underwater recording and exploring how sonic arts can deepen cultural appreciation of aquatic environments.

  • DEBS SOUTHWOOD

    DESIGN DIRECTOR AT WIGWAM STUDIOS

    Debs is Co-Founder and Design Director of Wigwam Studios Ltd, a global design agency specialising in character licensing. She oversees all creative output within the studio, from interpreting briefs and costing projects to planning workflows, developing style guides, and identifying visual trends.

    She also manages a team of designers and illustrators, ensuring all work meets client requirements, stays on brand, and is delivered on schedule while maintaining the studio’s high-quality standards.

  • ANDREA MILLER

    FREELANCE DESIGN CONSULTANT & CO-FOUNDER OF FORMERLY KNOWN AS

    Andrea designs for multiple brands within the UK and manages the relationships between buyers and their factories. She also co-founded Formerly Known As (FKA) back in 2022 - a gender-neutral clothing brand stocked online and in Fenwick.

  • TJ

    MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST & FOUNDER OF TJMOV

    TJ is a creative based in the North East specialising in photography, film, design and animation. Working primarily in the music, drag and queer entertainment world. Having worked with RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner "The Vivienne" on her solo tour visuals, Drag Idol winners "Bonnie and Ben" and "Reese Wetherspoon" on animation and video, and for Northern Pride on animation and photography.