TICE FEST

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

WRITER & ACTOR

Jack is a BAFTA-nominated writer, actor, and creator from the North East. He has worked across TV, film, and theatre, writing and performing stories that feel honest and human. Jack began writing because he wanted to see characters that reflected the world around him. Since then, he has developed scripts, performed on screen, and collaborated with directors to bring new stories to life. He thrives on the teamwork that goes into making words move, breathe, and connect with an audience.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR & COMPOSER

Grace is a musician based in Newcastle. A pianist, musical director, band leader, composer, and piano teacher, Grace has spent the last three years working as Associate Musical Director for the UK and International tour of SIX the Musical. Grace is currently collaborating with Eastlake Productions, a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal.

ART & ANIMATION DIRECTOR

James Taylor is an animation director and motion designer based in Gateshead. James co-founded Arcus Animation Studios, which grew into the largest 2D animation and motion design studio in the North East.

Since Arcus closed in 2025, James has combined freelance illustration and animation in his role as Lead Artist at Tea Imp Games.

FOUNDER AT AMBRIDGE STUDIO

Steph Ambridge is the founder and creative director of Ambridge Studio, a made-to-order womenswear brand designed and crafted entirely in the North East of England.

Her work centres on inclusive design, considered craftsmanship, and slow fashion - creating timeless pieces that celebrate every stage of womanhood while championing sustainability through small-scale, local production.

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR AT GENERATOR

Chyaro is characterised by his enthusiasm and passion for the music industry. After 2 years at one of the UK’s top music accounting firms in London, Chyaro returned to the North East to join Generator as a Programme Coordinator, bringing valuable expertise to their frontline music industry partnerships with the likes of EMI North and Warner. This includes coordinating the groundbreaking Liverpool Black Music Incubator project for Artists and Professionals in partnership with Interval Records, Nothin But The Music and Liverpool City Region.

SENIOR CREATIVE AT DRUMMOND CENTRAL

Lee is a Senior Creative at Drummond Central, the largest creative agency in the North East. He holds an undergraduate degree in communications and a master's in design. With 7 years of combined agency and freelance experience, Lee has worked with renowned clients like bet365, SCFC, Northumbria Police, Ringtons, Greggs, Mind, and Trend Bible. His passions lie in branding and art direction, and he's recently ventured into the world of 3D sculpting.

SENIOR STYLIST AT END. CLOTHING

Kate graduated from a degree in Fashion Art Direction at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2021, and has since been working up the career ladder at END. Clothing - first beginning as a Studio Assistant, to now Senior Stylist. Kate’s role involves visual concept development, luxury editorial, e-commerce and social media communications.

DIRECTOR AT BLUE SEA PICTURES

Lucy Turner is director and a 1st Assistant Director. Having taken on a wide range of roles across production, she now runs her own production company, Blue Sea Pictures.

She works closely with actors and artists to tell stories and create visual journeys that encourage an emotional response from audiences. As an AD, she collaborates closely with directors to help realise their creative vision, running productions in an understanding, organised and passionate way.

PHOTOGRAPHER & OWNER OF QUAY STUDIOS

Samantha is an accomplished photographer, retoucher, and studio owner with over 13 years of industry experience working with global fashion and commercial brands.

In 2024, Samantha founded Quay Studio at Harbour House, creating a purpose-built photography and content studio designed to inspire collaboration, creativity, and community. The space has expanded quickly into a second studio and has become a go-to destination for photographers, brands, and content creators across the North East.

ARTIST MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT AT BIG LIFE

Steph is an artist manager, who has previously worked on global record campaigns for the likes of Sam Fender ('Hypersonic Missiles’ / 'Seventeen Going Under') and Ben Howard ('Collections from the Whiteout’). With support from Generator and the Music Managers Forum, she channelled her management experience into mentoring and developing local artists for the last few years.

She is now an Artist Management Assistant at Big Life Management, working across the day-to-day for Bloc Party, Nathan Sykes and Isaac Butler, whilst developing her own roster (which already includes The Safest Place).

CREATIVE MENTOR, ART DIRECTOR & AGENT

Geoff is an experienced Group Creative Director, Consultant, and Business Leader with a proven record of driving growth, innovation, and commercial success across publishing, retail, and e-commerce. With senior roles at leading brands including moonpig.com, Hallmark, and M&S/Tigerprint, he has built and transformed creative teams, developed market-leading products, and delivered strategic brand and digital solutions that connect with consumers.

SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER AT BARBOUR

Katie has worked in sustainability for over 15 years, beginning her career in Higher Education before moving into the fashion sector. She is currently Senior Sustainability Manager at Barbour, where she has spent nearly four years building and leading the company’s Sustainability Strategy.

Her work focuses on embedding sustainability across the organisation, covering a wide range of areas - from the materials used in Barbour products to supply chain traceability, carbon reporting, expanding circularity initiatives, and engaging with key stakeholders.

CO-FOUNDER & HEAD OF INTERVAL RECORDS (EMI NORTH)

Josh began his career as an artist, independently selling over 100,000 records and generating more than 1 billion online views. His success led to performances on prestigious stages including the MOBO Awards and for the Royal Family, before transitioning into songwriting for chart-topping major label albums and soundtracks for platforms, including Netflix.

Alongside his music career, Josh has built and scaled multiple successful businesses, earning recognition from The Black Cultural Archives as one of their ‘40 under 40 Future Black Leaders’. Through JD Media Group, he has expanded into artist management and creative consultancy, supporting projects with companies including Meta and Google. He is currently Head of Interval Records, based on Newcastle’s iconic Quayside.

ILLUSTRATOR & FOUNDER OF OH LIGHTNING

Jodie is an illustrator based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, who produces pieces under the name Oh Lightning. Jodie's work is inspired by little moments and big feelings, evoking feelings of nostalgia, joy and all those nice things. Jodie regularly attends markets and is stocked in shops around the North East, and hopefully soon across the UK.

PRODUCTION MANAGER AT DISTURBIA

Philippa has recently relocated back to Newcastle after six years working in London’s fashion industry. She currently works as a Production Manager for Disturbia.

With a background in Buying, Philippa still works across this area, but being part of a smaller company has allowed her role to broaden into new areas of product development and the wider fashion industry.

FASHION & MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER

Storm is a fashion and music photographer from Newcastle, and a First Class BA (Hons) Fashion Communication graduate from Northumbria University. Alongside her studies, she built extensive industry experience through a range of creative projects, including a year-long PR student placement with Barbour.

She has worked as a freelance music photographer for publications including Clash Magazine, Notion, Darkus and Dork, alongside shooting for a range of musicians. Alongside her photography work, Storm now works at END. Clothing.

SOUND RECORDIST, MIXER & BOOM OP

Jack is a Freelance Sound Recordist from Newcastle Upon Tyne, currently based in Durham. His main role is capturing production sound across a variety of film and TV productions, documentaries, and commercials. This includes mic-ing up talent and cast, recording and mixing sound on location, and operating the boom.

MUSIC ARTIST

Lucy Garnett is a new and emerging singer/songwriter based in Newcastle. Her debut single, Grim Up North is an ode to home, emphasising her love for her life in the North East. This project originates from her university studies in Fashion Communications at Northumbria University, and her work on the First notes program for aspiring musicians, run by Generator. Her love and passion for music and performing started when she was young, playing in brass bands and acting with local theatre groups from the age of five. Since starting her career as a musician, she has performed at Baltic Square, and Cluny 2, has been played on BBC Introducing NE, and is hoping to make her mark in the Newcastle music scene with new music coming very soon.

DIRECTOR AT COURAGE CREATIVE

Tim studied graphic design and advertising and, following a period of working in the music industry, worked agency side, in-house and freelance before starting his own creative agency, Courage, in 2011.

He has a passion for brand creation and the impact design can have on brand positioning. He has worked with clients ranging from start-ups to multi-million pound turnover businesses across a wide range of sectors including cultural, education, publishing and manufacturing - regionally, nationally and internationally.

FREELANCE ANIMATOR
& MOTION DESIGNER AT LEOVEGAS GROUP

Russell has spent the past six years building a bold and diverse portfolio across the creative industry, working with major B2B stakeholders including Wella Company, Coty and PinkCasino. Known for championing design rebellion and individuality, he has also collaborated with LGBTQ+ icons including Danny Beard, Baga Chipz and Choriza May, alongside appearances on projects featured by the BBC.

DEPUTY EDITOR AT SUNDAY GIRL MAGAZINE

Milly is a fashion communicator and creative from the North East. Since graduating from Northumbria University in 2019, she has worked across a range of roles within the online retail space, alongside lecturing in Fashion Communication and working as Deputy Editor of Sunday Girl Magazine.

Sunday Girl Magazine is an independent print publication that champions women, empowers independent designers and celebrates emerging creative talent through fashion editorials, poetry, articles and interviews.