Tees Valley's vibrant arts scene easily rivals those in larger towns and cities across the UK - and is shortly set to see one of its biggest developments yet. The area has a staggering array of festivals and venues to satisfy the rich and varied taste of the area's culture vultures. This year has already seen the continued success of several popular festivals. Thousands of revellers descended on venues throughout the town centre as a wealth of home-grown Teesside talent and bands from across the globe wowed the crowds at the sixth Middlesbrough Music Live in June. Meanwhile the Middlesbrough Mela, held at Albert Park, featured a variety of ethnic sights, sounds and tastes in its 15th year Music from Bollywood to Bhangra could be heard as dozens of stalls sold food and fashion attracting some 25,000 people. Not to be outdone Stockton International Riverside Festival once again produced a feast of street theatre and live entertainment. And Billingham International Folklore Festival has celebrated its 41st year and is the largest arts festival of its kind in the UK. Tees Valley also has some of the most innovative and original arts venues in the UK. Whether it is catching a play, the latest Hollywood blockbuster, the funniest comedians or the hippest bands, the area now has a range of venues to attract the biggest and best names. The Arc, in Stockton, has shrugged off initial financial trouble, to become a leading North-east arts venue offering films, plays and music alongside popular arts classes. Darlington Civic Theatre attracts major touring productions while Billingham Forum fought off demolition plans and remains one of Teesside's most popular theatres. But it is not just the traditional arts scene where the Tees Valley is thriving. The Empire nightclub in Middlesbrough has long been acclaimed as one of the UK's best dance venues and has attracted numerous top level DJs. The venue, alongside Middlesbrough Town Hall and the Cornerhouse, Stockton's Georgian Theatre, and The Studio in Hartlepool, also provides a home for a thriving live music scene on Teesside. But art on Teesside is not resting on its laurels and is about to experience one of its most exciting developments yet. The £14m Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Mima) is being built in central Middlesbrough and is set to join The Baltic, on Tyneside, and Bowes Museum, in County Durham, as a leading North-east gallery. Mima will showcase world class artists as well as Middlesbrough's internationally renowned collections of ceramics and jewellery. The stunning new building - part of a £19m redevelopment of Middlesbrough town centre - is expected to open next year. | 
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