A music festival organiser has said he hopes to show his town “in a different light” after it recently hit the headlines.
Twisterella will see five venues in Middlesbrough host 35 acts from across the world later, including local singer Loren Heat who said it was “putting such an underestimated town on the map”.
In August seven men, including two police officers, died in a head-on crash on the A66. Since then multiple people have been arrested as part of a wider police operation against organised crime in the area.
Music promoter and festival co-founder Henry Carden said after Middlesbrough fell under the spotlight for the wrong reasons, people needed to be reminded there was more to it.
He said: “I think it’s a really difficult conversation because I think the things that people are seeing are happening and it’s real, but there is another side to it as well.
“I think events like Twisterella and the Turner Prize coming to Mima show Middlesbrough in a different light.”
He said it was a “really exciting place” to be for art, culture and music.
“There’s a lot of things to shout about with a positive light on it at the moment.”
Previous performers at Twisterella, now in its 12th year, have included Sam Fender and The 1975.