Tony Campbell, Vice Chair
Managing Director, Creative Glass
Tony is a former chair of the board and represents the interests of creative businesses in the Tees Valley.
Connect with Tony: Linked In
Q&As
When did you join the Board of Tees Valley Arts?
June 2002.
What interests and excites you about Tees Valley Arts?
TVA Stimulates and open up creativity & involvement in art for all groups, ages and abilities. The results can be amazing, and inspiring.
What do you love about Teesside?
Castles of industry silhouetted against the hills and the sea, only ever 20 minutes drive from spectacular scenery.
When you were a child what did you want to be?
Architect. I reckon I’ve got a more exciting career now!
What is your earliest memory?
Freewheeling on a little red & yellow trike, think I was three-ish.
What is your most treasured possession?
My vinyl LP collection which covers wide range including; folk, jazz, classical, blues, rock, tex-mex, eastern, and even more.
What is the worst job you’ve ever?
Stocktaking, used to be part of the contract, and normally involved New Years Eve!!!
What has been your biggest disappointment in life?
Losing in junior school football cup final when I was ten.
Who is your favourite artist (any artform)?
Miles Davis, paints landscapes of sound such as; Sketches of Spain, Kind of Blue, and the masterpiece, In a Silent Way, which uses the gaps of silence as much as the instruments. They are all completely different, but the same signature of genius.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
To succeed you need to learn from your mistakes, or even better learn from other people’s, a lot less painful to ask “daft” questions, don’t be afraid to ask advice from people who have already been there!
From Newman Scott in 1992, I used to call him quite often, until he sadly passed away.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
American musician Ry Cooder, unselfishly worked around the world to help to develop a platform for other musicians from countries including; Africa, Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico, Ireland, and more, some of the people have become world renowned.
If resources were no object, what project or activity would you most like to see Tees Valley Arts undertake?
Learn from Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and invest to develop a community of artists, and artisans. Exciting challenge as the “Sum could potentially be far greater than the parts”, and create opportunities in a wide range of “real” projects.