Charly Curry Brown
After working for Magnetic North East as Administrator and Project Officer for nearly 2 years, Charly took Magnetic North East on as her own enterprise in September 2025. A keen fiddle player and clog dancer, Charly first became involved with Magnetic North East through busking schemes for young people as a teenager, and has been delighted to see Magnetic North East forward into this new chapter, focussing on expanding the existing agency and diversifying other projects, to fit the needs of the traditional music scene in the North East.
Charly is delighted to continue working closely with Kathryn and Andrew on the future of Magnetic North East.
When she isn’t organising gigs for other musicians, Charly enjoys dancing with both Star and Shadow Rapper and Newcastle Kingsmen Clog, and playing in sessions in the North East.
Charly holds a first class honours degree in Folk and Traditional Music.
Magnetic North East was founded in 2015 by Andrew Davison and Kathryn Tickell, out of a love for the region: its music, arts, culture, heritage, places and people; its long history of creativity; its strong sense of identity coupled with its adaptability and receptiveness to change. Since 2015, Magnetic North East has worked to identify and fulfill the needs of the traditional music scene in the North East, with projects ranging from support and mentorship for young musicians under “Superfolkus”; the region’s top level youth folk ensemble, to an online shop selling Northumbrian and North East music, crafts and gifts – all whilst maintaining a core bookings agency.
Kathryn Tickell OBE
Kathryn was director of Magnetic North East from 2015-2025.
Kathryn is a composer, performer and educator whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape and people of Northumbria. She has been a professional musician for over thirty years, releasing 14 of her own albums, and guesting on over a hundred others, including CDs by Sting, The Chieftains, The Penguin Café Orchestra and many more. In 2009 Kathryn was presented with The Queen’s Medal for Music, awarded to those deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to British music.
She has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Northumbria University and an Honorary Masters Degree from The Open University for “Notable contribution to education and culture”.
Kathryn is a lecturer at Newcastle University and continues to teach and perform nationally and internationally. In 2015 Kathryn was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to folk music.
Andrew Davison OBE
Andrew was director of Magnetic North East from 2015-2025.
Andrew was born and still lives in Tynedale. He is a partner at Muckle LLP, solicitors in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he specialises in company law, governance, corporate finance and strategic advice. He is also Head of the Firm’s Energy Team.
As well as his role as a solicitor in private practice, Andrew is the Chairman of the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society, currently Company Secretary at the Port of Tyne, Chairman of the Greggs Foundation, Chairman of the Local Environmental Action Fund, a founder of Tyne Rivers Trust, a member of The Sage Gateshead Folk Advisory Committee, piper to His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, a keen fisherman and a bee keeper. Whilst at University, he was an active member of the Newcastle Kingsmen Sword Dancers.
