The best in Indian culture is being brought to the region by Gateshead’s GemArts

GATESHEAD-based GemArts classical concert season continues to bring India and the UK's finest musicians to the region. The Riverside Ragas launch with Rakesh Chaurasia, who follows in the footsteps of great masters, and is also hailed as one of India’s finest bansuri flutists. Sangam features three master musicians, Pandit Bharat Bhushan Goswami, Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE and Pandit Ramdas Palsule together on stage for a very rare evening of Sarangi and Sitar performance.

During October half-term, GemArts sets up camp in Trimdon, County Durham, bringing vibrant and culturally eclectic events to Trimfest 2016. This new festival aims to bring all the sights, sounds and delights of India, Latin America, the Middle East and everywhere in between. GemArts is supporting The Baghdaddies, Hannabiell and Midnight Blue, Peter Chand’s storytelling in Tongue Tied and Twisted, and family fun at the Mini Mela.

The season wraps up with the always-popular Diwali Celebrations with delicious Indian food, dancing, DJs, live performances and henna, face painting and raffles. The evening offers opportunities to have fun while raising money for valuable charitable work in the North-East and beyond. To ring in the festive season there is a Bollywood event, Jai Ho Ho Ho, with UK vocal talent, Amar Chotai. Golden Oldies from Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar are joined by hit songs of the 1990s by Kumar Sanu and Sonu Nigam, plus contemporary blockbusters by Arijit Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

To keep up to date visit gemarts.org. Phone 0191-440-4124. Email: vikas@gemarts.org

Riverside Ragas: Rakesh Chaurasia: Sunday, September 18. 6.30pm, talk. 7.15pm performance. NRF Hall, Sage Gateshead, NE8 2JR. Tickets: £12 / £30 Family. Box Office: 0191-443-4661 or sagegateshead.com

The nephew of flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is accompanied on tabla by one the UK’s most vibrant and fast emerging talents Gurdain Rayatt.

Riverside Ragas: SANGAM A Musical Meeting, October 22. Talk 7pm, performance 7:45pm. NRF Hall, Sage Gateshead, NE8 2JR. Tickets: £12 / £30 Family.

Pandit Bharat Bhushan Goswami, Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE and Pandit Ramdas Palsule come together on stage. Sangam offers a rare chance to hear the sounds of Sarangi and Sitar together.

Buy tickets for 2 Riverside Ragas concerts at Sage Gateshead and receive £2 off each ticket.

Trimfest 2016, October 22 and 30. Information and tickets: Call Trimdon Community College on 01429-881-521

Trimfest is presented with Trimdon Parish Council.

Mini Mela, Saturday, Oct 22, 11am – 3pm. Trimdon Junior School, Elswick View, Trimdon Village, TS29 6JU

Free drumming, dance and visual arts workshops, to learn about culture from India to China, Africa to County Durham.

The Baghdaddies, Sunday, Oct 23, 7.30pm. Trimdon Colliery and Deaf Hill Workmen's Club, The Square, Trimdon Colliery, TS29 6AJ. Entry: £3

Tongue Tied and Twisted, Wednesday, Oct 26, 6pm. Trimdon Grange Community Centre, Salters Lane, Trimdon Grange, TS29 6PB. Age 12+ Entry: £3. The event blasts Indian storytelling into the 21st Century combining the talents of UK music producer PKCtheFirst with international performer Peter Chand.

Hannabiell and Midnight Blue, Sunday, Oct 30, 7.30pm. Trimdon Colliery & Deaf Hill Workmen's Club. Entry: £3

Khyal Music and Imagination Exhibition and Events. Launch and performance by Mowna Ramachandra Friday, November 4. 6pm – 8pm Free book ticket trough info@gemarts.org. Exhibition runs Nov 5 to Nov 17. Open daily free

Lunchtime Seminar, Nov 10, 12pm to 1pm. Free book tickets through info@gemarts.org

Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle, NE1 8AG

The collaboration between Durham University and GemArts brings musicians, ethnomusicologists and visual artists to explore the Khyal genre. Artists featured are India-based Mahajabin Imam Majumdar, and UK-based Adinda van’t Klooster and Theresa Poulter.

Diwali Celebrations, Saturday, November 12, 7pm. Bewicks, Gateshead Civic Centre, NE8 1HH (entrance from car park side of building) Tickets: Pay in advance £3pp/£10 Family Ticket (up to 5 people). Pay on the door £5pp/£15 Family Ticket (up to five people). Box Office: Oonline gemarts.org or 0191-440-4124.

Gateshead Visible Ethnic Minority Support Group (GVEMSG) and GemArts offer a chance to celebrate the "festival of lights". Indian food, entertainment from regional performers, DJs spinning Bhangra and Bollywood tunes are alongside space to show off your best moves on the dance floor. Henna artists, face painting and other opportunities to have fun while raising money for charity. For each £1 raised at Diwali GemArts will receive a further £1 donation from Arts Council England as part of Catalyst Evolve.

Jai Ho Ho Ho – a Bollywood evening with festive flare. Saturday, December 3. 7pm. Caedmon Hall, Gateshead Central Library. Tickets: Pay in advance £8 Pay on the door £10. Box Office: gemarts.org or 0191-440-4124.

Amar Chotai, a fast-emerging talent from the UK, goes on a musical journey, with a nod to some of the greatest Bollywood playback singers of our time. Presented with Gateshead Council Culture Team.