A MUSIC group and town council are supporting local artists and offering residents respite from social distancing through a series of online gigs.

Tracks, a music collective that hosts gigs and festivals around Darlington, while also offering services like artist development, is hosting four online events, which are backed by Darlington Borough Council and Creative Darlington.

Sarah Wilson, co founder of Tracks, said: "We have had great support from the council and Creative Darlington for this run of live streaming gigs.

"The council, and we, felt that it would be good to do something positive for people at home. It’s a bit of a distraction from everything but more a unifying and inclusive experience.

"There are lots and lots of great livestreamed gigs happening around the country and the world, but it would be great to have something for regional artists because we have a lot of excellent ones here in the North East, so we are try hard to champion and support them."

Unlike other events which rely on donations by viewers or where artists go unpaid, musicians performing for Darlington residents will be paid.

Performing will be Anna Leigh Stainton, Jamie Farrell and Nadedja, who are all regional talent or well known in the town's music scene.

"It is important to try and support musicians as much as we can as a lot of them have sadly lost all of their work due to the virus. They’ve lost everything," Ms Wilson added.

Tracks' flagship family event Big Little Gigs will also be coming to screens, all of which via Facebook Live, in its normal slot of Saturday afternoon.

Councillor Andy Keir, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for local services, said: “For actors, artists, bands, curators, dancers, musicians and many more in the cultural sector performing and sharing work is integral to their practice.

“Many people love a little music in their lives, and Creative Darlington and Darlington Borough Council are delighted to be backing local music impresarios Tracks, who’ve brought us the Last Train Home and Mish Mash music festivals in recent years, in bringing together Darlo@Home.

“It’s a great programme of live performances for different ages, by local musicians performing in their own homes, which can be enjoyed safely at home via the wonders of the web.”

Rob Irish of Tracks said: “Staying connected has never been so difficult, and so important. Locked away in our homes, it can be easy to lose our connection to the outside world, and to each other.

"It’s especially tough for artists, whose livelihoods have been swept suddenly from beneath their feet.

"Hosting gigs like these is a really great way of supporting them, keeping audience interaction alive, and giving gig-goers a little piece of live music experience they’re missing at the moment.

"We want these gigs to feel personal, like the next best thing to having the artist right there with you, so comment, chat, applaud, and fill our virtual venue with the buzz of social connection."

Kicking off the gig series is Anna Leigh Stainton, a multi instrumentalist from Barnard Castle, on Friday, April 10 at 7pm.