Llan school triumphs in arts competitions

Llangollen schools have done well in county-wide creative arts competitions.

For the first time ever, Denbighshire schools entered competitions covering art, creative writing, film-making and music composition as part of the festival, Denbighshire Enrichfest 2015 - Get Inspired! 

Staged in collaboration with the Arts Council of Wales, the festival aims to showcase the talents of children and young people across Denbighshire who have been challenged and inspired to produce a wide range of work, adding value to their work in the classroom across the curriculum. 

This unique Denbighshire initiative reflects current thinking that the creative arts can have a beneficial knock-on effect on children's well-being and self-esteem and can engage them in a new and innovative way and get them inspired as never before. 

Having been inspired via enrichfest.2015, many of these children and young people, it is anticipated, will go on explore careers opportunities in the increasingly important creative arts industries sector in Wales and further afield.         

No sooner has the competitions phase of Denbighshire Enrichfest.2015 reached its climax in May and a glittering Awards ceremony staged, the exciting performance elements get underway, involving 200 Primary, Secondary and Special school pupils in performing arts workshops and masterclasses, tutored by leading practitioners from the world of musical theatre, led by Mark Puddle, a native of North Wales and a leading West End London performing arts entrepreneur.

The climax to these week-long workshops, which are being held in the north and south of the county, will be Showcase Performances at Llangollen Pavilion on Friday June, 19 from 5-6:15 pm and Rhyl Pavilion Theatre on Friday June 26, from 5-6:15 pm, when the public, including parents, teachers, governors, councillors and other organisations can see for themselves the fruits of all the hard work undertaken by the children and young people.

Overall Schools Competition winners are:

Young Artist: Daniel Bailes, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl
Young Writer: Alexander Whetstone, Year 6, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen
Short Film Competition:  Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS1), Llangollen
Young Musicians: Ysgol Dewi Sant (Year 6), Rhyl 

Councillor Eryl Williams, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, said: "We have been thoroughly delighted with the response to the Enrichfest initiative.  It has captured the imagination of our children and young people and shows that there is a real interest in Denbighshire in the creative industries sector in Wales." 

Full competition results: 

Young Artist Competition 

Reception/ Year 1 and 2:
1st  Alice Jackson, Year 1, Ysgol Bodfari.
2nd Sasha Davies-Jones, Year 1, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen
3rd  Ryan Jones, Year 1, Ysgol y Parc, Denbigh 

Years 3 and 4
1st Courtney Cox, Year 3, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Prestatyn
2nd Alex Davies, Year 3, Ysgol Pendref, Denbigh
3rd Tom Priestley, Year 3, Ysgol Bodfari. 

Years 5 and 6
1st Ioan Beating, Year 5, Ysgol Mair, Rhyl
2nd Lori Roberts, Year 6, Ysgol Emmanuel, Rhyl
3rd  Jan Ranci, Year 6, Ysgol Mair, Rhyl 

Secondary
1st  Bayley Wilkinson, Year 9, Rhyl High School
2nd Daniel Bailes, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl
3rd  Kieron Nolan, Year 7, Blessed Edward Jones High School, Rhyl 

Young Writer competition 

Reception, Years 1 and 2
Winner: Danielle Jones, Year 2, St Asaph Infants 

Years 3 and 4
Winner: Matilda Cook, Year 4, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen 

Years 5 and 6:
Winners: Libby Morrissey, Year 5, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Prestatyn & Alexander Whetstone, Ysgol Bryn Collen, Llangollen 

Short Film Competition;
1st Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS1), Llangollen
2nd Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Corwen
3rd  Ysgol Bryn Collen (KS2), Llangollen 

Young Musicians: Music Composition On-line Contest:
1st  Ysgol Dewi Sant, Year 6, Rhyl
2nd Roan Pritchard, Year 6, Ysgol Emmanuel, Rhyl & Christopher Jones, Year 10, Rhyl High School.