Cultural Education Awards honours the North West’s finest

Cultural education activists and heroes from across the North West region were celebrated at a creative and fun-filled awards ceremony on Wednesday 27^th June. Now in its second year, the North West Cultural Education Awards 2018 recognises the people and organisations that are working tirelessly to improving access to great art and culture for children and young people.

Organised by Curious Minds, a North West based charity, the event highlighted examples of best practice in the region’s arts and education sectors. It celebrated the individual and combined achievements of finalists and winners across 15 separate award categories – including the Arts Council England Award for Innovation and Leadership in Cultural Education.

It was ably compered by north-west based writer, comedian and performer Anna Macgowan and featured performances from the choir of St Sebastian’s Catholic Primary School in Liverpool, Beyond Labels (performance poetry by a collective of young men from The Hollins school in Accrington) and Prose (an acoustic three-piece hip-hop band from Manchester).

The 15 overall award winners were:

Leadership Categories

• The Arts Council England Award for Innovation & Leadership in Cultural Education: John Pout (Rainhill Multi Academy Trust)
• Cultural Education Activist: Simon Poole (Storyhouse, Chester)
• The Curious Minds Cultural Education Challenge Award: Fred Longworth High School (Tyldesley, Wigan)

Partnership categories

• Arts and Education Partnership Award: The Hollins & SuperSlowWay
• Heritage, Museum, Library and Education Partnership Award: People's History Museum (in partnership with Manchester Secondary Pupil Referral Unit)
• Inspirational Local Cultural Education Partnership Award: ‘Cultured’ (St Helens Local Cultural Education Partnership)

Creative Careers Categories

• Most Inspiring Creative Apprentice or Intern: James Parrott (Rentalcars.com)
• Creative Career Champions: The Dukes (Lancaster)

Artsmark School categories

• Artsmark Best Practice Award: St Peter’s CE Primary (Farnworth)
• Artsmark Team Award: St Mary’s RC Primary School (Swinton)

Arts Award Categories

• Personal Achievement Award (5-11): Connor Gamble (People’s History Museum)
• Personal Achievement Award (12-11): Kirsty Prescott (Storyhouse)
• Arts Award Gold & Beyond Award: Corey Hewitt (Odd Arts)
• Arts Award Big Impact Award: Girlguiding North West England
• Inspirational Arts Award Adviser: Phill Fairhurst (The Grand Theatre, Blackpool)

Curious Minds’ Chief Executive, Derri Burdon, said:

“Once again, we were delighted to host this event and celebrate the outstanding work that is happening with and for children and young people right across the North West region.

“The quality and quantity of award nominations we received was incredibly high and every one of the category winners and finalists deserved their moment in the spotlight.

“This year we would especially like to thank our sponsor organisations – Preston Guild Hall, University of Central Lancashire, Dimensions Curriculum Co-op Academies Trust, Creative & Cultural Skills, Happy Creative, RecycleIT, R&J Facilities, Rugby League Cares, Calico Group and The Manchester College – for helping us to make this wonderful event possible.”

A date for the next North West Cultural Education Awards will be announced in due course.