The North West Cultural Education Awards 2017
The prestigious celebration brought together over 300 teachers, cultural organisations, artists, young people, funders and policy-makers to celebrate their involvement in the Cultural Educational Challenge. It shone a light on best practice and those who have gone above and beyond in their work to bring the benefits of great arts and culture to the region's children and young people.
Awards were presented across 16 separate categories, from which winners had been selected by an independent panel of judges.
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16 Award Categories
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230 Nominations
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21 Award Recipients
Celebrating the 2017 finalists and winners
SCHOOL & CULTURAL EDUCATION CATEGORIES
The Arts Council England Award for Innovation and Leadership in Education
This award recognised a school that has consistently demonstrated an innovative approach to leadership in arts and cultural education.
- Avril Spencer, Seascale School
- Pauline Robertson, Victoria Infant and Nursery School
- Alex Bradley, Pikes Lane
- Jo Cassidy, Park Community Academy
- Stepping Stones PRU
Winner: Karen Fay, Fallibroome Academy
Cultural Education Individual Leader Award
Recognising an an individual who enables cultural education to thrive in their school.
- Avril Spencer, Seascale School
- Rebecca Stubbs, Sir William Stanier School
- Pauline Robertson, Victoria Junior School, Workington
- Dave Williams, Deepoint Primary School
- Sam Kidd, Northside Primary School
Winner: Louise Farrington, Bank View High School
The Library Partnership Award
This award recognised an outstanding partnership between an education setting and a library.
- Bolton SLS, Blackrod Library and Blackrod Church School
Winner: Bolton Museum & Library Service and Ladywood School
Museum Partnership Award
To recognise an outstanding partnership between an education setting and a museum.
- St. Augustine of Canterbury Catholic High School & World of Glass
- St. Patrick's School, Workington & The Helena Thompson Museum
- Blackburn Museum & Blackburn College
- Heritage Learning Lancashire
- The Wirral Museums Service
Winner: David Graham (Holly Lodge School, Liverpool) with Suzie Davies (Young Persons Advisory Service) and Sarah Marsh (Freelance Tate Artist)
Arts Partnership Award
This award recognises an outstanding partnership between an education setting and an arts organisation.
- Stone Soup & Poplar Street School
- The Octagon & Bolton College
- Kirkby Gallery & Kirkby Collaborative of Schools
- Ludus Dance & Dowdales School
- Mid Pennine Arts, Taywood Nursery School, Woodfield Nursery School & Stoneyholme Nursery Schoolip
Winner: The Dukes Theatre & Lancaster University
Inclusive Partnership Award
An outstanding partnership between any cultural organisation and a PRU or SEND setting.
- Everyman & Playhouse and DaDa Fest
- Loyne Specialist School and More Music
- Venture Arts Cultural Enrichment Programme
- Liverpool Targeted Services for Young People with Everyman & Playhouse
- Bank View High School and Sandfield Park School Champions Project
Winner: Manchester International Festival and Partners
CREATIVE EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES
The Comino Creative Careers Champion Award
Recognising a school or cultural organisation that is working to support young people to access pathways into creative careers.
- The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster
- The Everyman, Liverpool
- Ludus Dance
- Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
- Ambrose Barlow School
Winner: Burnley Youth Theatre
Most Inspiring Creative Apprentice or Intern
This award recognises the achievements of a young person currently undertaking or having recently undertaken a formal apprenticeship qualification with a college or training provider, or paid internship in the creative and cultural sector.
- Joe Clegg, Brighter Sound
- Alisha Rae, Action Transport Theatre
- Oliver Daley, Burnley Youth Theatre
- Elly Langlois, In Situ
- Freya, Global Grooves
Winner: Matt Robinson, Burnley Mechanics
Outstanding Creative Employer
An employer committed to providing a high quality, authentic work experience to young people.
- The Lowry
- Global Grooves
- In Situ
- More Music
- Mid Pennine Arts
Winner: Burnley Youth Theatre
ARTS AWARD SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES
The BBC Learning Gold & Beyond Award
This award is for someone who has gained Gold Arts Award and used it to open up or progress into new opportunities, education or employment.
Arts Award Gold is a stretching but very rewarding qualification for young people aged 16 to 25. Achievers develop skills in creativity, communication, planning, teamwork and leadership that will prove invaluable as they progress in education or begin working careers, especially in the fast-growing creative sector.
Winner: Melissa Woodburn (The Lowry, Manchester)
The Young Achiever Award
This award is for children as young as 7 or 8, who have excelled whilst achieving their Arts Award.
- Daniel Sim
Winner: Olorire (Grace) Ainenehi and her sister Motunrayo (Mary)
The Chris May Award for Personal Achievement
This Award was for a Young Person who has faced or faces disadvantage and challenge in their life but has overcome their circumstances and achieved a Arts Award. In 2017 it was named in honour of Curious Minds’ founding Chief Executive, Chris May, who was passionately committed to developing the capacity of disadvantaged young people to realise their creative potential. All finalists in this category were deemed to be outstanding, so awards were given to each.
- Courtney Johnson (Eden Rivers Trust, Penrith)
- Peter Wood (Peshkar, Oldham)
- Leighton Strickland (The Lowry, Manchester)
- Hannah Hodgson (Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere)
- Leah Marie Erskine (HOME, Manchester)
- Keeley Baughan (More Music, Morecambe)
Insprational Arts Award Adviser
This award is for an individual who has gone the extra mile to ensure children and young people have a high-quality Arts Award experience.
- Rachel Parsons, More Music
- Sarah Jane Lockwood, Blackpool Grand
- Laura Veevers, Burnley Youth Theatre
- Julia Swift, Range High School
- Kim Macdonough
Winner: Laura Shepherd, Queen Elizabeth School, Kirby Lonsdale
The Big Impact Award
An organisation or individual who has found a new, successful way to embed Arts Award into a large-scale project, a curriculum or across a whole organisation.
- Burnley Youth Theatre
- Girlguiding North West England
- The Lowry
- Resonate
- Elms Bank Specialist Arts College
Winner: Cumbria Museums Consortium
Innovative Portfolio Award
This award was for a young person who demonstrated a very creative way to collect evidence for their Arts Award.
- Heidi Sophia Holmes, Cardinal Heenan RC High School
- Travis Taylor, Queen Elizabeth School, Kirby Lonsdale
Winner: Isabel Hatherell, 1st West Bradford Guides
New Setting Award
This award recognised a museum, library or community setting that had recently embedded Arts Award.
- Blackburn Museum and Action Factory
- 5th Lancaster Guides
- St. Helens Library
- The Williamson Art Gallery and Museum
Winner: Blue Moose Dance Company
