This week marked the 17th edition of Nottingham’s much-anticipated Young Creative Awards at the Nottingham Playhouse, which saw entries from hundreds of young people aged 11 to 24 who live, study or work in Nottingham, across ten creative categories.
Andrew Tucker Leavis, a trustee at the charity who runs the awards, said: "this has to be one of our favourite years so far - the Playhouse was as loud as we’ve ever heard it! We really couldn’t be prouder to help the next generation of imaginative talent take the first steps in their careers."
The event was the second hosted by award-winning journalist Geeta Pendse, - who has worked with the BBC and Sky - and featured a keynote speech about creative careers from past winner Nikki Charlesworth, a puppeteer and theatre designer who had previously won the Visual Arts category. Winners received free ‘Affinity’ design software from sponsor Serif, as well as an invitation to future YCA events, masterclasses and development opportunities. It's in Nottingham, a project supported by several business in the city, donated funds to set up an exhibition of nominees' work.
The YCAs are diverse in both entries and entrants - Esther McKenzie won one of the three Creative Writing awards for her sensitively composed short story ‘Eggs from Caged Hens’, which used skilled metaphor to detail an engaging story of trauma and sisterly love. Erika Isangulova won one of three Fashion & Textiles awards for making an ‘exceptional haute couture garment’ which took inspiration from the sea, in its rich textures, silhouettes and material movements. Shashank Dhongadi won one a Photography award for his remarkable shots, linked by the concept of ‘frozen time’, showcasing not only Nottingham’s architecture, but a sensitive eye for detail.
YCA Winners and highly commended nominees receive extra support in their creative development in the months and years after winning their prizes: Liss Cooke, for example, won a Fashion & Textiles YCA in 2018 and has gone on to design a dress for Beyoncé. The awards were organised by Young Creatives Nottingham, the small independent charity who run the Young Creative Awards. The charity offers developmental opportunities in its structure: two past winners, Andrew Tucker Leavis and Kate Wand, now sit on the board of trustees.
The YCAs, which reopen for entries in November, have continued as a beacon of positivity in the calendar for years to come - demonstrating why Nottingham is one of the best places for artistic development in the country.
Find out more about the Young Creative Awards
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