Accrington school finalists in Northern Cultural Education Awards

A secondary school in Accrington has been shortlisted in the Northern Cultural Education Awards 2024 for its commitment to innovation and leadership in education.

The Hollins’ ‘Cohesion through Creativity’ Initiative have been selected as finalists in the Innovation and Leadership in Education Award category.

The Northern Cultural Education Awards 2024, hosted by charity Curious Minds, aims to shine a light on the best practice, innovation and activism in the field of creative and cultural education, wherever it is happening across the North of England. Before this year, only those in the North West could enter.

Schools have been shortlisted in a range of categories, and will come together in an awards ceremony and networking event on 24 May at The Edge Arena in Wigan.

The event will feature ‘Wonderland’, an inspiring creative space that will showcase the region’s rich and diverse cultural offer for young people and creative educators.

There were more than 150 entries submitted to the awards, and it was no easy task for the judging panels.

The Hollins’ ‘Cohesion through Creativity’ Initiative have been selected as finalists in the Innovation and Leadership in Education Award category.

The shortlist for seven categories of the awards is as follows:

The Innovation and Leadership in Education Award

• Ascent College
• Formby High School
• Fred Longworth High School
• Luminate Education Group
• Mill Hill School, Northallerton – Imaginosity
• St John’s Primary School, Cliviger
• The Hollins High School
• Wistaston Academy

The Inspirational Local Partnership Award

• Create Rochdale
• darts (Doncaster Community Arts), Cast Theatre and City of Doncaster Council’s Early Years Inclusion Team
• Ellesmere Port Cultural Learning Exchange
• Fusion (Barnsley’s Cultural Education Partnership) and Eldon High Street Heritage Action Zone
• Leeds Heritage Theatres and LEPP Creative Legacy Project
• Selby High Street Heritage Action Zone Cultural Consortium
• Tees Valley Museums Consortium (Preston Park Museum, Museum of Hartlepool and Hartlepool Art Gallery) with Children North East and Tees Valley Creative Education Partnership
• Wardrobes – ARCADE (Bridlington), KIT Theatre, East Riding Libraries and Bridlington Spa

The One to Watch Award

• Anna Wijnhoven
• Charly Ward
• Georgina Raynor
• Holly Woodman
• Kyle McKenzie
• Parisa Pirzadeh
• Rebecca Kingston
• Toni-Louise Carter

The Hearts and Minds Award

• Blackpool Grand Theatre
• Blue Cabin
• Concerteenies
• darts (Doncaster Community Arts)
• EdShift
• More Music and Ludus Dance
• Mortal Fools
• TIN Arts

The Young Arts Activism Award

• Emergence Boys Dance Group (via NAPA: The Northern Academy of Performing Arts)
• Off the Curriculum Project (via Common Wealth Theatre Company)
• R&D Creative Writers (via Respect & Dignity Arts)
• Stand Out Young Producers (via Blaze Arts)
• The Fell We Climb Project (via Anti Racist Cumbria)
• The Young Producers (via Tees Valley Museums)
• Wakefield: Where We Are… project (via Wakefield Museum and Castles)
• Youth Engagement Forum (via National Museums Liverpool)

The Grassroots Awards: Fearless Freelancer

• Abigail James
• Mark Hill
• Polly Ives
• Rob Keeley
• Sarah Gough
• Ursula Hurst
• Vicky Tyrrell

The Grassroots Awards: Small But Mighty

• A Place for Us CIC
• AmaSing
• Blue Moose Dance Company
• dot-art Services CIC
• OmniMusic
• Skills 4 All
• Unity Arts
• Wirral MakeFest

The eighth and final category, The Changemaker Award, is for an individual whose work, over many years, has made a significant positive change to the field of arts and culture by, with and for children and young people. The recipient of this award is chosen by the CEO and chair of Curious Minds.

Anybody can attend the awards, regardless of whether they have been shortlisted this year.

Book tickets here.