Ever dreamt of performing at Glastonbury, designing a dress for Beyoncé or even having a top 10 record? Past winners of the Nottingham Young Creative Awards have done all of these things – and this year’s awards are now open.
Entries are open to 11 – 24 year-olds who live, work or study in Nottingham and there are eleven different categories – Animation & Digital Media, Creative Writing, Dance, Design & Architecture, Fashion & Textiles, Film, Graphic Design, Music, Photography, Theatre and Visual Art.
It’s free to enter, and with cash prizes and industry opportunities up for grabs, entrants have got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Participants can conjure up something new to submit or show off existing work, including pieces they’ve done at school or uni.
It’s a brilliant opportunity to show off talents, develop contacts, and perhaps even to launch a creative career. Winners get unique opportunities to take part in exhibitions and showcase events, and to take up work placements and mentoring opportunities with creative businesses in the city.
Charlotte Ashley, 23 from Sneinton, won the 19-24 Graphic Design category last year with her Mr Men-style book inspired by her experience with Crohn’s Disease. She now works at design agency STENCIL – a job she got after meeting them at the Winners Dinner.
Charlotte said: “I entered the Young Creative Awards because I had a project I was really proud of and wanted to show it to as many people as possible. I also had read about the opportunities and contacts that winning a YCA would provide, and knew this would be really beneficial for me starting my creative career in Nottingham.
“Finding out that I won was one of the proudest moments of my life! You may be busy with coursework or other jobs, but the award has so much potential for giving you great opportunities, so it’s definitely worth entering.”
Nigel Cooke, Trustee of Young Creatives Nottingham (the registered charity that runs the Young Creative Awards) said: “Nottingham is full of bright young people, who always amaze us with how talented they are. Every year the standard gets better and better, and we’re excited to see what people come up with.”