Youth In Performing Arts held its annual presentation night in the Don Craig Room at Laycock Street Community Theatre on Friday, June 26.
The event represents the final session of YIPA for this year, and once again, the young performers were encouraged to apply for a series of Scholarships and Encouragement Awards.
The awards are funded by local sponsors, who play an invaluable role in fostering young talent on the Central Coast. Scholarship and Sponsorship Coordinator, Gary Jackson said this year $13,000 worth of awards were presented on the night.
“Through the generosity of local businesses and community groups, this year has seen more awards presented than ever before,” said Mr Jackson. Mr Jackson said the record number of sponsorships was a direct result of the standards of excellence upheld by the performers in YIPA.
“2015 has been an excellent year of YIPA,” he said. This year, the coveted scholarship grants were awarded to Ashleigh Moon, Karina Swan, Ebony Bender, Charlotte Brown, Sam Newing-Stern, Millie-Rose Kent, Joseph Arrua and the Future Falcons.
Encouragement Award recipients included Cory Jones, Renee Stein, Kate Harding, Rachael McMahon, Claire Wallace, Billie Dobson, Brad Evans and James Woolnough. As part of the presentation, each of the award recipients were asked to perform their best act for the audience.
Mr Jackson said the night’s performances were exceptional and lay testament to the hard work the youth had put in all year. “The concert series were very well attended and the talent was of such a high level this year,” Mr Jackson said.
NSW Senator Deborah O’Neill was in attendance on the evening and presented a special Senator’s Award to Mr Alf Taylor OAM, in recognition of his recent OAM award and his years of service to YIPA.
Media release,
15 July 2015
Gary Jackson, YIPA