Creativity honoured at Schools’ Art contest

With categories for visual art, short stories, poetry, drama, and musical performance, the competition once again highlighted the best of our talented local young people. As well as individual awards, prizes were also given to schools that had the highest numbers of winning entries. Outstanding Individual Awards were given out to Rachel Acheson from Friends’ School Lisburn (Visual Art), Conor Delaney from St. Colman’s Primary School (MLD) (Poetry), Rebecca McNeill from Friends’ School Lisburn (Short Story) and Lea Carson from Friends’ School Lisburn (Musical Performance).

Awards were presented by Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Councillor Thomas Beckett and Ms Eileen Boylan, External Relations Manager, Montupet (UK) Ltd - the main sponsor of the competition. Other sponsors included Eason Ltd, Waterstones and Music Matters, Lisburn. Guests at the ceremony were treated to a range of performances and readings including a musical item from Lea Carson, Friends’ School Lisburn, readings from Conor Delaney, St. Colman’s Primary School (MLD) and Rebecca McNeill, Friends’ School Lisburn followed by a drama excerpt from Riverdale Primary School of their production ‘Aladdin’.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Master of Ceremonies, Heather Campbell said: “Our young artists are the pride of the city. On behalf of the Island Arts Centre I would like to thank you all for taking part in this hugely successful competition. Once again I would like to thank Montupet (UK) Ltd and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for their continued support of the Annual Schools’ Arts Competition. I hope that you will encourage your friends and family to come down and view the exhibition in the Community Arts Walkway until Tuesday June 30. The exhibition is then moving to Lisburn City Library on Wednesday July 1 to Saturday August 29.”