Harrogate Brigantes help 400 school children show their creativity in Royal Hall show and book

Kids Aloud art competition winner Nadia Wieclaw with Georgina Eckert, the owner of independent Harrogate book store Imagined Things. (Picture by Charlotte Gale)

Harrogate Brigantes are giving school children an exciting opportunity to contribute to a book and stage show in this year’s Kids Aloud.

The seventh Kids Aloud project, which offer children from 12 local primary schools the chance to help create The Last Dragon show which they will perform in the Royal Hall next April, has also seen an art competition where the creativity of the youngsters contributes to a related book

The winning pupil, Nadia Wieclaw, visited Imagined Things bookshop in Harrogate recently to receive her prize – a £30 book token – and see the book go on sale.

The story which forms the basis of the stage script, written by the show’s director Guy Wilson with music by Roland Fudge, is illustrated with 19 of the best pictures painted by local pupils.

In total, approximately 400 children will perform in the concerts and/or have been involved in the art competition and workshops.

The schools are : All Saints Church of England Primary, Kirby Overblow; Aspin Park Community Primary School, Knaresborough; Bilton Grange Primary School; Grove Road Community Primary School; North Rigton Church of England Primary School; Pannal Primary School; Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School; Rossett Acre Primary School; St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School; St Robert’s Catholic Primary School; Sharow Church of England Primary School; Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School.

As always, the Kids Aloud is an initiative of Harrogate Brigantes Rotary which, for the first time, has received a grant from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Brigantes president Les Ellington said: “This will be the first time that the show the young performers have created will fill the whole evening, and I know that what the children have created will be very special.

“In addition, it’s also the first time we’ve been supported by a London Livery Company - the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers - whose Gauntlet Trust has made possible the publication of the book.”

The project is also being supported by Bartlett Group Insurance, Envirovent Ventilation, Harrogate Spring Water, Rudding Park Estate Ltd and Smiths of Harrogate.