Norfolk Arts Awards celebrate the county’s recent achievements

Three organisations were short-listed
for the Theatre Award – Norwich’s Theatre Royal, the Sheringham
Little Theatre and the Thalia Theatre Company. William Galinsky,
artistic director of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival presented the
award to Debbie Thompson, the Little Theatre’s own artistic director.
The Dance Award went to John Cushing, producer-director of the
Thursford Christmas Spectacular; it was presented by Peter Wilson,
the Theatre Royal’s chief executive. The runners-up were Full Tilt
and State of Flux.

In these hard financial times for all
aspects of art, two awards seem particularly appropriate. There were
three main contenders for the Fosters Solicitors Bsiness & the
Arts Award, presented by senior partner Iain McClay –
EastPublishing for design and branding support to the Norwich Puppet
Theatre, May Gurney for its sponsorship of Norfolk & Norwich
Festival free events and the winner, the John Jarrold Trust for its
county-wide support of arts groups and organisations. Caroline
Jarrold accepted the award.

The Hy Kurzner Arts Entrepreneur
Award was won by the Bo Nanafana Social Club, presented by Wally
Webb to Helen Stoneley and Tristan Roche. Delaval Astley for
the Holt Festival and Richard Penguin for his promotion of local
musicians were the runners-up. Hostry patron and Norwich Assembly
House general manager [Mike King presented the Music Award to Aude
Green, who established the King of Hearts venue for baroque and
contemporary music (forced to close in 2010 due to funding cuts).
Burnish Shed and Laura Cannell were also short-listed.

Eastern Daily Press sponsored the
People’s Choice Award. Senior reporter Emma Knights presented it to
William Galinsky on behalf of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
Gallery Plus in Wells-next-the-Sea and SeaChange Arts of Great
Yarmouth were the runners-up. Future Radio, in the person of arts
co-ordinator Kate Roma, won the Broadcast & Press Award in
competition with the training programmes of BBC Voices and poetry
publisher The Rialto. Helen McDermott of BBC Radio Norfolk made the
presentation.

Over 60 years separate the Lifetime
Contribution of Local Arts Award, presented by Susan Seddon and the
Peter Barrow Bursary Award for the Best Newcomer. In his acceptance
speech, veteran critic and actor Neville Miller made a heart-felt
plea for the continuation of arts education in schools with its
importance for the development of young people. 18-year old Charlie
Skinner from Cromer is a member of the Norwich Young People’s
Theatre and the bursary will pay for audition support while he aplies
for drama school entrance.

There were three further awards. The
Bernardine Coverley Nature Writing Prize was presented by the
Bookhive Bookshop founder Henry Layte to Ashley Ford and Keiron
Pim. The Visual Arts Award, presented by Colin Self was won by
figurative painter Chris Kendrick with Anteros Arts and Print to
the People as runners-up. Caroline Jarrold presented the Education
& Community Award to artist and photographer Anita Staff; the
Norfolk & Norwich Community Arts in Harmony Project and the
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital Arts Project were the other
contenders.