Youth Arts Festival in Nantwich a Huge Success
The inaugural Youth Arts Festival in Nantwich was a resounding success, drawing creative children from the community and leaving organizers eager to plan an even grander event for the following year. The festival was meticulously organized by a team of six town councilors who, all parents themselves, put together a diverse program featuring various artistic activities such as art, drama, crafts, pottery, and theatrical makeup.
Throughout the weekend, venues like the Nantwich Civic Hall, the Methodist Church, and St. Mary’s Parish Hall were bustling with children from different schools bonding over creative projects. The festival’s main event on Saturday was an outdoor cinema screening of ‘The Greatest Showman’ at Brookfield Park, where over 300 children, parents, and grandparents joyfully sang and danced along to Hugh Jackman songs.
Sunday’s highlight was a family crafting session at the Civic Hall, where parents and kids created greeting cards and clay Aberdeen Angus cows. A special appearance by celebrity brothers AJ and Curtis Pritchard, known for their appearances on shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Love Island, added extra excitement to the festival. The brothers, who hail from Burleydam and attended Brine Leas School in Nantwich, led a Salsa dance session with youngsters from the Pritchard Dance and Fitness Academy, inspiring creativity and confidence in the young participants.
Reflecting on their own experiences in Nantwich, AJ Pritchard emphasized the importance of creative arts in nurturing young minds and building confidence. He highlighted the significance of fostering creativity in children, stating that it can lead to future opportunities in unconventional career paths. Organizers like town councilor Kim Jamson, a former teacher at Highfields, emphasized the festival’s role in providing children with opportunities to create, perform, and be inspired.
The event aimed to fill the gap left by the pandemic-induced cancellation of Nantwich’s previous Schoolsfest, encouraging children to step away from screens and engage their creative minds. Despite having just a few months to plan, the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, motivating the organizers to plan an even more extensive event for the next year. The organizers are already considering adding a covered stage for theatrical and musical performances in the town square and potentially hosting a mini Christmas event featuring a silent disco or film screening.
With support from Nantwich Town Council and Muller Homes, the festival attracted over 1000 attendees and left organizers optimistic about securing more business sponsorships for future editions. The successful debut of the Youth Arts Festival has laid a solid foundation for fostering creativity and artistic expression among Nantwich’s youth, paving the way for more community engagement and support in the years to come.