Youngsters invited to show all their talent

Stagecoach Performing Arts asks for entries from people aged four to 18 for new contest

Young people across the UK are being urged to showcase their creative talents as part of a competition run by Stagecoach Performing Arts.

Children aged between four and 18 are invited to submit a short video entry with the theme ‘my spotlight’.

The videos should be no longer than three minutes and feature a performance of singing, dancing or acting. The entries will be reviewed by a panel of expert judges before one winner and two runners up are selected.

The winner will receive a prize package including a 12-month subscription to stagecoachathome, where Stagecoach lessons can be accessed any time, from home, worth nearly £300, a signed copy of performer Carrie Hope Fletcher’s new book Into the Spotlight, and a personalised message from Carrie, with performance tips and advice from her illustrious career. Two runners up will also be selected and will receive a copy of the book.

Carrie Hope Fletcher is an actress, author and vlogger who has starred in many major West End shows including Les Misérables, Heathers and The Addams Family. Into the Spotlight is inspired by the much-loved classic Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild.

Carrie (pictured bottom right) said: “I am thrilled to be working with Stagecoach on this competition. Performing arts can have a huge impact from a very young age, teaching expression as well as building confidence that you’ll carry through life.

“Performing changed my confidence, on the stage, and beyond. I used my own experience as a young performer to inspire this story and I can’t wait to see the talent from this competition, I’m sure I’ll see many on stage one day!” Stagecoach is the largest network of extra-curricular performing arts schools in the UK and has seen the likes of Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Beauty and the Beast), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, Fantastic Four) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, Jack the Giant Slayer) pass through its doors. The competition closes on October 19. Visit stagecoach.co.uk/competition to enter.