A GALA TO INSPIRE CORNWALL’S NEXT GENERATION
Posted on 18th June 2025 by
Hosted at Hall for Cornwall on 17th November, YT20 will mark the achievements of Young & Talented, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund over the last two decades, whilst providing inspiration for the next generation. Since 2005, the fund has awarded more than £500,000 to over 500 exceptionally talented individuals, helping to break down the financial, social and physical barriers so often faced by Cornwall’s gifted youngsters.
To support the staging of the performance, Arts Council England has awarded Young & Talented Cornwall a £19,000 project grant, made possible by the National Lottery. The money will be used to commission new work by choreographer Theo Clinkard, writer Anna Maria Murphy and composer Jim Carey in collaboration with recipients of the Young & Talented Cornwall Awards. This support is in addition to generous support from Cornish Metals and St Eval.
From sportspeople to performers, writers to engineers, YT20 will bring together a vast collection of alumni who have gone on to achieve success thanks, in some part, to the helping hand given to them early in their career by Young and Talented Cornwall. As well as British pole vaulter Molly Caudery, and four-times Olympian Helen Glover, past recipients include English rugby union player Luke Cowan-Dickie, double bassist Edward Francis-Smith (now playing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York), BMX European Cup Champion Sienna Harvey and Para Lions footballer Matt Robinson. All are invited to participate and attend.
Set to be a vibrant showcase of the talent so abundant in Cornwall, YT20 will feature a range of performances and exhibitions, and will be aimed at school students and community groups from across Cornwall to ignite imaginations and demonstrate the power of the possible.
“Over the last twenty years Young and Talented Cornwall has supported hundreds of young people who have gone on to achieve great things; it will be a real pleasure to welcome some of them back to show today’s young people what is possible,” comments Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.
“YT20 will be a powerful gathering of home-grown talent; it will entertain and create a swell of pride but more than that, we hope it will be a catalyst for future success by inspiring the next generation to push boundaries and build ambitious futures. We want to give young people optimism and demonstrate the opportunities for them in Cornwall.
“YT20 will be our most significant event to date – many thanks to the Arts Council and our generous sponsors for helping to make it possible.”
Young and Talented Cornwall recipients, past and present, are invited to join the celebration either virtually or in person. Invitations will also be issued to schools, colleges, sports and community groups across Cornwall. All interested should get in touch with Sarah Waller, programme coordinator, on sarah@youngandtalentedcornwall.org to find out more or contact on social media via @youngandtalentedcornwall.
The next round of Young & Talented Cornwall grants is now open across the All Talent, Spirit of Trevithick and Creative Writing categories. Recipients of these latest grants will be awarded as part of the YT20 performance. For more information and to apply, visit Our Awards.
