HRH The Duke of Cornwall helps young Cornish talent “thrive and flourish” at YT20 twentieth anniversary showcase

His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall led a celebration of outstanding young Cornish talent last night (Monday 17th November) as part of YT20, a grand gala showcase held to mark the twentieth anniversary of Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund.

 

Hosted at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro, the event saw internationally renowned Cornish luminaries collaborate with emerging young stars to put on an aspirational evening of Cornish talent, demonstrating that with the right support, no dream is beyond reach.

 

In a filmed message played to a packed auditorium of young people, their families, past recipients and Young & Talented Cornwall supporters, The Duke of Cornwall declared Cornwall “a beacon of creativity, imagination and achievement”. He said that “young people should be enabled to thrive and flourish, and no talent should be held back by financial or social challenges.”

 

Dame Judi Dench, Dawn French, Will Young and former Young & Talented Cornwall grant recipient, Helen Glover, also shared video messages of support, alongside a host of other well-known people with links to Cornwall.

 

As well as being an aspirational evening of dance, theatre and music, the event celebrated the latest Young & Talented Cornwall grant recipients, from musicians and singers, to dancers, sportsmen and women, scientists and creative writers. These include Lucy Beasley, a 16-year-old writer from Callington, accomplished 14-year-old cyclist Lauren Fox from St Ives, and Tom Knight, a 17-year-old STEM enthusiast from Poundstock. In the largest funding round to date, 57 grant recipients have been awarded over £80,000 to help them achieve their potential. The money will go towards equipment, travel and training expenses.  For the creative writers and STEM recipients, a cash grant is paired with mentoring support, tailored to the individual’s particular focus.

Since 2005, the Young & Talented Cornwall fund has awarded over £600,000 to more than 450 exceptionally talented individuals, helping to break down the financial, social, and physical barriers often faced by Cornwall’s gifted youngsters.

Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall says: “What an outstanding demonstration of the abilities of Cornwall’s next generation. For two decades Young & Talented Cornwall has been proud to help an extraordinary range of young talent thrive, supporting young people in overcoming financial, geographical and social challenges. YT20 clearly shows the powerful impact of nurturing young people’s potential – creating lasting benefits for them, for Cornwall, and far beyond.

 

“YT20 offers a vision for the future, and I hope it will encourage more young people to believe in themselves and strive for remarkable achievements.”

 

Acclaimed Cornwall-born choreographer, Theo Clinkard, returned to his roots for the event, helping young dancers stage a specially commissioned performance. Musician and composer, Jim Carey, provided the music for a new anthem for Cornwall penned by aspiring writers and sung by the Cornwall Youth Choir, and Simon Costin who created the sets for some of Alexander McQueen’s most spectacular shows, provided creative direction for the procession from the Cathedral to the Hall for Cornwall. BBC Radio 1 DJ Danni Diston compered the YT20 showcase.

 

To support the staging of YT20, Arts Council England awarded Young & Talented Cornwall a £19,000 project grant, made possible by the National Lottery. The event was also generously sponsored by Cornish Metals and St Eval, and supported by Hall for Cornwall and Screen Cornwall.

 

The next round of Young & Talented Cornwall grants is now open. Applications are welcome across all categories, covering everything from sports and performing arts, creative writing to science, technology, engineering and maths.