Coronation Street Actor Encourages YCA Entries

Young people aged 11 to 24 in Nottingham are being encouraged to get creative at home during social isolation and enter their work into the annual Young Creative Awards.

The deadline for the entry is Monday 27 April – extended by a month after the Coronavirus outbreak. The Young Creative Awards are supported by a wide range of cultural, educational and commercial partners across the city, including headline sponsors Serif, Nottingham BID and Nottingham Community Housing Association.

Nottingham actor Cassie Bradley – most recently seen in ITV drama McDonald and Dodds – urged young people to enter:

“I’m so proud to be involved with this year’s Young Creative Awards celebrating the wealth of talent that Nottingham has to offer. I’d encourage all young people in Nottingham to put themselves forward as it’s an incredible opportunity to demonstrate their skills, build confidence and gain new experiences and contacts.

“For me, the years I spent with Nottingham Youth Theatre were fundamental in my journey as an actor. The Young Creative Awards is a similarly great opportunity for young artists, designers, musicians, dancers, film-makers and writers to kickstart their own creative careers.”

Rising star Bradley – who played bad girl Natalie Watkins in Coronation Street in 2019 – was due to present this year’s Young Creative Awards, at a series of three special events at Metronome in May. While the Covid-19 crisis has forced those events to be cancelled, organisers are currently planning an alternative online event, which will still involve the young actor.

Winners in this year’s competition will win cash prizes, industry experience and mentoring from key creative businesses and established artists. Each category is split into three age groups: 11-15, 16-18 and 19-24.

The Young Creative Awards are designed to encourage young people in Nottingham to explore their creative talents and gain experience of working to a creative brief. 

Young people aged 11 – 24 who live, work or study in Nottingham can submit work across 10 creative categories: Animation & Digital Media, Creative Writing, Design & Architecture, Dance, Fashion & Textiles, Film, Graphic Design, Music, Photography and Visual Arts. 

Entries are judged by expert panels from across the creative industries of Nottingham.