A Cambridgeshire arts festival, which was set to be cancelled due to coronavirus but is returning virtually, has received support from a well-known TV celebrity.
Star of BBC’s The One Show and Rogue Traders Matt Allwright shocked Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) when he sent in a video message.
Allwright recorded a special message for The CMAT Arts Festival which will see performances from students from schools across Ely and east Cambridgeshire.
The main event for students is the ‘CMAT’s Got Virtual Talent’ competition where students are invited to send in 90-second videos showcasing a skill or talent.
There will be two winners, one from the Trust’s primary schools and another from a secondary school, with each announced on July 6.
Audrey Caldwell, CMAT director of music, said: “We are so pleased that the festival can go ahead, even if it is not quite as we had planned.
“It has been great to see how committed students and staff across the Trust have been over recent weeks and we look forward to celebrating their efforts.
“We are also delighted to have celebrity support in the form of promotional videos with a very well-known comedy actress providing the role of celebrity judge.
“We thank the wider community for their support and hope the festival provides a positive outlet for students in the middle of their online learning.”
Across the festival, students and staff are getting involved with various group performances, including a secondary school choir-instrumental arrangement of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’.
It is hoped an arts festival will be able to take place at Northstowe Secondary College in 2021 so students can show off their talents to a seated audience.
Audrey added: “No matter how and where they take place, we want these events to really bring the CMAT school community together and demonstrate the importance and excellence of arts within education.
“During this lockdown period and change to home learning we have seen just how creative and passionate the students have been with their arts and music.
“It’s great to see how we can still come together as a Trust to celebrate the arts, even when we’re not together in the same venue.”
For more information, visit: www.cmatrust.co.uk/artsfest-2020/
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