More than 360 pupils from 11 schools including Ely College showcased their singing, dancing and acting skills at a performing arts festival.

Ely Standard: Pupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMATPupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMAT (Image: Archant)

The event, called Evolve, saw students perform in front of 500 parents and members of the community at The Peterborough Theatre.

Children sang songs from musicals, such as Matilda, Annie, The Greatest Showman and exerts from Shakespeare plays including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth.

Some brave students even took part in solo performances.

Pupils from Ely College, Downham Feoffees Primary Academy and Lantern Primary School were joined by others from across East Anglia.

Ely Standard: Pupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMATPupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMAT (Image: Archant)

The event, which was run by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) brought to life the vision of founder, the late Martin Bacon.

Martin aspired to bring all the schools together each year to celebrate excellence and drive improvements in arts provisions across Cambridgeshire.

Mark Woods, chief executive officer of CMAT, said: "One of Martin's great joys was the celebration of the talent of young people, and he strongly believed that excellence in participation and quality of arts provision was a defining element of what makes a good school.

"I want to thank everyone involved in organising the event and to the families and communities for coming to support us on the night."

Ely Standard: Pupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMATPupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMAT (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: Pupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMATPupils from East Cambridgeshire showcase skills at arts festival. Picture: CMAT (Image: Archant)