THE LADY Mayoress of Bradford is offering an “exciting initiative” to talented young performers from Keighley.

Elizabeth Sharp has enlisted the support of the Keighley News reaching children at schools across the town.

She said the Lady Mayoress Festival of Talent was aimed at all primary, secondary and further education establishments throughout the district.

The closing date for entries is October 27.

She said: “My cherished ambition to create a district-wide talent competition that crosses all boundaries of school age, is fully inclusive, totally cohesive, and free to enter. 

“As I have visited schools since becoming Lady Mayoress, I have been struck by the number of children and young people who have huge amounts of talent in the sphere of performing arts. 

“I wish to provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talent in a free-to-enter competition that will climax in as ‘showbiz’ a final as we can create, to take place in the Henry Mitchell Theatre in Bradford College in early March. 

“There will be three winning age groups, as mentioned above.  Each winner will take part in the Schools Proms at St George’s Hall on March 25 and 26, 2015.  They will receive a trophy, a certificate, an opportunity to perform at a Lord Mayor civic event, and afternoon tea for themselves and their families in City Hall with the Lady Mayoress.

“Performances must be to a maximum of three minutes, and can be in Singing, Dance, Instrumental Music playing, Drama, Comedy, etc. and can be solo, duos, trios, quartets, etc. groups, bands, choirs. 

“The only stipulation is that the performances are student-led, created by the performers themselves.  While their support and advice is encouraged, teachers should have no input in the creative process.

“I envisage this to be a high-profile event that in the later stages, the semi-finals and finals, will raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal as tickets will be sold to the general public and to all supporters. 

“You may already know that the Lord Mayor’s Appeal this year is supporting Marie Curie and a community-based project of his devising called ‘Make It Happen’, in which small sums of money are donated to help people less well-advantaged to create something good for them, and to fulfil, if possible, cherished ambitions, such as leading the Bradford City Football Team on to the pitch at Valley Parade.”

Anyone interested should register their involvement with the Music and Arts Service by visiting bradfordmusiconline.co.uk/site/lady-mayoress-festival-of-talent/.

The Lady Mayoress suggested that schools organised their own heats , perhaps at lunchtime or in after-school clubs, to arrive at their semi-final performances. 

She added: We would like to know when your heats are taking place in order that the Lady Mayoress could drop in if possible to share them with you.

“The finals will be filmed, and it would be good if you could organise filming of your own heats. This would enable us to create a varied semi-final programme.

“The closing date for acceptance is October 27 and all acceptances must be received by that date.”