Caernarfon-based youth arts project, SBARC!, needs your vote this week as it goes head to head with nine other Lottery-funded projects from across the UK in the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards 2010.
SBARC! is the only Welsh project in the Best Arts Project category of The National Lottery Awards, which are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. All the projects in the running have already received Lottery funding and the Awards celebrate how they have put that money to good use. People in Caernarfon are being urged to show their support by casting a vote to help SBARC! make it through to the final stage.
The winning project in each of the seven categories will receive national recognition on a star-studded BBC 1 TV show later this year and, in addition to the Lottery funding they have already been awarded, will receive a £2,000 cash prize[1] to spend on their project.
Now in its tenth year, SBARC! is an arts project for young people based in Galeri Caernarfon, serving North West Wales. Weekly drama classes as well as a Rock School put emphasis on giving youngsters the opportunity to perform in public and learn new skills. Lottery funding has allowed the group to hire proper training and rehearsal space and employ local expert tutors of the highest standards. The grant has also allowed SBARC! to develop and extend their programme of workshops and include new fields such as digital media and experimental performing.
Rhian Cadwaladr, Project Co-ordinator for SBARC!, says: “We’re delighted our project has reached the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards. Lottery funding has allowed us to employ the best local tutors and develop and extend our programme of workshops. It’s great to be able to give local children the chance to develop their creative skills and self esteem and offer them unique artistic experiences, and all this through the medium of Welsh. We’re really hoping the public gets behind us and votes for us in The National Lottery Awards as it would be great to get national recognition for all the young people involved.”
This year’s National Lottery Awards are supported by actress Fay Ripley, who attended last year’s Awards ceremony, which was broadcast on BBC1. She says: “Lottery players raise £25 million every week, which funds projects and organisations that are making a real difference to people and communities across Wales and the rest of the UK. The National Lottery Awards recognise the amazing talent and hard work of the people involved in running Lottery-funded projects, so please get behind your local project and vote to give them your support.”
About The National Lottery Awards
The National Lottery Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects – both big and small – make to local communities, and celebrate the achievements of the people behind them. The Awards have seven categories – each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: sport; heritage; arts; environment; education; health (in association with iVillage.co.uk) and voluntary/charity (in association with Woman magazine).
Voting for the semi-finals starts at 9am on Tuesday 1 June and ends at midday on Friday 18 June. To cast a vote for SBARC! call 0844 6868047 or log on to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards
The three projects in each category with the highest number of votes will go through to the final round of public voting in July
