The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) is delighted that Northern Ireland TV presenter Kathryn B Wilson kindly agreed to host the annual Carson Award Showcase at Integrated College Dungannon on 24 October.
The Carson Award Showcase is an annual event where Integrated pupils show their creative talent and all the amazing projects they have been working on.
Host Kathryn Wilson said:
‘I am delighted to be here to host the annual Carson Showcase. The Carson Awards are such an exciting opportunity for young people to express themselves creatively under the theme of ‘What Integrated Education Means to Me’. As a long-standing supporter and advocate of Integrated Education, it is great to hear from these pupils first-hand how they have grown and benefitted from being educated side by side, every day, together. The Showcase has been so inspiring, with an incredible line-up of performances, including videos, music and recitals.’
Carson Bursaries were awarded to schools who applied to financially support pupils who wished to undertake a creative project. All Integrated schools are then offered the opportunity to enter for a Carson Award. The Carson Bursary grant programme and Carson Awards were generously started by late comedian and Integrated Education supporter Frank Carson, along with his son Tony Carson in 2008. The awards are delivered through the IEF.
Tony Carson, business entrepreneur and co-founder of the Carson awards, commented:
‘I am very proud to have established the Carson Awards along with my late dad Frank to help support Integrated Education. The entries keep growing in quality every year and are a tribute to the creativity shining through in the young people involved. Creativity and the arts make an enormous contribution to society and so it is vital to nurture and recognise the next generation of talented artists across all mediums.’
The Showcase event gives those who have received a Carson Bursary or won a Carson Award the opportunity to show their creative projects. This year the Showcase event was held in Integrated College Dungannon, a school which has a long history of supporting and fostering creativity within their school community. IC Dungannon has been a recipient of many Carson Bursaries over the years, so the Showcase offered the school an opportunity to display its impressive portfolio of artwork. The annual Carson Showcase travels around Northern Ireland, to different schools each year, in order to be inclusive and accessible to all Integrated schools. This year there will be some notable special guests in attendance: actor, writer, producer and director Geraldine Hughes and writer Jan Carson.
Paul Caskey OBE, Head of Campaign, at the IEF said:
‘The IEF are delighted to be celebrating the 17th year of the Carson Awards at Integrated College Dungannon. It is important that young people have the opportunity to express ‘What an Integrated Education Means to Me’ and the Carson Awards provides such a platform to do just that whilst supporting their creative skills. The quality of the work never ceases to astound. We are so impressed by the quality and innovation of the Integrated pupils’ work on display here today. From creative writing to podcasts, from film to photography, poetry to Virtual Reality – the variety of projects is a testament to the variety of interests and skills being fostered within Integrated schools today. We want to congratulate all the worthy winners here today.
The IEF also wants to thank Tony Carson for his continued support for the Carson Awards, which is a fitting tribute to the legacy of our friend and supporter Frank Carson.’
For more information on the Carson bursary programme and Carson Awards please see our website here: https://www.ief.org.uk/our-work/grants/carson-awards/
