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UWE presents prizes to award
winning performers
Students from UWE’s Centre for Performing Arts have been
awarded prizes for excellence and commitment to the
Performing Arts at a special award ceremony at the Royal
West of England Academy.
The students have been involved in a wide variety of activities
including the orchestra, brass consort, clarinet, woodwind
and saxophone groups, drama, vocal studies, big band, music
theatre and backstage crew. The students have taken part
in these activities while pursuing their studies in a range
of subjects including Audio and Music Technology, Drama,
Politics, Education and Creative Music Technology.
The prizewinners are: Joshua Cook - CPA Technical Prize;
Rebecca Walsh – Students’ Union Drama Prize; Adam Collier –
Cremona House String Prize; Katy Sweetman – The Luke Gale
Memorial Prize; James Deeny – Centre for Performing Arts
Prize; Nicholas Williams – Student Experience Prize; Andrew
Grigg – Vocal Prize; Jack Gray – Alumni and Development
Prize for Outstanding Contribution and Alex Hawker –
UWE Vice-Chancellor’s Prize. Each prizewinner received a
certificate and a cheque for £50.
Alex Hawker, recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize, and
a Creative Music Technology student, said, “I've had some
great experiences through the Centre for Performing Arts,
during my three years here. These include playing trumpet
and singing in the Big Band and Scholars Jazz group,
playing keyboard for the fantastic annual musical, singing
with Barbershop quartet 'Four in the Bar', and even the
opportunity and support to set up a new choir 'Sound of
Soul'. I feel I've really developed my musicianship through
participating with the CPA, and it has allowed me to carry on
playing regularly whilst completing my degree.”
An evening celebrating the performing arts wouldn’t be
complete without focusing on the achievements and talents
of the prizewinners as well as recapping the UWE Centre for
Performing Arts’ extensive programme of events that have
taken place over the past year, particularly its continued
commitment to community engagement and partnerships.
The event was attended by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steven
West, distinguished guests from arts organisations and local
business and the families and friends of the prizewinners.
Musical entertainment was provided by the student-run
Sound of Soul Choir founded only this year by prizewinner
Alex Hawker, the Saxophone Ensemble, directed by Valerie
Hodges and the scholars’ jazz quartet Essenjay.
The guest speaker was Jonathan Bradley; formerly Dean of
UWE Students who gave an entertaining speech appropriately
entitled ‘Fiddlers, Crooners and Exhibitionists’.
Ian Holmes, Director of the Centre for Performing Arts, said,
“We are delighted to be able to celebrate the enormous
talents of our UWE students and also the diversity of activities
available to students, staff, alumni and community members.
We very much look forward to the 2011/12 academic year
with particular focus on our productions: Titanic the Musical,
Holst the Planets and David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus – all
of which will take place in March 2012."
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CPA prizewinners
Pictured is the victorious UWE Varsity Rowing squad celebrating
their 4-1 win over the University of Bristol Rowers at this year’s
annual varsity rowing regatta held on Saturday 14 May at the
sunny Bristol harbourside. Large crowds came to cheer on both
teams and enjoyed the entertainment from the Centre for
Performing Arts’ Big Band, Sound of Soul Choir, Showstoppers and
the Saxophone Ensemble.
UWE Boat Club President, Jonny Smith-Willis said, “I'm absolutely
thrilled with the boat clubs 4 -1 victory over Bristol Uni at Varsity.
All the hard training our members did over the winter months
paid dividends during that three minutes of racing. Every UWE
crew showed a lot of courage in the first half of each race and
relied on mental toughness to get to the finish line. They should
be very proud of their achievements.”
For full Varsity Results visit: http://www.uwesu.org/get_involved/
sports/sports_updates/varsity_series_2011