Going for gold at Holyrood (From Chard & Ilminster News)

Going for gold at Holyrood

1:23pm Thursday 14th February 2008 in Chard By Joanna Glover

FOUR talented students at Chard's Hoylrood Community School are top of the class after achieving their Arts Award Gold.

Zoe Douglass, Louise Wyatt and Sally and Rosie Taylor were four of just five people in the South West to achieve the gold award among 47 in the whole country.

The Arts Award is a new initiative to support young people to develop as artists and arts leaders and is a nationally recognised qualification.

The award has two units - personal arts development and arts project leadership.

The girls, all in the school's sixth form, worked for 18 months on the award putting in many hours on their individual projects.

Sally and Rosie Taylor completed their award through drama, performing a group piece at the Tacchi Morris Centre in Taunton, which they had scripted, adapted and choreographed.

They also ran a drama group and lunch and after school with pupils in year seven, culminating in a live show.

Louise Wyatt achieved her award in drama and animation.

She taught students how to create cartoons and set up workshops with local animators and technicians.

And Zoe Douglass dedicated her personal challenge to focus on portraiture with a musical connection.

She also worked with children at Winsham Primary School, which could be at risk of closure, to produce artwork based on the school's history.