The Alan Holt Memorial Award

Bury St Edmunds Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society is offering a prize fund of £100 each to two young people who are about to embark on a full-time course of study in the performing arts. The money is awarded to help with the purchase of books and other essential items of equipment for their chosen course.

The prize (first offered in 1990) perpetuates the memory a past President and Chairman of the Society who died in 1987. Alan was also a teacher at County Upper School, and a Youth Officer for Bury St Edmunds. The award was set up in co-operation with his widow, Margaret, who is also a past President of the Society.

An applicant must write in their own words (about one A4 page) saying how they will benefit from the award, giving some information about themselves and what they have accomplished in the performing arts to date.

Full details of all the information required can be obtained by writing to the Honorary Secretary at , or by phoning us on .

The 2009 Award

The 2009 Alan Holt Award is to be shared between Josie Harrington and Gemma Smart, who both receive £100.

Josie Harrington started her interest in the theatre at a young age playing "Baby Bear" in the Great Barton village panto of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". She is a past student of County Upper School where she took roles in a number of school productions including "Anything Goes", West Side Story" and "Disco Inferno" and gained her Bronze Arts Award. She also had the opportunity to take part in a short film for The National Trust about life in and around Ickworth Park, which is shown to tourists visiting the house. Last year, as well as being involved in the Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal Summer School, Josie also appeared on stage with BSEAODS in their production of "Mame" (having previously been in our production of "Annie Get your Gun" in 2007). Josie is now a student at the Mountview Academy in London where she is studying acting, singing and dancing.

Gemma Smart was a student of County Upper School from 2004 to 2009 where she was a prominent member of their Drama Club (as Captain of Drama in her final year), and also took Drama as GCSE and A-level exams. She is both a singer and a flautist, and took part in every school production during her five years at County Upper, and also received her Silver Arts Award from Trinity Guildhall and her 'V' award for voluntary hours helping with school drama. As well as performing in school productions, Gemma tried her hand at directing for "The Insect Play" and "Lysisrata". Gemma has just begun a degree course studying Drama at the University of Lincoln.

The 2008 Award

The award for 2008 has been made to Naomi Dee. Naomi is a past student of County Upper School where she was Captain of Drama. She not only took part in every school production in her time there, but also sang in the school choir and chamber choir. Since leaving County Upper last year, Naomi has been on a gap year with a Christian organisation called Viz-a-Viz, and in particular she has been the singer in a band called Taste. The work involved travelling around the UK and Europe taking "Religious Education" lessons, music lessons and assemblies talking to the schools about what it's like to be a Christian. This September she has begun a BA (Hons) in Acting at Northampton University.