Nottinghamshire’s answer to Britain’s Got Talent meets X-Factor returns this month with Showcase 2016!

The annual music, film, dance and drama extravaganza is organised by Nottinghamshire County Council’s County Youth Arts team with three evening events at the Palace Theatre in Mansfield and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.

The County Youth Arts Showcase project works with more than 400 young people each year for several months in preparation for the show with initial auditions taking place in the autumn.

Showcase 2016 will feature performances from young people across the county of various abilities and experience, and the project will feature everything from hip hop to rock and pop, street dance, contemporary dance, drama and comedy, all weaved together to entertain.

And there will be a performance from this year’s Supergroup – talented musicians who have been brought together to form a band following their auditions – who will be collaborating with Rob Green when they appear at the Royal Concert Hall. This year’s Supergroup is called ‘Earth Below’ and as with the project in previous years has once again signed to a record label and will be releasing a single.

Councillor Liz Plant, Vice-Chairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the calendar for us to showcase the talents of young people across the county who excel in music, film, dance and drama. Showcase 2016 will once again be a great programme with high quality entertainment which everyone will enjoy.”

· Unity Showcase – Thursday, February 18, at 7.30pm at the Palace Theatre, in Mansfield

Tickets are £3.50 or £2 from Palace Theatre Box Office on 01623 633133.

This event is a large music ensemble with solo acts. It will be a creation of music spanning the seven districts of Nottinghamshire featuring different groups and performers to produce an ensemble performance. This year the music is an original composed piece with Angus McLeod and Mark Allsop as composers/facilitators, and assisted by Sam Jones and Bru-C working with young people working at the Old Library in Mansfield. There will be a documentary style film shown during the evening with a variety of other performances on the night.

· Dance and Drama – Friday, February 19, at 7.30pm, at the Palace Theatre, in Mansfield

Tickets are £3.50 or £2 from Palace Theatre Box Office on 01623 633133.

This event will feature a range of dance, drama and other projects. It will feature performances from a range of groups including Wheelchair dance from Cauldwell House; Back Foot Forward (Tuxford), Rush Dance (Rushcliffe) Retford Oaks (Retford), Jungle Bunch (Bilsthorpe), Positive Moves (Gedling), Flying High Interm Youth Dance (Gedling), The Prototypes (Mansfield) Steppin’ Serlby Dance (Mansfield), Outwood Portland Academy, North Notts Youth Dance Company, Reach Learning Disability Southwell and Valley Dance (Worksop), MX4 Street Dance (Mansfield).

There will also be a film shown on the night by the Xzibit group led by Jon Bevan from County Youth Arts whose team of young people took inspiration from sculptures at Rufford Abbey Country Park to produce a dance film there.

· Music Showcase – Tuesday, February 23, at 8pm, at the Royal Concert Hall, in Nottingham

Tickets are free (but must be obtained in advance) from the Royal Concert Hall Box Office on 0115 9895555. The event will begin with a Music Industry panel at 7pm which will feature tips and advice on careers within the music industry.

This event will be a music showcase featuring:

The Able Orchestra of students from Fountaindale School working with Si Tew and Ronnie Sampson from County Youth Arts to develop their own music using iPads and technology.

The ‘Earth Below’ County Youth Arts Supergroup formed this year with Nina Smith and Matt Blick. The Supergroup members are:

•Lara Prosser – Mansfield
•Theo Drabble – Newark
•Simran Johal – Rushcliffe
•Shaan Kaur – Nottingham
•Oliver Stewart – Southwell
•Sam Murphy – Mansfield
•Max Crawford – Lincoln

After the performance at Showcase, they will go into the studio in March to record their debut EP which will feature Nottingham artist Rob Green. The single will be released at a BBC The Beat gig during SONAR in July.

Other performers will include Abi Brown with Destiny and Jephthah, Rachael Dixon, Encaptured, Charlie Fearon, 15 Keys, the Classical Supergroup and the National Choir.

For more details about the event contact Nottinghamshire County Council’s County Youth Arts team on: [email protected] or go to www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/countyyoutharts

To get involved in any projects and events, contact County Youth Arts on 01623 644377 or go to facebook/TheOldLibrary