Three budding carnivalites from Bridgwater primary schools were the winners of an official Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival competition to design and build model carnival carts of the future.
Samia Prette Holdom from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and Lucy Halley and Harley Potter from St John and St Francis Church School, beat tough competition to take the top three positions in the unique competition which attracted over 100 entries and was kindly sponsored by Autodesk (Bridgwater Carnival’s 2016 education partner) and EDF Energy. Their three carts wowed a prestigious judging panel, which included Matt Bell from Autodesk, Nick Mouzouri, Hinkley Point B’s performance improvement manager, Marie Howe, EDF Energy’s visitor centre coordinator, Sally Anne Collings, Hinkley Point C’s visits coordinator, Ron Schroder, Hinkley Point A’s site closure director, and Malcolm Cattle and Chris Hocking, president and commercial director, of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee respectively.
The aim of the competition, which was open to schools in and around the Bridgwater area, was to encourage younger people to take an interest in the carnival tradition and to help them learn and develop associated construction, science, technology, engineering and practical skills.
Marie Howe, said: “The standard of the entries was incredibly high, and I would like to congratulate every pupil who designed, built and submitted an entry. It was a very difficult competition to judge, especially considering the amount of work the children had put in.”
Matt Bell, added: “The key in ensuring that carnival thrives is to capture the interest and imagination of younger people in construction, science, technology, engineering and practical skills, and if this competition is anything to go by, then the future of Bridgwater Carnival is in very good hands. I am already looking forward to next year’s competition.”
As well as receiving science kits and official carnival merchandise as prizes, Samia also won £250 for her school, courtesy of EDF Energy.
Other winners in the Bridgwater Carnival 2016 education competitions were:
Decorate a carnival mask competition (Sponsored by Arts Council England)
1st – Cannington Church of England Primary School (£250 prize for the school)
2nd – Robert Blake Science College
3rd – Pawlett Primary School
Literacy competition
1st – Logan Farrow, Somerset Bridge Primary School (prize – £50 book token)
2nd – Joshua Whatley, North Newton Primary School (prize – £30 book token)
3rd – Liberty Davidge, Somerset Bridge Primary School (prize – £20 book token)
The literacy competition proved popular and attracted entries from Hamp Academy, Cannington Church of England Primary School, Somerset Bridge Primary school (4 x classes), St Mary’s Primary School (2 x classes) and North Newton Primary School, and the top three entries at each school all receive book tokens in recognition of their efforts.
Carnival mask trail competition (sponsored by Timeless Images, Bridgwater)
1st – Mia Brown (prize – free portrait sitting plus 5 prints, courtesy of Timeless Images).
Chris Hocking, added: “The children are the carnivalites of the future and they will be the ones who will hopefully maintain our carnival tradition for their children and their children’s children. It is wonderful to see so much engagement from the schools, and I would also like to thank Autodesk, EDF Energy, Timeless Images and Arts Council England for their support with our education initiatives.”
