The third annual Skills Fest, hosted by Chelmsford City Council, on June 27 at Writtle University College, was an incredible day bursting with creativity and discovery! This year, thanks to the brilliant efforts of Ignite Chelmsford’s Liz Hunter-Gray and Spark’s Rachana Vaja, a vibrant new creative quarter was introduced. This special space was designed to showcase independent creatives and quickly became a highlight, drawing in many of the nearly 1,200 students in attendance.
I was honoured to have been invited to lead one of the standout workshops of the event, where year 8 students gathered at my stall to explore the world of storytelling, through the Ignite Chelmsford Character Competition. As a children’s author and primary school teacher, I love making the process of character creation fun and accessible. It was truly rewarding to see the students’ imaginations come to life as they crafted their own unique characters.
A particularly touching moment for me, was when a year 8 student who had been in year 2 when I visited Chancellor Primary, recognised my book cover and told his friend “That person came to my school once!” His energy was top notch; he came closer… saw me, then excitedly recounted that I had brought (he used his hand to describe, as he couldn’t remember what) fried-plantain along, for them to smell – food always works!
Helping us on the day were Spark Youth Forum Volunteers Thomas, Anjola and Isobel, whose support was invaluable. The atmosphere at Skills Fest was relaxed and festive, with an infectious enthusiasm as students brought their ideas to life. Each one was eager to win the coveted £50 Theatre Voucher! Reflecting on the day, I shared my excitement on Instagram: “Great, great fun with students from Great Baddow, Boswells, Chelmer Valley, Sandon High, and Beaulieu Park Yr8s today! The Skills Fest was altogether inspiring.”
On choosing a winner, I was not surprised to find out that the judges faced a tough decision. “It’s a tough choice—there are so many fascinating characters!” Liz Hunter Gray had remarked. Artist, Rachana Vaja had the brilliant idea to create a collage showcasing all the worthy creations. And after much deliberation, with the help of Chelmsford Culture Strategist Marc De’ath and other judges, a decision was finally reached.
I am thrilled to announce that Jane’s character was selected as the winner of our first-ever Character Creation Competition! Her story telling talent truly captured the judges’ imagination, as her work beautifully embodies the spirit of creativity that Skills Fest seeks to inspire, earning her the £50 Theatre Voucher and a special spot on the collage of emerging talent.
I seize this opportunity to thank every single year 8 student that visited the Character Creation stall and took the time to share their creativity with us! As Liz Hunter-Gray and Rachana Vaja noted, it was a tough call indeed.
I had a memorable day and now look forward to bring it back next year!
