Manx Charity Junior Achievement has introduced a new award as part of its annual talent competition ‘The Next Big Thing’, held at the Gaiety Theatre.
The People’s Choice Award has been created in memory of Paul Cooper, a youth worker with Soundcheck who sadly passed away in October 2014. Paul worked for the Youth Service for five years and, for the last three of those years ran the Soundcheck project, which assists solo artists and bands with rehearsal space, tuition and loan of instruments.
On the night of the live Next Big Thing final in February the audience was asked to vote for their favourite act and the winners were Intensity Blue, a group of dancers from Move It Dance Studio.
Sue Cook, CEO of Junior Achievement, said ‘We created this award to recognise the contribution Paul and the team from Soundcheck made to The Next Big Thing. They have been instrumental in helping to make the competition the success it’s become. Paul inspired so many young people to pick up an instrument and learn to express themselves through music, which is what The Next Big Thing is all about.’
She went on to say: ‘Soundcheck from Douglas Youth Arts Centre works with Junior Achievement every year to support the acts through the audition process and it goes to show what two charities can achieve when they work together.’
Photo - The late Paul Cooper’s wife Georgina and daughter Georgia present Intensity Blue with the People’s Choice award.
