Students at Canterbury High School won the Brenda Blethyn Acting Award for their slapstick comedy, “Titanic Year Olympic Games 1912"

Young people from across Kent competed in the first ever Kino Kids Film Festival at the Granville Cinema in Ramsgate. Winners ranged from schools and youth clubs to individuals aged from 13 to 18 year olds.

The winners also got to experience having their film shown on the big screen at Granville Cinema.

Film director, Jan Dunn says “We were delighted to be asked to organise a film festival for kid’s films but knowing how competitive the industry is, we wanted to mark it with a handful of awards to encourage the stronger talent.”

Film Producer, Elaine Wickham added, “The icing on the cake was getting Brenda Blethyn to agree to lend her name to the Best Acting award”. Born in Kent, Blethyn recently worked on Medb Film’s latest project, The Calling which is now nearing completion.

It was Canterbury High School which scooped this prestigious award for their work inspired by the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

For more information on the Kino Kids Film Festival or how schools can enter please visit the medbfilms website

University of Kent student behind Beijing Handover Ceremonies

University of Kent student, Berna Ucel, who is studying for a degree in Creative Events: Design and Production at UKC's Medway campus played a significant part in the Beijing to London Handover Ceremony. Berna was Assistant Stage Manager for London 2012 in Beijing and worked alongside Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page as London celebrated receiving the Olympic flag. 

The eight minute ceremony, also featuring David Beckham, was watched by over 80,000 people within the Birds Nest stadium and was screened to a billion people around the globe.

On the theatrical spectacle that will invite the world to London for the 2012 Games, Berna commented:

“Everything has been great and I must say I really feel that I am lucky to be out here and to have a hand in all that has been done so far.”

Led by Sebastian Coe, LOCOG is responsible for staging the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. Berna, who is in the second year of her studies at Medway, was offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after LOCOG decided to recruit a student helper to join its team.

The organisation approached the University of Kent's Creative Events degree programme, where students learn the art of producing high-profile events, celebrations and spectacles. After a series of interviews with more than a dozen Kent students, Berna was selected to take part in the ceremony.

The 24-year-old said she could hardly believe she would soon be packing her bags for Beijing. 'I've loved the Creative Events course but it was beyond my wildest dreams to be able to work on one of the biggest shows in the world,' she said.

'The handover ceremony is the moment that Britain starts its countdown to staging the Olympic Games, and so I'm sure we're going to be producing a spectacle that's vivid, memorable and also historic.'

Berna, who worked with fellow Kent students in producing a giant puppet spectacle for Medway's recent Fuse Festival, will be joining a LOCOG team of just five others in Beijing.

They will be under intense pressure for several weeks to create, and ensure the smooth running of, an eight-minute ceremony to mark the close of the Games. 'I'm there to learn from the professionals, but I also have the chance to pick up some terrific hands-on experience of staging a top event,' she added.

The ceremony's production stage manager Sam Hunter handpicked Berna for the event. Sam, who has overseen previous ceremonies at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games, said the student fully deserved her opportunity.

'Berna has demonstrated all the right ingredients to make a success of her time with us in Beijing - she has the mix of energy, enthusiasm, creativity and organisational skills we need,' she said. 'The scale of the show is truly massive, but Berna has the potential to rise to the challenge.'

Kent Celebrate Handover in Style

 

Were you one of the many people that celebrated London becoming the official Host City for the Olympic Games on Sunday 24 August?

For those local residents brave enough to venture outside their homes in heavy summer rain, certainly in the east of the County, we were treated to a host of specially planned events including the flying of 17 London 2012 Handover Flags, four street parties, free swimming across 18 pools within Kent, and one fantastic firework display!

Herne Bay Festival

Despite the weather, hundreds turned out to watch the glittering all-star closing ceremony live from Beijing on a giant TV screen erected in Herne Bay Memorial Park. Whilst David Beckham and Leona Lewis were wowing TV audiences, an Olympic Handover flag was raised in the park.

Throughout the day up to a thousand people joined in with free activities as part of Get Active: Feel Alive, a campaign aimed at promoting local sport and physical activity opportunities. Activities included fencing, dance, cricket, boxing, football and trapeze. Approximately 115 riders took part in the annual Tour d'Herne Bay, a family cycle ride along the coast, hosted by SPOKES, East Kent Cycle Campaign. Children and adults also took part in the Beijing Challenge, a specially commissioned obstacle course inspired by the Beijing Olympics.

Over 1300 people took advantage of the free swimming at Kingsmead Leisure Centre, Canterbury, Herons Swimming Pool in Herne Bay and at Whitstable Swimming Pool.

Dover

The original 1948 Olympic torch made a guest appearance on Dover seafront on Sunday.

To celebrate the Olympic Handover from Beijing to London, a range of free activities and entertainment was put on for the whole family.  This included a Street Athletics event and free swimming, leading up to a giant firework display from the Prince of Wales Pier. The Dover flag was rowed ashore by 2012 Olympic hopeful Hannah Moon. However it was the 1948 Olympic torch which stole the show as it was ran from Dover to Deal by the Deal Tri Club and Dover Roadrunners.

Vista Leisure and other Trusts throughout the County offered free swimming for the whole day.  Both Dover and Tides Leisure Centre in Deal had one of the busiest days ever with over 1500 visitors between the 2 pools. The leisure centres also offered free opportunities to play other sports including badminton, table tennis, squash and tennis.

 

 

Maidstone

People turned out in force for a festival of sports, arts and culture at Whatman Park in Maidstone. Adults and children got to see the Handover flag delivered by river and passed to Kevin Alderton, Kent Blind Skiier World Record Holder and hopeful 2010 Paralympian.

The taster sessions ran by local sports clubs proved to be particularly popular.

 

 

 

Thanet

The day saw the official opening of the new track facility at the Marlowe Academy and, again despite the inclement weather,  will be fondly remembered by all those who attended, including 110 members of the local community, of all ages, shapes and sizes, who participated in the fun run, to mark the opening of the athletics facility in Thanet.

Across the day a further 150 people took part in public taster sessions in hurdling, pole vault, javelin, long jump or simply came down to have a look at the facilities.  

In the afternoon, Dr Steve Ladyman MP for Thanet South raised the Olympic handover flag with a group of juniors from the local athletics club.

Tunbridge Wells

The third annual Summer Slam took place in Calverley Grounds in Royal Tunbridge Wells on Friday 29 August.

The annual event offered an afternoon of free activities for young people including sports, arts, dance and games.

Chris Bowles, who competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics handed the Olympic 2012 flag over to James Martin, a 2012 Judo Olympic hopeful.

Around 2,500 people attended this year’s Summer Slam. Activities included Football with Charlton Athletic Football Club, a Beijing inspired obstacle course and a Samba drumming workshop to name a few.

Tonbridge and Malling

Olympic Bronze Medalist Ian Wynne joined the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling to raise the handover flag at Tonbridge Castle. In glorious weather (some parts of the County had it!), a crowd of 300 enjoyed a live band and afternoon tea on the lawns..

Ashford

Mayor of Ashford Cllr John Link joined Nick Boylan, Great Britain Swimming Captain for people with learning disabilities, to help raise the Olympic Handover Flag at the Civic Centre on Sunday.

Nick Boylan, who has recently returned from European Championships with five medals, is one of the most successful athletes in the Borough and he is also a sporting ambassador for ‘Active Ashford.’

Over 1000 people enjoyed the free swimming that was available at the Stour Centre over the weekend.

Swale

Swale’s Olympic theme began on Friday 22nd August, with the Beijing Challenge, closing the  Fun in the Sun scheme that has kept children in Swale entertained over the Summer Holidays.

On Sunday 24 August, around 1,500 people took the plunge and enjoyed a free swim as part of the celebrations at the Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne, the Sheppey Leisure Complex, Sheerness, and at the Faversham Pools, Faversham.

To celebrate London becoming the host city for the next Olympiad, Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls presented Swale’s Olympic flag to the Mayor and Mayoress of Swale.

Thank you to all partners and public who were involved or took part in the day – it was a Handover Day to remember!

 

 

Kent Catches London 2012 Fever

As the closing ceremony brought the curtain down on an amazing Olympic Games in Beijing, the Handover party started in London. Three of Kent's Sport, Leisure and Olympics team were lucky enough to join 40,000 other excited revellers crammed into the Mall to celebrate the Olympic Flag being passed to Britain for the first time since 1948.

The morning's rain was replaced by glorious sunshine as the party got underway and the crowd was quickly bouncing (and flag waving) with bands playing London and Olympic themed songs. As the Red Arrows blazed overhead, Scouting for Girls opted for the Clash classic London Calling, whilst the Feeling went for David Bowie's ever popular Heroes. But for Malcolm, Bianca and Russell it was perhaps the chance to see some Olympic heroes in the flesh that was the highlight of the day. First up was former gold medal winning Olympian Sally Gunnell, then came this years triple jump silver medallist Phillips Idowu - easy to spot in the crowd with his hair dyed bright red. Then the day was brought to a climax with an unexpected flying visit by perhaps the greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps winner of 14 Olympic golds, a record 8 coming at Beijing.

As the day drew to a close there was a feeling that London 2012 fever is going to infect the nation over the next four year. Kent's trio were pleased to be amongst the first to catch the bug.